God Is His People's Great Reward # 1

God Is His People's Great Reward # 1

"I am your exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1).

God Himself is His people's reward!

Abraham is called "the friend of God," (James 2:23). The Lord spoke with him familiarly, (Genesis 17:22); he was made of God's privy council (Genesis 18:17). And in the text, "the Word of the Lord came unto him in a vision." And what was the word that came to this holy patriarch in a vision? "I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward" - words too great for any man or angel fully to expound. In the Hebrew it is, "I am your superabundant, very exceeding much reward." In the text is a climax; it rises like the waters of the sanctuary, high and higher - "I am your reward; your great reward; and your exceeding great reward." There are four things here to be spoken of:

1. Nothing besides God can be the saints' reward.

2. How God is their reward.

3. How God comes to be their reward.

4. Wherein the exceeding greatness of this reward consists.

1. Nothing besides God can be the saints' reward. Nothing on earth can be their reward. The glittering of the world dazzles men's eyes, but, like the apples of Sodom, it does not so much delight as delude. The world is glided emptiness. The world is made circular; but the heart is a triangle. A circle cannot fill a triangle. The world is enough to busy us, not to fill us (Job 20:22). "In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits." It seems a riddle to have sufficiency - yet not have enough. The meaning is, when he enjoys most of the creature - yet there is something lacking. Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecc. 1:2). God never intended that we should dig happiness out of the earth which He has cursed.

Heaven itself is not a saint's reward (Psalm 73:25). "Whom have I in heaven but You?" There are angels and archangels - yes, but though these are for a saint's comfort - yet not properly for his reward. Communion with seraphim is excellent - yet can no more make a saint's reward than the light of the stars can make day.

2. How is God His people's reward? In bestowing Himself upon them. The great blessing of the covenant is, "I am your God."  God will not only see that the saints shall be rewarded - but He Himself will be their reward. "I am your part and your inheritance," (Numbers 18:20), "I am yours, and all that I have" (1 Kings 20:4).

Abraham sent away the sons of the concubines with a few gifts - but he settled the inheritance upon Isaac (Genesis 25:5-6). God made Himself over to His people. They have not only the gift but the Giver. And what more can be said? As Micah said, "What have I more?" (Judges 18:24). Just so, what has God more to give than Himself? What greater dowry is there than the Deity? God is not only the saints rewarder - but He is their reward (Job 22:25). "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup."

Question: But how does God give Himself to His people? Is not His essence incommunicable?

Answer: True, the saints cannot partake of God's very essence; the riches of the Deity are too great to be received in essence. But the saints shall have all in God, which may be for their comfort. They shall partake of much of God's likeness, His love, His influence, and the irradiation's of His glory (1 John 17:26) as astonishes and fills the vessels of mercy that they run over with joy.

3. How does God come to be His people's reward? Through Jesus Christ - His blood, being the blood of God, has merited this glorious reward for them (Acts 20:28). Though in respect of free grace, this reward is a donation - yet in respect of Christ's blood it is a purchase (Eph. 1:14. How precious should Christ be to us! Had not He died, the exceeding great portion would never have come into our hands!

4. Wherein the exceeding greatness of this reward consists. God is a satisfying reward (Genesis 17:1). "I am God Almighty." The word for almighty signifies "Him who has sufficiency." God is a whole ocean of blessedness, so that the soul, while it is bathing in it, cries out in a divine ecstasy, "I have enough!" Here is fullness - but no excess (Psalm 17:15). "I shall be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness." When I awake out of the sleep of death, having my soul embellished with the illustrious beams of Your glory. I shall be satisfied. In God there is not only sufficiency but redundancy; not only the fullness of the vessel - but the fullness of the fountain! When the whole world was defaced, Noah had the copy and emblem of it in the ark. In God, this Ark of blessedness, are all good things virtually to be found. Therefore Jacob, having God for his reward, could say, "I have enough!" or, as it is in the original, "I have all!" (Genesis 33:11). God is such an exuberant reward as exceeds our very faith. 

God is a suitable reward. The soul, being spiritual, must have something comparable and suitable to make it happy - and that is God. Light is no more suitable to the eye, nor melody to the ear - than God is to the soul. He pours spiritual blessings into the soul, (Eph. 1:3). He enriches it with grace, feasts it with His love, and crowns it with heavenly dignity.

God is a pleasant reward. He is the quintessence of delight! He is all beauty and love! To be feeding upon the thoughts of God is delicious. (Psalm 104:34). "My meditation of Him shall be sweet." To have a prospect of God only by faith is pleasant (1 Pet. 1:8). "In whom believing you rejoice." Then what will the joy of vision be - when we shall have a clear, personal sight of Him - and be laid in the bosom of divine love! Is God so sweet a reward in affliction? (2 Cor. 7:4), "I am exceedingly joyful in all our trouble." This may be better felt - than expressed. The godly, entering upon their celestial reward, are said to enter into the joy of their Lord (Matt. 25:21). Oh, amazing! The saints enter into God's own joy. They have not only the joy which God bestows - but the joy which God enjoys!

God is a transcendent reward. When we speak of God's excellencies - we must draw a veil. He is so super-eminent a reward that we cannot set Him forth in all His luster and magnificence. Put the whole world in scare with Him - and it is as if you should weigh a feather with a mountain of gold. God is far better than all other things put together! He is better than the world, and better than heaven! He is the original cause of all good things. Nothing is sweet without Him. He perfumes and sanctifies our comforts!

God is an infinite reward. And, being infinite, these two things follow: This reward cannot come to us by way of merit. Can we merit God? Can infinite creatures merit an infinite reward?

~Thomas Watson~

(continued with # 2)