Fear Not: Be Not Afraid Part 4 Series

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Fear Not: Be Not Afraid Part 4

(Rev. Barry Johnson and Rev. Rodney Johnson)

Introduction

This is the final lesson in our series on fear. In the first three lessons, we discussed fear from the viewpoint of how damaging it can be when we allow it to take hold of our lives through our emotions. We also discussed how God has called us not to walk in fear, but in faith in Him. While we recognize that there are times when we experience fear as a natural part of living on this earth, fear should not be the foundation from which we interact with the world around us. Fear, when present, should represent momentary, immediate responses to situations of danger before we shift to remembering who we are in Christ. Remember, fear is a natural emotion that we must constantly keep in check as we walk with God. In this lesson we will look at fear from a more “positive” perspective in that we are to fear the Lord. This fear is about reverence and respect.

Psalms 111:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” The fear of the Lord is the reverence for God; respect for His law, His will, His government, and Himself. It is the fear of offending Him, which leads us to do right. This fear is not that of a slave; it is not mere dread; it is not terror. It is consistent with love, and springs from it. It is consistent with calmness of mind, and promotes such calmness. It does not produce terror, but rather delivers from it, and preserves the mind from alarms. Think of this way: we love God so much that we don’t want to disappoint Him. When I was a child I feared my parents. There were things that I would not do “out of their presence” because I “feared” their responses. This fear was not based on being scared of them. No, on the contrary, it was based on my love and respect for them. I did not want to disappoint them by doing something they would not approve of. The word rendered “fear” in this verse is a noun of the same origin as the word rendered “reverence.” The suggestion in the mind of the psalmist was that the “name of the Lord” was to be “revered,” was to be respected, and introduced this thought that such reverence is the very foundation of wisdom. The foundation, origin, and the commencement of being truly wise begin with our fear of the Lord. There is no true wisdom which does not recognize the being, the perfections, the holiness, the purity, the righteousness and the claims of God. The highest wisdom is that a person knows and honors God. This, in capability in exercise, makes one man wiser than another and when it springs up in the soul, makes a man wiser than he was before.

Solomon confirmed this when he wrote, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) We have an example of this from the story of the ten plagues in the book of Exodus. If you recall, during the seventh plague of hail God told Pharaoh what was going happen. When word spread of what was coming, some of Pharaoh’s servants took heed. Exodus 9:18-21 records, “(18) Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. (19) So now, send word, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every person and animal that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.’ (20) Everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring his servants and his livestock into the houses; (21) but everyone who did not pay regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.” Verse 20 records that those of the servants of Pharaoh who “feared the word of the Lord” brought their servants and livestock in from the field so they could be saved. They had learned from the previous plagues to fear/reverence the God of Israel. Those who did not fear the word of God (fools who despise wisdom and instruction) lost both servants and livestock. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” Also the book of Job records, “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28) Our fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – the place we must start if we want to receive His wisdom. It is the place we must start if we want to receive His knowledge. It is the place we must start if we want to receive His instructions. Our decision to yield to the Lord, to allow His will to become our will, to allow His desires to become our desires, is where our access to all that He has given to us begins. If we don’t come to the Lord with loving fear and reverence, it will be impossible for us to receive His wisdom, knowledge, and instructions. Let’s continue with this thought for a moment.