Hearing God 17 – The Reward for Obedience

July 25, 2009 · Filed Under spiritual hearing 

From Alan Smith’s Blog

Genesis 22:17-18
Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” NKJV (emphasis added)

I’m fascinated by Genesis 22:18, specifically the phrase “…because you have obeyed my voice”. God doesn’t really promise anything new here. The content and themes referred to here have been part of God’s promises to Abraham all along. God initiated these promises from the beginning in Gen 12 when Abraham was a pagan, and then again in Gen 15. Abraham didn’t do anything to merit them or deserve them. Then at the end, God says that it’s “because” of Abraham’s obedience.

Earlier we see that righteousness is accounted to Abraham because he believed the promises, but the promises themselves and their fulfillment have nothing to do with Abraham’s performance. Now, after all that, Abraham somehow gets the credit based on performance, based on his obedience.

God initiates. God redeems. God fulfills. God brings us to a place of living faith worked out in obedience, God rewards us, and then God says it was because we obeyed. He rewards us for the obedience he produces in us.

This would be easier to swallow if I were a Calvinist, but it does give me some context for what Paul says in Romans 2:

Romans 2:6-7
“Who will render to each one according to his deeds” eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.” NKJV (emphasis added)

Romams 2:13
“For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.” NKJV (emphasis added)

In Romans 10:17 we see that faith comes from hearing His voice. In Genesis 22:18 we see that we are rewarded when we obey his voice. We hear, we believe, we obey. Through this process we enter into the purpose, promise, and reward of God.

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