Last week we talked about how these books of Law have a lot to say about anger. It speaks of the anger of just about every character. We noticed two sources of anger: the evil anger of Pharaoh, Israel, Aaron and Miriam, Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and the righteous anger of the Lord and sometimes Moses. We focused on Moses’ angry act for which God punished him by refusing to let him enter the promised land. It happened near the end of the wilderness wandering when he in unbelief and rebellion to God’s command Moses surprisingly didn’t respect the holiness of God before the people, and struck the rock God told him so speak to. Jessie Bankhead gave me some very interesting help from the Hebrew on that passage. It looks like Moses intentionally rejected God’s command in his anger and almost seems to have hoped that God would not help the people by providing water from the rock. It was a costly rash move that Moses regretted. Anger is dangerous.
This week we will look at another emotionally charged word that occurs all over the place in these same books and that is: Fear.
For our lesson, I’d like to stick with what Deuteronomy says about Fear. Since this is the book in our reading schedule this past week.
Are you staying with it? I hope so! This is a tremendous opportunity for the whole church to do together and something you can share with each other at home all year! We are looking for Jesus as we read the entire Bible in a chronological order. If you get behind, just make a note of what you missed and pick up where we are. You will be blessed for the effort! Don’t give up! Remember that this is God’s inspired message for his people! God sacrificed his only begotten Son for you and me! Surely you can give up enough time to read the Bible. It takes less than 30 minutes a day! Don’t let the devil lie to your heart and make you believe you’ve got better things to do! Ok… enough said.
To introduce Fear in Deuteronomy turn first to chapter 5:29. This records what God said right after God spoke the 10 commandments to Israel and they were scared to death! They begged Moses that God not speak to them again, but that Moses would go and receive instructions from God and tell them and they swore to keep all that God commanded them through Moses. God heard them and said these words to Moses: 5:29 ’Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would always fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!
God chose Israel and loved Israel. He wanted them to love him and walk with him as his people and he as their God. Listen to 6:5, now look at 13 "You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.
14 "You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you
15 ’(for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.
16 "You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah.
17 "You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you.
See also 10:12 "And 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,
13 and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?
14 "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
15 "Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.
16 "Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.
17 "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.
18 "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.
19 "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
20 "You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.
21 "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.
First, notice that there is nothing inconsistent with loving God and fearing God. Not at all! In fact, one cannot love God apart from fearing him. God wants to cast out fear from us, but not godly fear! God wants us to fear him alone and none else!
Look at our text for today’s reading from chapter 13. Notice 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Do you see what he says here? God tests our love for him by seeing if we follow and fear him and keep his commandments, listen to his voice, serve him and cling to him!
I am so glad we are doing this study through the Old Testament because it seems that here is where God teaches us to fear him. Many of the Old Testament quotes in the New Testament are there to build and stir up the fear of the Lord. You don’t think so? Read Romans 11. Read the book of Hebrews. Read Acts. Tonight we are going to look at what the New Testament says about the Fear of the Lord and I hope you will be sure to come back. Just to whet your appetite read Phil. 2:12 later to see what it says about it.
Before we come back to our text for today, I went through all the verses that talk about fear in Deut. and found that they all fall into one of three categories.
First is what not to fear. God tells Israel 11 times in the first 20 chapters what not to be afraid of or fear. They all can be summed up in the words of chapter 1:17 where God tells them: “You shall not fear man.” Don’t fear those nations in Canaan that you are going in to possess their lands. 20:1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.
Don’t fear a false prophet, even if his prophecy comes true! In fact, under the Law Israel was to kill him!
God teaches Israel, don’t fear men, false teachers or false gods. Don’t be afraid of them!
God is with you! Even if the enemy looks like there is no way to defeat them, if God says go in and take them, GO IN AND TAKE THEM! DON’T BE AFRAID!
It was fear that made the 10 spies give the bad report on the land. Fear prompted by lack of faith and love for God. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world! God’s people ought to be the most fearless people on the planet! We know who’s in charge. We know who made this place. We know who is going to win. And we know that He is with us! All our fear needs to have one focus, just as all our faith and all our love should have the same focus. Not on men. Perfect love for God casts our this fear. Faith in God does not lead us to this fear again. Fear of the Lord delivers us from all other fears. The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever! All other fears are stained with sin.
Think of Jesus. What did Jesus fear? Who did Jesus tell us to fear? Matt. 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Who is he that can destroy both soul and body? Isaiah 10:18 The holy One of Israel will destroy both soul and body.
Do not be afraid of men.
Second, Deut. tells us that God will put the fear of Israel in the hearts of the nations around her. 2:25 ’This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’ 11: 25 "There shall no man be able to stand before you; the LORD your God shall lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you.
This is fascinating. Israel is not to fear her enemies, but God would put the fear of Israel on her enemies. This fearlessness in Israel and fear and dread of Israel in her enemies would work to bring victory over and over for Israel in their conquests in Canaan.
Did you know that many times those who are not Christians are fearful of Christianity? I’ve known many Christians who said that before they became Christians they were afraid of others who were Christians. They tried to find flaws in the Christians they knew so that they could be less intimidated by them.
God still seems to put fear into the hearts of those who are not his people. If only we would listen to Jesus and not be afraid or fearful ourselves. Fear of men is the great crippler of many Christians today. Christians are afraid to look like Jesus for fear of being mocked or fear of looking different. Many Christians are afraid to be seen carrying a Bible because it would look weird. What are you afraid of? Why? Many Christians are afraid to openly speak of their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord for the same reasons.
It is as if Satan has managed a role reversal where the lost are not afraid of God’s people, but God’s people are afraid of the lost. Why? Because many still need to learn to fear the Lord!
Finally, the one message about fear that is most often mentioned in Deuteronomy is this: FEAR GOD and keep his commandments. And how is this fear built into the hearts of God’s people?
You want to guess? By hearing the words of God. Look at 4:10, 17:19
10 "Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ’Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’
19 "And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,
