Genesis 15:1, commentary and pictures

After his victory Abram was troubled by fear of renewed attack and by uncertainty over the land and an heir, and in vision God told him not to fear because He Himself would protect him and be his reward. To be his shield means God Himself defends him from danger, and to be his exceeding great reward means God Himself, not merely gifts from Him, is the blessing of those who follow Him. That reward begins in this life as the heart opens to know and possess Him, receive His attributes and love and power, and find joy in His presence and fellowship even amid persecution and reproach. Christ Himself is that reward, becoming hope, sun and shield and everlasting joy and peace to the suffering and discouraged who look away from self to trust Him and cast the helpless soul upon Him. Even when powers and majorities set themselves against His people, He will not forsake them to the end but will Himself be their defense and reward, and every duty performed and sacrifice made in Jesus' name brings that exceeding great reward along the path of duty.

Vision and Setting

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision with the command not to fear, because God Himself would be his protection and his exceedingly great reward. It came after his victory, when he feared renewed attack and was uncertain about the promised land and an heir. Troubled by that uncertainty, he asked for tangible assurance that the promise would be fulfilled.

It came after his separation from Lot, while he was still childless and uncertain who would inherit from him. Having no son, he thought his household servant Eliezer might be his heir. Against that fear God promised that Abram would have his own son and descendants too numerous to count.

It came after he had obeyed by leaving his father's household and going to a strange land, where God was educating him. That obedience meant breaking connection with his idolatrous father's family and leaving his father's house to be separated from their influence so he could be taught by God. There God was making him a chosen instrument to receive the light of the laws of God's kingdom and to worship Jehovah alone as the object of worship, and there assured him that He Himself was his shield and exceeding great reward.

The speaker was Jesus Christ, giving assurance against fear and promising Himself as protection. He understands Satan's hidden traps and subtle arts, as Satan works diligently with great power to ruin souls knowing his time is short. He is able to keep in safe paths those who follow Him closely in His wisdom and practice His truth, and the same assurance belongs today to anyone who places himself under His protection.

Shield and Reward

"Fear not" is God's assurance to Abram that God Himself is his shield and protection, defending him from danger. This was spoken after Abram's separation from Lot while he was still childless and uncertain whether his household servant Eliezer would be his heir. It was spoken after he had obeyed by leaving his father's household and idolatrous family connections to go to a strange land, where God was educating him apart from their influence to be a chosen instrument to receive the light of the laws of God's kingdom and to worship Jehovah alone. It was spoken after his victory, when he feared renewed attack and was uncertain about the promised land and an heir, and being troubled he asked for tangible assurance that the promise would be fulfilled.

"I am thy exceeding great reward" means that God Himself, not merely gifts from Him, is the blessing and reward of those who follow Him. He is the source of blessing to Abram and to all who follow Him. This reward is not only future but begins in this life as people come into sympathy with God, know and possess Him, receive His attributes, and know His love and power. They possess the unsearchable riches of Christ, and this inheritance grows as the heart opens to receive more of God's fullness. Even in persecution and reproach His presence and fellowship bring joy amid hardship.

As shield and reward He is also His people's strength, helper, sufficiency, guide, counselor, buckler, Rock, grace, efficiency, and delight. To those who conduct the business of His cause according to His Word and the specific directions He gave Israel, the Lord will be shield, guide, buckler, and great reward to protect and guide them. He upholds His servant by His strong arm after bringing him through many trying, difficult places, bidding him lean on Him and promising to be his strength and very great reward. He is His people's sure Helper, Sufficiency, and reward, calling for faith and dependence on Him rather than reliance on people who themselves need wisdom from above, and for keeping heart and mind opened heavenward, cherishing the comfort of His grace, being channels of light with earnestness and zeal, no backward movements, cheerfulness without levity, and careful words and deportment.

Promised Heir Tested

The reassurance came while Abram was still childless and uncertain about who would inherit from him after his separation from Lot. In a vision he was told not to fear, because God Himself would protect him and be his great reward. Although Abram thought his household servant Eliezer might become his heir, God promised that Abram would have his own son. That son would be the beginning of descendants too numerous to count.

The promise called Abraham to trust in God's power to fulfill it, and was intended to test his reliance on Him. Abraham and Sarah's later decision to bring in Hagar showed their failure to wait in confident faith for that fulfillment.

Christ the Reward

Christ Himself is the believer's exceeding great reward, and He is also leader, counselor, guide, wisdom, sanctification, and the Lord our righteousness, to be taken a stand for and openly acknowledged without shame. He spoke to Abraham with assurance against fear, promising Himself as Abraham's protection, for He understands Satan's hidden traps and subtle arts as Satan works diligently with great power to ruin souls knowing his time is short, and He is able to keep in safe paths those who follow Him closely in His wisdom and practice His truth. The same assurance belongs today to anyone who places himself under His protection, and Jesus Christ as Saviour today is willing to work in behalf of those who do not put dependence on other powers. When people are sustained by the living God the superiority of His power is manifested in them and He must be exalted, for choosing Him is no sacrifice, while choosing a place in Satan's army gains nothing and brings only death, eternal death.

