Gênesis 15

Gênesis 15

Trapp - “Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Gen. 15. 1. If God speak comfort, let hell roar horror. Another consideration is the fact that mountaintop spiritual experiences are often followed by deep valleys. For example, we recall Elijah's fear of Jezebel's threats after his great victory over her false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:1-3). And in Abraham's case if the 4 kings returned and killed him how would God fulfill His covenant promises? Do Not Fear - 58x in 57v in Scripture - Gen. 15:1; 21:17; 26:24; 35:17; Exod. 14:13; Num. 14:9; 21:34; Deut. 1:21; 3:2, 22; 31:8; Jos. 8:1; 10:8, 25; Jdg. 6:23; Ruth 3:11; 1 Sam. 12:20; 2 Sam. 9:7; 13:28; 1 Ki. 17:13; 2 Ki. 6:16; 17:34; 1 Chr. 22:13; 28:20; 2 Chr. 20:15, 17; 32:7; Ps. 55:19; 64:4; Isa. 10:24; 40:9; 41:10, 13f; 43:1, 5; 44:2; 51:7; 57:11; Jer. 10:5; 46:27f; Lam. 3:57; Joel 2:21f; Hag. 2:5; Zech. 8:13, 15; Mal. 3:5; Matt. 10:26, 28, 31; Lk. 5:10; 12:7; 18:4; 1 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 2:10 Keith Krell remarks that "Fear has been stalking Abraham at every turn. When he’s told to leave Haran (Ge 12:1), it’s fear that would hold him back, fear of stepping out into the unknown and leaving behind the safety and security of life, as he knew it. When he arrives in the land and finds it occupied (Ge 12:6), we can imagine fear raising questions of whether this major uprooting has been in vain. When he travels to Egypt (Ge 12:10-13), fear looks over his shoulder, and capitalizes on a vulnerable moment. He fears for his life and lies about his wife’s identity. When he reflects on his wife’s barrenness (Ge 15:2) he fears that his inheritance will go to his servant Eliezer. Fear has been stalking him at every turn." (Fear Factor) So whatever there was in Abram's mind and heart that was the seedbed for fear, Jehovah says stop fearing, don't let the destructive bush of fear bear fruit in your heart. And then He explains the "enablement," or why Abram had no reason to fear -- he had a "Shield" and that "Shield" was the omnipotent God Almighty. Dear believer, perhaps you struggle with fears (we all do from time to time). If so remember that the basic battle is really between fear and faith. Our enemy traffics in fear and lies and God in faith and truth. And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Ro 10:17-note). In the present context recall that God (Who knew Abram's fear) sends His Word to Abraham (see above for first use of "The word of the LORD came.") This Word would serve to bolster Abram's faith which we see him exercise in the following verses. In this case the Word of God came to Abram, but we have the finished revelation of God and it is our responsibility to come to His Word! D L Moody - ABRAM might have thought that the kings that he had defeated might get other kings and other armies to come, and he might have thought of himself as a solitary man, with only three hundred and eighteen men, so that he might have feared lest he be swept from the face of the earth. But the Lord came and said: “Abram, fear not.” That is the first time those oft-repeated words “Fear not” occur in the Bible. “Fear not, for I will be your shield and your reward.” I would rather have that promise than all the armies and all the navies of the world to protect me—to have the God of heaven for my Protector! God was teaching Abram that He was to be his Friend and his Shield, if he would surrender himself wholly to His keeping, and trust in His goodness. That is what we need—to surrender ourselves up to God, fully and wholly. Ray Pritchard - There are at least four reasons Abram could have doubted God’s promise of a son: 1. He was too old. 2. Many years had passed since the promise had been given. 3. Nothing like this had ever happened before. 4. Sarah also doubted God’s promise. When you think about it, there was no reason to believe-no reason except that God had promised to do it. The question now is simple: Will God’s promise be enough for Abraham? To all our fears God says, “I am your shield." In answer to that question, God declares, “I am your shield.” We should not think of a small shield that covers only the chest area, but rather of a shield that stretches from head to toe and completely protects every part of the soldier’s body. Such a shield offers complete protection from every attack of the enemy. To call God our shield means two specific things: 1. He protects us in times of doubt. 