“And I will establish my covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
(Genesis 17:7)
Following God’s leading and obeying His directives often involve letting go of the familiar and the safe. One of the clearest Old Testament examples of this is found in the life of Abram, later renamed Abraham. He and his wife Sarai lived in the safety of his father’s house when God called him to leave his home and kindred and journey to a foreign land inhabited by pagan idolaters (Gen. 12:1–3).
Such a call could only provoke anxiety. Abram, responsible for his family’s welfare, would have naturally feared the danger and uncertainty of desert travel, exposure to enemies, and the risk of losing everything. What would this cost him? What dangers would they meet? What losses might be suffered in following God’s call?
God, in His grace, met Abram’s fear with a comforting word of promise: “Do not fear, Abram. I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward” (Gen. 15:1). And Abram believed God. “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan” (Gen. 12:5).
Arriving in Canaan, Abram and his family found themselves surrounded by strangers, idolaters, and enemies of God. Yet Abram, called “the friend of God,” was in the midst of them without fear, because the Lord, the Almighty, was his defense and his treasure.
Again, God said, “I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward.” This declaration carries more weight than simply promising divine protection and blessing, because God offered Himself to Abram. He was not just a protector or benefactor; He was Abram’s God. He bound Himself in covenant to Abram.
It is as if God declared, “Fear no danger, for I am your shield. Fear no loss, for I am your reward. No enemy can oppose Me. No suffering can outweigh what I give. If you lose all earthly goods, I give you Myself and a kingdom that can never be shaken.” The Lord gave Himself wholly to Abram as both defense and blessing.
William Gearing rightly observed, “Even when God takes away health, wealth, goods, liberties, and outward comforts from His people, He has made up all their losses beforehand; He has given Himself, an infinite God, to be their portion.”[1]
This is the covenantal foundation revealed in Genesis 17:7-8. God says, “I will establish My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.” The covenant blessing is not just about God’s provision of things—but in God Himself. He is not only near. He is ours.
This promise reaches its full expression in Christ. God gave His Son on the cross, He continues as our Mediator, and He sends His Spirit as a seal. All who are in Christ by faith, who are under the covenant of grace, have God as their God, their shield and reward.
Contemplations:
- My Heart and My Treasure. I confess that I often treat earthly things as though they were eternal. I chase them, I cling to them, and I worry over them. But You, Lord, are the reward that does not fade and the shield that never breaks. I see now that seeking possessions instead of seeking You is spiritual blindness. Help me fix my heart where true treasure lies—in You.
- The Inheritance of the Righteous. I know that Abram was not promised ease, but he was promised You. That is enough. If I have You, I have all things. If You are my God, then no loss can diminish my soul. You’ve given Yourself as the believer’s inheritance. And therein lies my hope and glory.
- The Danger of Delayed Devotion. It is sobering to think that many only turn to You at death’s door, after a life spent ignoring You. I do not want to be one who waits to the end to seek what cannot be sought without faith and repentance. Let me seek You now, in strength, in health, in daily life.
- God is My Portion. You have made this covenant with Your people: to be our God. What more could I seek? If You are mine, then all is mine in You: grace, righteousness, peace, eternity. Job’s words ring true: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Let my heart be content, for You are my portion forever.
Prayer (Adoration):
O Lord, my God, You are high and lifted up, the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who rules the nations and upholds the universe by the word of Your power. You are not like the gods of the nations, for they are nothing. But You are the true and living God, eternal in majesty, infinite in power, and unchangeable in faithfulness.
You have revealed Yourself not only as Creator and Judge but as the God of covenant grace. From the days of Abram to this present hour, You have not failed to keep Your word. You are the shield of Your people, and their exceedingly great reward. You promised Yourself to Abram and to his seed after him, and I marvel at such mercy. What is man, that You are mindful of him?
You did not merely promise blessing. You gave Yourself. In every age, You have bound Yourself to Your people by oath and blood. In the fullness of time, You gave us Christ, Your beloved Son. In Him, the covenant promise is yes and amen. In Him, we are reconciled to You, adopted as children, made heirs of the kingdom. You promise not only peace and protection; You promise Yourself.
Lord, You are my shield. What can man do to me? You are my portion. What can the world offer that compares? You are the everlasting God, and You have covenanted to be mine. This is grace beyond words.
I adore You for Your faithfulness to all generations. You are not the God of the dead but of the living, and Your promises do not fail. You gave Abram Your word, and You fulfilled it. You give me Your Spirit as the down payment of eternal life. I live under the banner of a covenant that shall never be broken.
How great You are, O Lord! Let every desire of mine be brought beneath the rule of Your promise. Let every fear be quenched by the knowledge that You are with me. Let every ambition die that is not rooted in Your glory. Be my God, not in word only, but in all my life. Let me trust You in affliction, worship You in trial, praise You in plenty, and cling to You in death.
You are enough for every day and every season. To know You is joy. To belong to You is peace. To walk with You is the only path of life. May I ever adore You as the covenant-keeping God who gives Himself to His people.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Genesis 17:7:
Lev. 26:12; Gen. 26:24; Heb. 11:16; Exo. 3:6.
[1] William Gearing, God’s Sovereignty Displayed (London: R.I. for Thomas Parkhurst .., 1667), 79.
