HF121 - The Shield of Abraham
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Fri, June 4, 2004
Subject: Bible Study HF121 - The Shield of Abraham
Hebraics,
You may find it interesting that promises given to Abraham can only be fulfilled in Christ. In the study to follow, we want to consider how one particular promise becomes the hallmark of a believer's walk with the Lord. We will also see why new covenant believers are noted as descendants, or children, of Abraham.
This is Bible Study HF121 - The Shield of Abraham.
Abram had been through an exhausting experience in his rescue of Lot and his family. On his return home the "friend of God" was refreshed by Melchizedek king of Salem. It appears that after leaving the king of Salem, Abram was struggling with fear of reprisal. He knew his servants were no match for the king’s four trained warriors if they decided to avenge themselves against him.
We have to keep in mind that Abram was still a stranger in a strange land. But something would happen to settled the issue. It says the "Word of the Lord" came to Abram in a vision. What he heard was, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great.” (Gen15:1)
This is only one of Abraham’s experiences with the "Word of the Lord" that helped give shape to his walk of faith. Actually, the life of Abraham is a miniature picture of a new covenant believer’s walk with Jesus. Abraham’s whole life was an out-walking of a call from the Lord. Such is the new covenant believer's walk with the Lord.
To appreciate what happened to Abraham in the vision, we need to grasp something that the ancients believed (which also accords with the New Testament). According to the Targums and according to Philo, the Hebrew people believed that "the Word of the Lord" spoke of God Himself, that is, God entering into creation in a form or in a way that was perceivable to the senses.
The sages had a number of terms to express this 'coming forth from God.' Sometimes they spoke of this activity as the Reflection, the Image, the Form, God's Shadow, the Shekinah, the Word, God's Wisdom, Memra or Logos, and even 'the Angel of His Presence.' (You may want to review HF118 - Israel's God in Person and Power.)
The reason this knowledge is important is because we find many of these same terms being expressed not only in the new covenant writings but also in the writings of the Old Testament prophets. In fact, the Bible is filled throughout with an under flowing revelation that reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. (The more you study the Scriptures, the more you will see Jesus.)
Of course we know that all these terms speak of Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnation. John said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) Then we hear this in Hebrews 1:3: "And He [Jesus Christ] is the radiance of His [the Father's] glory and the exact representation of His nature..."
An example of this underflow in the prophetic writings is found in Micah 5:2: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."
Now back to the "Shield of Abraham." --- It was "the Word" who appeared to Abram in the vision. This ties in with something Jesus said that caused certain Jews to try and stone Him. The Lord said, "Before Abraham was born, I am." He identified Himself both with eternity and with Abraham. The Lord had just said to these people, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." (Cf. John 8:56-59)
And so the Lord Jesus appeared to Abraham with a message that carries through to all who truly believe in Jesus. He said, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great." The Messiah Himself would be Abram's shield. Of course a shield serves a purpose of protection. For the believer, Christ Himself is our shield against all our enemies, against the power of sin, against Satan and all that the world offers.
In fact when Paul tells believers to take up "the shield of faith," he is speaking of our faith in Jesus. Our protection does not come from our "faith in faith." It is bound up in our faith in Jesus. No one becomes an overcomer because they have faith in faith. In fact I have heard terribly distorted messages concerning the issue of faith. It is as though faith itself had become a thing we were to trust in. We are never told to trust in faith. We are told to place our faith Christ alone.
Here is a text often used for promoting the idea of faith in faith: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith." If we went no further we are left with faith in faith. But the very next Scripture says, "Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Cf. 1 John 5:4,5)
When the Lord said that He was Abram's shield, this truth reaches across redemption history. David adds, "For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield." (Psalm 5:12) The message God keeps sending His children is not to be afraid.
Like Abraham, Paul struggled with fear. He also had a vision from the Lord. Listen: "The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9,10)
Note: What is interesting about this incident with Paul, is that the people Jesus was speaking of had not yet come to the knowledge of salvation. This reflects back on HF119 - The Mystery of the Other Sheep.
Is the Lord Himself a shield for us? Yes, but in a manner that goes far beyond the physical. When Jesus entered into our world, it was to take our place on the cross of redemption. Out of the cross, the Lord Jesus was to take to Himself all believers. The apostle spoke to this in saying, "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col3:3)
Jesus Christ has become our world. He is our shield of eternity. This does not mean that we will have no trials or struggles in life. Far from it. What it means is that we are the children of eternity. Our destiny is His destiny. This truth comes under the great doctrine of our full 'Identification With Christ.' John said, "As He is so also are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)
How then does all this work in our relationship to Abraham? The apostle said, "So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer." (Gal3:9) Paul includes in the blessing of Abraham, the promise of all believers having the Spirit of the Lord in their lives.
Then Paul includes, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Gal3:27-29)
The only thing we have left is the last part of the promise given to Abram. The Word of the Lord said, "Your reward shall be very great." Did Abraham understand this idea of reward? Did he know it had to do with eternity? Did he know it had to do with a place called heaven? Yes, he understood much of this. And so did God's people of old.
It says, "By faith [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Heb11:9,10)
But it doesn't end there. Listen again, "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth ... But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them." (Cf. Heb11:13-16)
Yes, we have the shield of Abraham. His God is our God. His Lord and Savior and Messiah is our Lord and Savior and Messiah.
How about you? Are you holding loosely to the world and tightly to Jesus? Are you living as though a pilgrim in this present world? Really something to think about.
The study is open. Feel free to contribute.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)