For the person who loves and obeys Him by receiving Him through faith, Jesus is the treasured reward, sanctification, and righteousness. God is the source of strength and righteousness, and He becomes a great reward to those who humbly receive the Spirit's shaping and cling to Christ.

When a suffering, discouraged, or trial-enduring person looks away from self and own weakness to Jesus as pitying, loving Saviour, trusts in Him and believes in Him, casts the helpless soul on Christ, and refuses repining and discouragement, the Saviour becomes his hope, sun and shield, and everlasting reward. The Lord loves him in his trial, and by trusting in Him at every moment he will have the Lord as his sun and shield and everlasting reward. This reward and crown of rejoicing is received now, bringing joy and peace to the soul through exercising in every possible way, being cheerful and praising the Lord.

God is the believer's light, honor, glory, and reward, and He will exalt in the future those who are meek and lowly of heart.

Protection Amid Opposition

The same assurance of protection given to Abram was fulfilled for Wycliffe when papal power threatened him with arrest and death. The pope who had decreed his destruction died before him, events turned against his persecutor, his trial was dispersed, and he was given respite to continue his work. God thus shielded His servant from the vengeance of Rome and kept him alive while his enemy perished.

Even when those in power reject sound and unanswerable arguments and majorities carry out their determination against God's people, He will not forsake them to the end. In that opposition He Himself is their defense as shield and buckler and their exceeding great reward. His judgments, counsels, reproofs, acts of love and mercy, and displays of power were meant to preserve Israel from sin and make them pure and holy so that He could be their strength and shield and exceeding great reward. Their persistent transgression showed instead that many chose to serve sin rather than live as children of God.

God Himself is the exceeding great reward of His distinct, sanctified, holy, commandment-keeping people, giving them influence and advantages far beyond anything gained by uniting with worldlings who do not recognize His law. When they are sustained by the living God, the manifested superiority of His power appears in them and He must be exalted, which calls for depending wholly upon Him and not acknowledging dependence upon men who transgress God's law in order to gain standing in the world. He is their sure Helper and Sufficiency and reward, their confidence and strength, to be depended on rather than human help or human parties. Drawing continually from Christ as refuge and dependence brings hope, joy, and strength, and loyalty to God must take precedence over binding oneself to human parties. He is to be humbly sought as Light and Counselor and exceeding great reward, to be taught and led by instead of looking no higher than man, who has no greater wisdom than himself unless he seeks it of God.

Trust for Daily Life

Those who carry on the business of God's cause according to His Word and the specific directions He gave Israel have the Lord Himself as shield, guide, buckler, and great reward to protect and guide them.
He upholds His faithful servants by His strong arm after bringing them through many trying, difficult places, bidding them lean on Him and promising to be their strength and their very great reward.
This assurance belongs especially to aged and infirm pioneer workers who can still bear witness for Him, and to all His servants as comfort, helper, and guide, so they need not become discouraged or fainthearted.
The reward is tied to faithful obedience, for every duty performed and every sacrifice made in Jesus' name brings an exceeding great reward, and He speaks and gives blessing in the very act of duty along the path of duty.

When workers for God are in trying circumstances and feel that others fail to help them as they should, they are to do their best and not murmur, for it is not their work to reproach those who hinder the fulfillment of His purposes.
He will judge with equity, and the time will come when neglect of duty and the consequences of every selfish action will stand out vividly.
Holding fast to Him gives courage to bear the burdens that must be carried, for He is strength and health as well as shield and exceeding great reward.
He is comfort and stay to those who trust in their Redeemer, a faithful, merciful, compassionate help present in every time of need, bringing love and security even through severe trials and sickness, and friendship and help amid sorrow and criticism.
Those who trust in the Redeemer have Him as strength and great reward and can overcome their battles through that trust, and on condition of constant trust He is the efficiency and strength of the Christian in a position of trust who honors Christ in word and act and refuses worldly advantage and disloyalty.

Having faith means looking to Jesus and relying on His saving grace, depending on Him rather than on human help, with God Himself as protection and exceeding great reward.
Through watchfulness and prayer His people are to seek their protection and reward in Him, drawing continually from Christ as refuge and dependence, so as to receive grace for every occasion and gain daily victories over self with hope, joy, and strength.
He is Helper, Guide, Shield, and exceeding great Reward to His people now, and those who keep heart and mind opened heavenward and cherish the comfort of His grace in the heart will have the presence of Christ revealed in them and will be channels of light.
This calls for earnestness and zeal with no backward movements, for cheerfulness without levity, and for careful words and deportment.
He Himself is His people's strength, grace, efficiency, delight, and exceeding great reward, and those who hold faith in the Bible and hope of eternal life please Him when they show His love to all they meet, so that others are won to loyalty to Him, see His character in their words, acts, and disposition, and ask how to find the Saviour and the joy and peace they have found.

Christ is the helper and exceeding great reward for parents and children, learned as the Spirit of Christ is manifested in their behalf through teaching given in kindness and love.
Parents working for their children in simplicity and in the love of Christ so teach them to gain fitness for a place in the courts of God where the peace and grace of Christ prevail.
He is His servant's shield and exceeding great reward, the believer's strength and righteousness, becoming a great reward to those who humbly receive the Spirit's molding and shaping and cling to Christ while serving others and facing opposition.