Our Shield

Our Shield

Presented at County Line Brethren Church on February 28, 2010.
Year C, Second Sunday in Lent
Scripture passages: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17 - 4:1; Luke 13:31-35

Almost 2 years ago we looked at this passage in Genesis 15 as by way of expounding upon the passage in Genesis 12. I had some volunteers stand on either side of the aisle to represent heifer, the goat, the ram and the birds. Then I took a “burning fire pot” and walked down through center of it. I shared how this ritual was an example of an ancient contract. In ancient contracts, both parties of the contract would act in some manner so as to signal obligations by both parties. Even contracts today require consideration by both parties. For example, if I sign a contract for someone to do some work on my house, there are two parts. First, the contractor agrees to do the work. Second, I agree to pay the contractor for the work completed. However, what makes this contract in Genesis 15 unusual is that God passed through the pieces and Abram did not. The result is that God is obligating himself to fulfill his part of the bargain, but there is no corresponding consideration by Abram. And so some scholars refer to this as a “covenant” as differentiated from a “contract.” God has assumed the responsibility for fulfilling his promises to Abram. All this fancy theological stuff means that God does it all, without Abram “doing” anything. This is one of the most critically significant events in the Old Testament and indeed the Bible as a whole. It should be studied along with the covenantal promises in Genesis 12 and Genesis 17. The student would do well to spend a great deal of time and effort mining the treasures contained within these passages.

The emphasis, of course, is on God. God gets top billing in this movie and Abram would in a supporting role. And while we do learn some important things about Abram, what we learn about God will sustain us. Each of our passages today encourage us during those times when we feel alone and defeated. It is during those times that the promises of God offer our souls a place of peace and refuge.

In Genesis 15:1, God says “ Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield.” What is remarkable about this is that it follows on the heels of a great military victory. You might expect this to be said prior to going into battle, or perhaps even after a defeat. It is incredibly ironic. So, here was the scenario. Genesis 14 describes how there was a war in the lush valley that Lot chose to inhabit. Five kings, including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah had served the king of Chedorlaomer and his other king friends for 13 years. Those five kings rebelled which provoked the war with Chedorlaomer. They came a quashed the rebellion and took their belongings, their women and children along with Lot and his family. Well, that was their mistake. They should have just left Lot there. As soon as Abram found out that his brother was taken captive, he led an attack which not only rescued his brother, but also brought back all the women, children and their belongings to their cities.

Upon his return to the valley, he was met by the king of Sodom and the mysterious priest of the Most High God, Melchizedek. The king offers Abram all of their possessions, which Abram declines. Abram does ask that the men who went with him be granted a share of the rescued possessions, but takes nothing for himself. Melchizedek pronounces a blessing upon Abram and Abram gives the priest a tenth of everything. That is so odd, don't you think? Abram puts together a rescue party
and instead of accepting payment, he pays the priest, who is also one of the kings! That's remarkable! Now, before I move on, let us recall that there were no chapter divisions in scripture when they were written. Chapter divisions were added later. This makes Genesis 15:1 stand out so much more. This is not a new thought. Rather 15:1 is a continuation of the successful rescue of his nephew and family, and surrounding communities. And so, in this context, God begins the conversation by saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield???” Do you see the irony of this now? Why would God say to the victorious Abram, “Do not be afraid?”

Ah, it is often the context that helps us out, as is the case here. The full statement of God is: "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." You see, even though Abram had been victorious on the battlefield, he still had no heir. All that Abram had acquired in servants, livestock and other possessions were without meaning to Abram – without an heir from his own seed, which God had promised to him. This also reveals what Abram feared, – dying without a proper heir. He had had other fears, like when he went to Egypt with a beautiful wife, but this fear rattled the very essence of who he was. He had built his life upon trusting the voice of God he had first heard in the land of Ur. Either this God would deliver on his promise, or Abram's whole life was a sham. If Abram had no proper heir, then God would not be able to deliver on the promise of becoming a great nation. Nor could God fulfill the promise that this new nation would possess the land (both literally and symbolically).

**God was speaking to Abram during a crisis of faith.

In the midst of a desert of hope, God says, “Do not be afraid”, which we now clearly understand. Still, one may be puzzled by the phrase, “I am your shield”, which is certainly a defensive weapon. How might God be “defending” Abram? Now we might speculate that God is saying that he will protect Abram like the Bruce Willis super hero character in the movie, “Unbreakable.” But that is not indicated in this scripture passage.

John Wesley says this:

I am a shield to thee, present with thee, actually defending thee. The consideration of this, that God himself is, a shield to his people, to secure them from all destructive evils, a shield ready to them, and a shield round about them, should silence all perplexing fears.

John Calvin says this:

by the use of the word "shield," he signifies that Abram would always be safe under his protection. In calling himself his "reward," He teaches Abram to be satisfied with Himself alone. And as this was, with respect to Abram, a general instruction, given for the purpose of showing him that victory was not the chief and ultimate good which God had designed him to pursue; so let us know that the same blessing is promised to us all, in the person of this one man. For, by this voice, God daily speaks to his faithful ones; inasmuch as having once undertaken to defend us, he will take care to preserve us in safety under his hand, and to protect us by his power. Now since God ascribes to himself the office and property of a shield, for the purpose of rendering himself the protector of our salvation; we ought to regard this promise as a brazen wall, so that we should not be excessively fearful in any dangers. And since men, surrounded with various and innumerable desires of the flesh, are at times unstable, and are then too much addicted to the love of the present life; the other member of the sentence follows, in which God declares, that he alone is sufficient for the perfection of a happy life to the faithful. For the word "reward" has the force of inheritance, or felicity. Were it deeply engraven on our minds, that in God alone we have the highest and complete perfection of all good things; we should easily fix bounds to those wicked desires by which we are miserably tormented. The meaning then of the passage is this, that we shall be truly happy when God is propitious to us; for he not only pours upon us the abundance of his kindness, but offers himself to us, that we may enjoy him. Now what is there more, which men can desire, when they really enjoy God? David knew the force of this promise, when he boasted that he had obtained a goodly lot, because the Lord was his inheritance, (Psalm 16:6.) But since nothing is more difficult than to curb the depraved appetites of the flesh, and since the ingratitude of man is so vile and impious, that God scarcely ever satisfies them; the Lord calls himself not simply "a reward," but an exceeding great reward, with which we ought to be more than sufficiently contented. This truly furnishes most abundant material, and most solid support, for confidence. For whosoever shall be fully persuaded that his life is protected by the hand of God, and that he never can be miserable while God is gracious to him; and who consequently resorts to this haven in all his cares and troubles, will find the best remedy for all evils. Not that the faithful can be entirely free from fear and care, as long as they are tossed by the tempests of contentions and of miseries; but because the storm is hushed in their own breast; and whereas the defense of God is greater than all dangers, so faith triumphs over fear.

God as shield is the full and sufficient answer to our fears. God not only stands alongside us with our fears but steps before us as a protector against our worst fears. As is the case with many fears, it is not always the fear of an attack that besets us with doubt and weakness. Fear is often associated with unrealized dreams, unfulfilled promises, and the worries of the morrow that Jesus speaks of so clearly.

And so, God sets forth himself as Abram's shield not so much in this case from outside attack, but as the protector from fear itself. In some cases it is true that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. God speaks directly to those who struggle with real or imagined fear, worries about money and your job situation, as well as your anxieties about the state of our country and the global economy.

God says to you, just as he said to Abram, “Do not be afraid, I am your shield.”