The Fear of the Lord
In the last section I mentioned the Bible states that if we “seek for wisdom as for silver, then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God, for the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and wisdom.” Proverbs 2:2-6 We considered the question, what is the fear of the Lord? Does it mean to be afraid of God? Or does it mean that God fears? Let us see what the Bible says about it. In Malachi we read
“’ A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?”
Malachi 1:6 (KJV)
The Hebrew word mowra’ is translated ‘fear’ in the KJV, and as ‘respect’ in the NASB. In this simple illustration, we can see the intent clearly. Typically, though not everyone’s experience is the same, but for the sake of illustration, one’s father provides for his family, keeps a roof over your head and keeps you relatively safe as you are growing up. Most of us truly respect our fathers, and truthfully, even hold a little fear of them, if you have ever been disciplined, as many of us have. This type of fear is a healthy fear. We want to please our father and do as he asks, even though it may not be fun or to our liking, even though we may not see the reason for it. In time, if we accept discipline dutifully, we come to appreciate it more fully.
Does not God, our creator, deserve the same respect or fear? We are after all, sons of God. God is to be greatly feared and respected, for without him we are but dust. With Him we have life!
Seeking for wisdom is best done through the study of God’s word.
“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”
2 Timothy 3:16
There are all kinds of wisdom in this world. We gain wisdom from attending school, from reading books and from personal and social relationships at home, our community, and the workplace. That kind of wisdom is essential to being human, for getting along with others, and being productive members of society. Reading God’s word is an entirely different learning experience. Peter says,
“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring word of God.”
1 Peter 1:23
Reading God’s word is an experience of coming to know our savior Jesus Christ. Of growing in character and becoming like Him.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrew 4:12
You see, God’s word is living, and reading and studying it brings us into an experience with Jesus. We come to know Him more and we desire to know and learn still more about Him. If you are not currently reading your Bible, won’t you give it a try? Take a step and make a commitment to spend 5 to 10 minutes a day reading God’s word.
Now, back to the fear of the Lord. Wayne and Joshua Mack point out in their book “COURAGE – FIGHTING FEAR WITH FEAR”, P&R Publishing, there are two kinds of fear, fear of man and fear of God. We will not cover the fear of man in this discourse, though it is a useful and beneficial study that is truly eye opening. We are concerned with understanding “the fear of the Lord”. In their book mentioned above, under a section titled “The Right Way to Respond to Times of Trouble,” they share a profound concept from God’s word.
“In Isaiah 8:13, God revealed the path to overcoming worldly fears: ‘It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread.’ One translation words this verse as follows: “The Lord of hosts, Him shall you hallow.” (NKJV)
To hallow means to make holy, to have great respect or reverence for. When times of trouble come, we often get so overwhelmed by our circumstances that we forget to hallow our creator. When that happens, we need to stop and remember who God is. We need to make a conscious choice and a deliberate decision to set Him apart in our hearts.
The term translated to hallow is also translated sanctify. Sanctify means “to set apart as holy. When you sanctify something or someone, you are placing them in a unique position. To sanctify God is to give Him an absolutely unique position in your heart and life.”
What does all this mean? To me, and I say this because of my own relationship and walk and understanding of who Jesus Christ is to me and what He has done for me, it means that by fearing (respecting) God, and setting him apart in our heart, giving Him all of ourselves, He will conquer our worldly fears, as a Mighty Warrior. Wouldn’t any of us want that for our lives and the lives of our family? Personally, I believe this is what Jesus means when He states,
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
John 14:27
There are so many references to the fear of God, or being God-fearing, that you might say it is a key biblical principle and is related to faith. We find the phrase most in the Old Testament, and associated with serving God and obedience to His commandments or statutes.
“You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.”
Deuteronomy 6:13
“You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.”
Deuteronomy 10:20
We can get a better sense of what the fear of the Lord means by, yet another verse in Deuteronomy…
“Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?”
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Our fear of the Lord is born out of a knowledge and relationship of Him. Our faith in Him, which can only grow by that knowledge and relationship, produces an outflowing of love. Love for Him. Love for others. Even love for our enemies.
True fear of God produces obedience. We can see this in the story of Abraham when he was instructed by God to sacrifice his own son Issac. And though he was stopped from killing his son, because he believed God, God says to Abraham,
“for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
Genesis 22:12
In times of trouble, we often look to ourselves or to others for help, placing ourselves or men before God. We fail to set God apart in our heart and treat Him as beyond others, “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” Ephesians 3:20 This is what “the fear of the Lord” is all about. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and friend brings a peace.
“And the peace of God that passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7
That is quite a statement and can really only be said of those who know Jesus Christ and have an ongoing experience with Him. Knowing Jesus brings peace, the peace of God. Surely, we all want that kind of peace in our hearts. To have no worry for what we are faced with day by day and throughout each day. To have such a depth of relationship and trust in Jesus that we immediately place the troubles and mini crises that pop up before us upon Jesus, who invites us to…
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:29 & 30
There are benefits to those who fear the Lord. Those who fear the Lord are endowed with prosperity in Psalm 112. In Proverbs 16:6, they avoid evil. In Proverbs 19:23 they will gain life.
We read in Proverbs 9:10 that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” and is closely related to knowledge and obedience, Psalm 111:10. This is such an incredible concept that we should not dismiss it lightly. I urge you to continue reading and searching the scriptures diligently on your own to grow your understanding of this fundamental principle, the fear of the Lord. Read Psalm 111 and claim the promises written there regarding the goodness, works, truth, justice and the fear of the Lord. Then find other Psalms that mention the fear of the Lord and feast on the Bread of Life, the Word of God, Jesus Christ.
Now, about the statement in Hebrews 4:12 above, “For the word of God is living…” what does this mean? We will take a closer look at this concept in the next post.