2. He rescues us in times of danger. Note that God does not say, “I will give you a shield,” but “I am your shield.” The very God of heaven says that he will be our shield, which means we have a shield that is omnipotent, universal, eternal. That shield cannot be defeated. It is as strong as God himself. We could not be in a better position. Who can defeat us when God himself is our shield? The great message is certainly clear. If God is your shield, fear not! (Genesis 15:1 Fear Not!) THE REMEDY FOR FEAR KNOWING WHO GOD IS I am a shield to you - As Ray Pritchard says "God’s answer to fear is not an argument or a formula. It’s a Person. That’s why he said to Abraham, “Fear not. I am your shield.” God himself is the final answer to every fear of the human heart." God does not give us a shield. He Himself is our Shield! A shield is for protection so God is telling Abram "I am your Protector." Abram had experienced victory over his enemies in Ge 14 but now was fearful. As mentioned above spiritual mountain tops are times of vulnerability for all of God's saints. And so God gives Abram one of His great Names (metaphorically speaking) of a "Shield." As discussed above, the first place we need to run when we are fearful is to the Word of Truth and the God of the Truth (and when we do we are in effect running into His Name). Remember that "The Name of Jehovah (in this case "Shield") is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe (they are lifted up - the fray may still be ongoing but they are elevated above it. The Hebrew word is sagab)." (Proverbs 18:10-note). Jehovah was not just Abram's "Shield" but He is also your "Shield." And now we "run into" the Name of God by running prayerfully to His all sufficient Word of Truth. We see this juxtaposition of Word and shield in 2 Sa 22:31 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. See also a series of articles including numerous Scriptures and devotionals to help you deflect a spirit of fear... How To Handle Fear (1) How to Handle Fear (2) How To Handle Fear (3) How to Handle Fear (4) Wiersbe sums up this section noting that "God’s remedy for Abraham’s fear was to remind him who He was: “I am thy shield, and thy exceedingly great reward” (Ge. 15:1). God’s I AM is perfectly adequate for man’s “I am not.” “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Your life is only as big as your faith, and your faith is only as big as your God. If you spend all your time looking at yourself, you will get discouraged; but if you look to God by faith, you will be encouraged. God is our shield and our reward, our protection and our provision. Abraham didn’t have to worry about another battle because the Lord would protect him. And he didn’t need to regret losing the wealth offered him by the King of Sodom because God would reward him in far greater ways. This is the Old Testament equivalent of Matthew 6:33-note and Philippians 4:19-note. (Be Obedient) GOD OUR SHIELD, PROTECTOR AND DEFENDER Shield (04043)(magen from ganan = to cover, surround, defend) is a masculine noun which most often refers to a shield, indicating some kind of protection, literal or figurative. A shield is described as a weapon (Jdg. 5:8; 2 Sa 1:21; 1 Ki 14:27; Job 15:26), as an ornament (1 Ki. 10:17; 14:26), as the protective scales of a crocodile (Job 41:15). The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures. Amazing Grace Krell says "The shield was the primary defensive weapon of the OT warrior. It was a portable fortress, a defensive wall that could be taken with the warrior into battle. It provided a barrier between the vulnerable flesh of the warrior and the dangerous impact of various weapons. It’s a recurring image, particularly in the Psalms, of God’s protection." James Anderson - The word rendered “shield” is in the Hebrew text מָגֵן, magen, which was a short buckler intended merely for defence. The word rendered “buckler” is צִנָּה tsinnah; it was double the weight of the magen, and was carried by the infantry; the magen, being lighter and more manageable, was used by the cavalry. Figuratively magen refers to God as a Source of protection or escape, a refuge. Magen is used figuratively to refer to Israel's king in (Ps 84:9 cp Ps 84:9NLT, Ps 89:18, rulers in Ps 47:9), a shield describes God's truth in (Ps 91:4KJV) In the Lxx the word for shield when it figuratively refers to God is either the verb huperaspizo = to hold a shield over (Ge 15:1, Dt 33:29, Pr 2:7, ) or the noun huperaspistes = one who holds a shield over, a protector (2 Sa 22:3, 31, 36, Ps 18:2, 30, 35, 28:7, 33:20, 59:11, 115:9-11, 144:2) The most important figurative use of magen is the description of Jehovah as a shield to those who are His, which emphasizes that He is our Protector or our protection. This of course implies we need protection. Indeed, we have 3 enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil , and God is Our Protector from each. Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never failing treasury filled With boundless stores of grace! Perhaps you are under attack and fearful like Abram. Can I encourage you to pause for a moment and sing a declaration of your faith in the Eternal God as your Shield from the attack... A Shield About Me When (not "if") the attack comes hold on to the truth that Jehovah Himself is your Shield. Then the truth that you are holding on to will hold you fast and secure! See Ephesians 6:16-note in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. By faith