God reveals himself to Abraham as "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward," emphasizing his protective nature and the blessings of a relationship with him. The sermon explains that just as a shield must be actively employed for protection, individuals must accept God's salvation through Jesus Christ to experience his shielding grace. This acceptance not only provides divine protection from spiritual danger but also leads to an "exceeding great reward" in both this life and the next. Ultimately, the message encourages listeners to trust in God as their protector and reward, assuring them of eternal security and abundant joy.
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Thank you. Greetings, friends. We've been following the statements of the Lord Jesus when he was here on earth, tabernacling among men, when he used the great phrase, I am. I am. I am the door. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. I am the resurrection. And so on. The many times that he used that wonderful expression, I am. We'd like to turn now to the Old Testament, the book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. And read verse one of chapter fifteen.
Here God is speaking to Abraham, that great man of the Old Testament, in fact, the great man of the Bible. When Abraham appeared before God, God spake to him. He was a man who later became... the friend of God. He's the only one who carries that title in the Scripture. He was a friend of God. He was a great man, the man of faith. And all who have faith in the Lord Jesus now are designated also as the sons of Abraham, faithful Abraham, by faith.
In the first verse of chapter fifteen, after these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram, his name had not yet been changed to Abraham. He is here just Abram, A-B-R-A-M. It was later changed to Abraham. And so we read, the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Now here God reveals his character, God Jehovah, now reveals some of his character to Abraham.
In fact, he reveals himself in fourteen different ways. to Abraham, and this is the first revelation that we have. These are the first revelations that we have of the character of God. So they become very important, very important, and very expressive. This one says, God describes himself to Abram as a shield. I am thy shield, oh, personal, very personal. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. First of all, he uses the word shield.
Shield. I am thy shield. Now, a shield, usually, in armor, at least, was that piece of accoutrements that they held in their hand to... ward off the missiles that were fired at them at the soldier, the stones that were hurled, and the arrows that were shot, and this shield would protect the soldier, and ward off the shots of arrows or stone or whatever they were that were shot at the soldier.
But there's one thing about the shield. It wasn't any good until the individual picked it up and used it. There had to be an act on the part of the one who was going to be shielded. And God uses this term now, a metaphor, to help us to understand his character and what we must do if we want to contact him. And this answers in the New Testament to conversion or to salvation, being born again. I am thy shield. Abram had to make him his shield. You must employ a shield in the natural part.
If you're going to have any protection from the shield, you must take it and you must employ it. You must use it. I am thy shield. It's a protection. It's something that preserves life. It's something that preserves from danger and from wounds. So that it's a very apt description. God says to Abram, I am thy shield. This is so wonderful. It's personal to Abram. I am thy shield. God is his protector. God is the one that's going to stand by him. God is the one that's going to preserve him. God is the one that's going to keep all harm and danger away from him.
God is going to see that Abraham is protected and that he lives and he's not injured and that he's able to do the work of God. And this is a wonderful picture, a word picture, metaphor. of salvation in the New Testament. We accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, and then he is the one who takes care of us and protects us and keeps us and feeds us and does everything for us after we've accepted him as our Savior. He has become our shield. None shall pluck us out of his hand.
Here we are perfectly protected. He'll not forsake to his foes. We are definitely kept. And of his sheep he lost none. He would not. He cannot. He will not lose the soul that trusted in him. And he will protect us from the enemy. And protect us from danger. And protect us from that that would be... against our interest and against our benefit. So in salvation we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, and he becomes our shield.
Yes, our protector. He takes care of us then. We're in his hand. We're placed in his hand. We're in him, a new creature in Christ Jesus. And now he takes care of our lives. He protects us. He shields us. He guides us. He goes with us. He accompanies us. Oh, the personal feature of knowing the Lord Jesus as your Savior. But then more than that, God says here, God Jehovah, and thy exceeding great reward. Yes, isn't that great? The one who today accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, as well as the one who acted in that day of Abram, when God prayed to him, There's a reward for those who serve the Lord.
There's a reward, and God is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him and that seeks to serve him. So that being a Christian or belonging to God, acknowledging God, as Abram did in the Old Testament, and as Christians today have done in the New Testament, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, they become... They are saved. They are placed in the family of God. They are placed in the church, the New Testament church, which is the mystical body of Christ composed of all true believers in the world at any one time. And so there is nothing to be lost by coming to the Savior or of knowing God as in the Old Testament.
There is everything to be gained. Everything to be gained. There is no lost friend. If you come to God by the Lord Jesus Christ, you will gain everything that's possible for eternity and for time. You'll be blessed. You'll live a life that's happy. You'll be praising God. You'll be living for him. You'll be doing right things. You'll be separated from doing wrong things so that at the end will bear fruit to God, protected and shielded by him. And we serve Him, we seek to do His bidding, while then what happens?
Well, we get joy out of it now. We get happiness out of it now. Never have I heard a soul say that it was really saved, really born again, really trusted Christ as Savior. Never have I heard one of them say, I wish I hadn't accepted Him as my Savior. Never, friend, because it's so great. to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and to be brought into soul relationship with the God of heaven, the one who said, I am thy shield. My what a marvelous word. And thy exceeding great reward. Every little thing we do for Christ is bound to laugh, and it will bring its reward in a coming day.
So if you're hesitating from accepting the Savior, because you're afraid you'll never be happy again, or because you're afraid that you'll lose everything that you now have, and that you'll have to become very straight-laced, and you'll not be able to enjoy yourself again? Friends, that's all Paul. The only person who is the right to be happy in this world is the one who's trusted Christ, shielded by his grace and sovereign protection and mercy, and then to serve him and to do some little things for him. We'll see, we'll get an exceeding great reward in that coming day. Oh, my friend, draw nigh to God. He'll draw nigh to you.
He'll be your shield and your exceeding great reward if you trust him and trust the Savior now. Bless our Father. Thy word to every soul that heals it today, and we pray thee to bless our country, our president, all the rulers and authorities in our great land, the governors of states, the mayors of cities. We pray, Lord, that our government will be able to hold us head erect in righteousness, and men and women will hear the old, old story, and trust the Savior while they may. For we pray, in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen