“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 15:1 Mean?
God speaks to Abram in a vision with two gifts: fear not, and I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. The fear is addressed before the gifts are given. The security and the reward are both God himself.
"Fear not, Abram" — the command is personal. God addresses Abram by name. The fear is acknowledged and prohibited in the same breath.
"I am thy shield" — protection. God is not sending protection. He is the protection. The shield is not a thing. It is a person. Between you and whatever threatens, God himself stands.
"Thy exceeding great reward" — the reward is also God himself. Not something God gives. God himself. The protection and the prize are the same person. God is both what stands between you and danger and what you receive at the end of the journey.
The vision comes after Abram's victory over the kings (Genesis 14) and before the covenant ceremony (Genesis 15:7-21). Between the battle and the promise, God speaks: I am your shield and your reward.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean that God himself is both your shield and your reward?
- 2.How does the reward being God himself — not something he gives — change what you are pursuing?
- 3.Where do you need to hear 'fear not' from the one who is your shield?
- 4.How does already having the reward (God's presence) change your relationship with the journey?
Devotional
Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Two gifts in one sentence. Both are God himself. The shield is God. The reward is God.
I am thy shield. Not I will provide a shield. I am your shield. The protection is personal. God does not outsource your safety. He is your safety. The thing standing between you and harm is the God of the universe.
Thy exceeding great reward. Not just a reward. Exceeding great. The reward at the end of everything — the prize for the journey, the inheritance for the faithful — is God himself. Not what he gives. Who he is.
The shield and the reward are the same person. The protection on the journey and the destination at the end are identical. God is both the defense along the way and the treasure at the finish.
That means you already have the reward. You do not need to arrive somewhere to receive it. The reward is with you now — shielding you, protecting you, accompanying you. The journey and the destination overlap in a God who is both.
Fear not. The command makes sense when you know who is speaking. If God is your shield, what can penetrate? If God is your reward, what can you lack? The shield is sufficient. The reward is exceeding. And both are him.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
After these things,.... The battle of the kings, the captivity of Lot, the rescue of him and his goods, and of those of…
- The Faith of Abram 1. דבר dābār, “a word, a thing;” the word being the sign of the thing. 2. אדני 'ǎdonāy,…
The word of the Lord came unto Abram - This is the first place where God is represented as revealing himself by his…
Observe here, I. The time when God made this treaty with Abram: After these things. 1. After that famous act of generous…
The Promise of an Heir
1. After these things A vague note of time. Cf. Gen 22:1; Gen 22:20; Gen 40:1; Gen 48:1.
the word…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture