Fear God
Introduction: How should we consider fear as it relates to God? In scripture sometimes the word fear may clearly mean to be afraid, or it may seem to indicate respect. After reviewing scripture that describes fear in relation to our creator God, perhaps we might be less likely to think only of respect for our Lord without the proper amount of genuine fear that is set aside only by his perfect love for those who have received salvation by grace through faith. Even the chosen of the Lord can become the object of his anger by their actions that discredit his name. Appropriate fear of the almighty God can keep prideful thoughts and actions in check.
NOTE: Scripture passages are from the American King James Version.
A — Respect Engendered by a Proper Fear of Authority and Power
Numbers 12 “8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow.”
Comments: Aaron and Miriam were elder siblings of Moses, and they came to a point of speaking rashly against him, thinking they were equal with him to represent the LORD. The LORD directly spoke to them to show that he had made Moses a distinct servant to him, and then asked why they had not been afraid to speak against Moses. The anger of the LORD was kindled against them and he departed. Miriam immediately became leprous, and Aaron turned to Moses to ask for mercy, now showing respect and honor to the LORD's servant.
B — Fear of God Brought the Promise of Another Prophet Like Moses
Deuteronomy 18 “15 The LORD your God will raise up to you a Prophet from the middle of you, of your brothers, like to me; to him you shall listen. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brothers, like to you, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.”
Comments: Moses was chosen by the LORD God to speak to the children of Israel so they would not be confronted by the manifestations of the LORD that caused such great fear within them. Near the end of the life of Moses a promise was given that another prophet would be provided like Moses — a prophecy of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, though other prophets would appear in Israel over the centuries. Moses was a very special prophet of God, but Christ Jesus came as God in flesh to be the Savior of all who believe.
C — Joshua Showed a Respectful Fear of the Angel of the LORD
Joshua 5 “13 And, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went to him, and said to him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, No; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said to him, What said my Lord to his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD's host said to Joshua, Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place where on you stand is holy. And Joshua did so.”
Comments: When Joshua first saw the man with a drawn sword, he did not approach him in a fearful manner. But as soon as the man said he was captain of the host of the LORD, Joshua fell face down to the ground and worshipped. This was an unmistakable sign of complete submission as he made himself vulnerable to the drawn sword, realizing that the one standing before him had a far greater power than just a ready sword.
D — The Parents of Samson Saw God and Were Afraid They Would Die
Judges 13 “20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23 But his wife said to him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things.”
Comments: Manoah prayed to the LORD asking that the man of God would return to them. When the LORD answered the prayer, Manoah did not realize that this was not just a man of God, but the Angel of the LORD. As the angel of the LORD went up in the flames of the offering, Manoah and his wife fell on their faces to the ground. Manoah said they would die having seen God, but by faith his wife said they would not because their offering was accepted and the things spoken about their son to be born must come true.
E — Respect Came by Fear of Punishment
1 Samuel 12 “18 So Samuel called to the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it has pleased the LORD to make you his people.”
Comments: Samuel told the people that if they would fear the LORD, serve him, obey his commands, and not rebel against him, then they would continue to follow him. When the thunder and rain came as a sign, all the people greatly feared the LORD and feared the prophet Samuel. They subjected themselves to Samuel's authority calling themselves his servants as they asked him to pray for them. Samuel warned them not to turn to vain things, but to serve the LORD with all their heart.
F — King David Gave Cause for the LORD to Be Blasphemed
2 Samuel 12 “10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house; because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
Comments: David, the man after God's own heart, was firmly established as king over Israel but greatly sinned before the LORD by taking the wife of Uriah. The level of respect he had for the LORD at this point ignored the consequences of sin to himself and to others. The child that David had with Uriah's wife died, and David suffered further consequences as violent conflict within his own household followed him the rest of his life. Should not believers today also fear the possible consequences of sin in the flesh before a Holy God, even though our soul is secure?
G — Isaiah Saw the LORD
Isaiah 6 “1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 3 And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the middle of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Comments: When this prophet of God saw a vision of the LORD he cried out in passionate grief and despair, feeling undone because he recognized that he was not without sin, and he was among people who were also unclean before a holy God. Isaiah was a man chosen by the LORD to be a prophet during the reign of four kings. Being a prophet chosen by God did not lift Isaiah from his absolute humility before the LORD of all creation.
H — Words from the Prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah 10 “6 For as much as there is none like to you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear you, O King of nations? 10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”
Comments: Jeremiah wrote of the utter vanity of people who worshipped idols made by the hand of man. There was no reason to fear these idols because they had no power to do evil or good. In contrast, there is none like the LORD who is great and his name is great in tremendous power. The only true God commands respect and honor from all, because he is to be feared above all else.
I — Daniel Was Overwhelmed by His Fear of God
Daniel 10 “8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. 12 Then said he to me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard.”
Comments: Daniel was at the bank of the Tigris River with some other men when he saw a very startling vision. The other men did not see the vision but terror seized them and they fled to hide. Daniel was greatly afraid and became pale and had no strength. When he heard the voice he fell into a deep sleep with his face to the ground. A hand touched him and set him upon his hands and knees. Even though he was addressed as a man greatly beloved, when he was told to stand up and listen, he trembled as he stood. Even this vision of a messenger directly from the LORD overwhelmed Daniel more than once to a state of complete helplessness.
J — Fear of God Is More Important Than Fear of Man
Matthew 10 “28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Hebrews 10 “31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Comments: The Lord Jesus contrasts fearing those who kill the body but can do nothing to harm the soul, with fear of the Lord who can destroy both body and soul. This shows that fear of any threat of man pales by comparison to the fear that should be understood for destruction of the soul. King Solomon summarized his observations about life with the following statement: Ecclesiastes 12 “13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
K — Sometimes the Disciples of the Lord Feared Him
Mark 4 “39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Comments: After the twelve had been called by Jesus, the event described in Mark chapter 4 shows that they had not yet fully grasped the truth that Jesus is God, but his ability to immediately calm the storm by his command terrified them. They must have begun to realize he was either a select prophet of God, or God in the flesh. The prophetic Psalm said: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Even the rejoicing in serving the LORD comes with an aspect of trembling.
L — The Record from the Apostle John
1 John 4 “18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.”
Revelation 1 “17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Comments: John wrote that perfect love casts out all fear, and we might look to John as one to model after in our lives to see that perfect love at work. However, according to the record in Revelation, John fell as if dead at the sight of the glorified Christ while on Patmos island. It was necessary for him to be strengthened and told not to be afraid. As long as we are in our mortal bodies with the sin of Adam, we may not be adequately prepared to see the Living God without an element of fear and awe. But all those who belong to Christ will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump — and then death is swallowed up in victory.
Reflections in Prayer
Who can fathom the depths of your knowledge, my Lord? It is without question altogether too wonderful and far beyond my comprehension. There seems to be a balance needed between true fear and responsive respect and incomparable esteem for a Holy God, and I need every measure of your enablement to hold me on the right path between the two. If the authority of man turns to dangerous persecution of me as a Christian, grant me the strength to fear you more than man. Help me Lord to diligently search your word to be better equipped to serve you with my whole heart. I want to accept even difficult trials in my life with the knowledge that your perfect love will cast out any fear I might have of your final judgment. I know that I have the victory through you, my Lord Jesus Christ, and I want to show that I am confident that my labor is not in vain in the Lord. Amen.
Published 24 March 2013