30. Rewarder

God in the Psalms No.30    

Psa 18:24   The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

In the West at least we know of rewards. Rewards are given for finding lost pets, or providing information leading to convictions of criminals, or even for being loyal to a particular supermarket chain. A reward is something given in return for something good done, a way of saying thank-you. So what does  the Bible say about rewards and God?

“God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” (Gen 30:17,18). Leah saw that seeking to bless her husband and come back on her by her also being rewarded with a child herself.  “Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” (Psa 58:11) Here the concept of God rewarding the righteous comes right out in the open as God assesses people’s lives and rewards those who are good.

Solomon wrote: “The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his” (Prov 14:14) which is another way of saying, “God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal 6:7). The apostle Paul had this in mind when he also wrote: “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Cor 3:8), a hint that we will be given according to what we do. 

Paul also had this in mind when he was expounding his foundation for salvation: “God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Rom 2:6-8) where he quoted Psa 62:12 and Prov 24:12.  We thus see that receiving according to what you do is a very common Scriptural teaching.

In the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:3-10) Jesus indicates rewards for different people, e.g. the meek will inherit the earth (v.5), the pure in heart will see God (v.8). At the end of time this principle will be applied: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (Rev 20:11,12)  and “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Rev 22:12).

David was able to say, The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness and the same will be true for us. David was not claiming perfection; simply that, unlike his enemies, he had faithfully sought the Lord. We who are Christians today have been declared righteous through the work of Christ on the Cross when we came to Him. It is this righteousness that is the basis for the rewards we have been considering. For a classic example of rewards being apportioned, read Rev 2 & 3 and see Jesus’ words to the seven churches of Asia Minor, especially his promises to those who overcome (2:7,11,17,26-28,  3:5,12,21); these are clear rewards for faithfulness, which is what we are called to.