THE FEAR OF THE LORD
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
It doesn’t take long scanning the radio, flipping through the channels on the T.V, or scrolling through the internet before you will hear some so called “preacher” telling you how to live a “blessed life”. Almost inevitably he will tell you that the key to blessedness is to have enough faith, or to give his “ministry” a certain amount of money. Even among solid and biblical preachers the topics of holiness and the fear of God are rarely even mentioned. This is a tragedy because these attributes are essential in living a truly blessed life.
Recently I mentioned to a pastor friend of mine that I had been studying about holiness and in response he said, “my grandmother was raised holiness”. When I speak of holiness I am not referring to a religious denomination; I am referring to the separated and righteous life that God expects from His Children.
On several occasions in the scriptures God says to His people “Be holy, for I am holy”. We will never achieve sinless perfection this side of Heaven, but we must strive to be distinct from the world. For us to live in such a way, we must possess a genuine fear of the Lord.
In Proverbs 1:7, two classes of people are mentioned; Those who "fear the Lord" and those who do not. Those who fear the Lord are wise; those who do not fear Him are foolish.
I would like to examine several different proverbs and consider what it really means to fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord is not the kind of fear that would cause one to run and hide in terror. To "fear the Lord" means to be in awe of Him. It speaks of a "reverential" fear, one that produces worship and obedience. The fear of the Lord is a respect for the greatness, and the glorious nature of God.
Throughout the Bible we find many passages that describe the characteristics of one who fears the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 shows us that:
I. THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD, KNOW THE LORD
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”
Before one can truly fear God they must know Him. When we know Him personally and continue to learn of Him, the more we will fear Him. As a result our desire to please, honor, and glorify Him will continuously increase.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All who practice it have a good understanding…”
It is only when someone comes to truly understand who God is that they begin to fear Him. As their knowledge of the Lord increases, so does their fear. On the other hand, those who do not fear the Lord are “fools (who) despise wisdom and instruction. Listen to what Proverbs 1:28-31 says about those who do not choose to fear the Lord:
“Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.”
Destruction awaits those who do not fear the Lord. On the other hand, new life is available for those who fear the Lord.
Proverbs 14:27 “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life...”
Through Christ we have received a new life. This new life comes with a new relationship. We are the Children of God; we have been born into His eternal family. As a result we have the opportunity to commune with God. Through the Holy Scriptures & the Holy Spirit we learn of Him. We learn of the wrath that we have been delivered from. We learn of His love that we experience on a daily basis. And we learn that as our Heavenly Father, God will chastise us when we sin. These and many other truths concerning our new life will cause us to fear Him more and more.
When we truly fear the Lord we will have a desire to do what pleases Him and we will seek to avoid what displeases Him. Those who know the Lord will fear the Lord and this fear produces obedience. Notice that:
II. THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD WILL OBEY THE LORD
When we have a healthy fear of the Lord we will turn from sin. We will seek to live a holy and honorable life that pleases God. This fact is covered in several other Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:7 “fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil…”
Proverbs 14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.”
When we truly fear the Lord, it will be apparent by the way we live. When we fear the Lord we will look different, we will talk different, we will spend our time and money differently, and we will have different priorities. When one fears the Lord He will not go to the places he used to go, say the things he used to say, or do the things that he used to do. When we fear the Lord there will be a visible difference in us and the lost world. When God says "thou shalt" we will, and when God says "thou shalt not" we won't!
Those who fear the Lord know the Lord, they obey the Lord, and scripture also tells us that:
III. THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD WILL TRUST THE LORD
Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
We who are “in Christ” possess great confidence and assurance in our Lord. We can trust Him because:
a) HE IS OMNIPOTENT - He is all powerful.
b) HE IS OMNIPRESENT - He is everywhere at all times.
c) HE IS OMNISCIENT - He is all knowing.
Because of His sovereignty, power, ability, and knowledge, we can trust the Lord to always do what is right. We can live the Christian life with confidence and assurance. We possess great joy and assurance in knowing that the Lord is with those who fear Him.
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
We also with assurance that God will protect Us. David said in Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them”.
No person, power, or principality is greater than our God. Therefore we have no reason to fear. Paul summed it up well in Romans 8:31 when he said "...If God be for us, who can be against us?"
We have the assurance that God is present with us; He protects us and we live with assurance that God will provide for us. Again quoting David from Psalm 34, he said in verses 9-10, “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
God is present with those who fear Him, He protects them and provides for them. These truths are cause for constant rejoicing. In fact, rejoicing is another characteristic of those who fear the Lord. Consider:
IV. THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD, REJOICE IN THE LORD
Proverbs 28:14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
It is only when we fear the Lord that we can we experience true joy and satisfaction. We have countless reasons to rejoice. Writing from prison the Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). It is important to note that Paul declares that our rejoicing is "in the Lord".
Because of our relationship with the Lord we can rejoice even in the midst of troubles, struggles, opposition, and heartbreak. We may not have many earthly possessions, we may endure times of pain, distress, and heartbreak, we can experience true satisfaction in the Lord. We can rejoice because we belong to God and He is far greater than anything this world could ever offer.
Proverbs 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
We not only rejoice because of our status in this life, we also rejoice concerning the life to come. No matter what you may face in this world, never forget that it is all temporary. God has a special place prepared for those who fear Him. We have an incorruptible inheritance waiting for us when this life is over. For this and many other reasons we who fear the Lord can and should rejoice.
We began with the biblical principle that, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge". It is my prayer that you will realize that the fear of the Lord is essential for living an abundant and fruitful Christian life. Salvation, sanctification, restoration, renewal, revival, and many other subjects are possible when there is a genuine fear of the Lord.
If you truly fear the Lord, you will know, obey, trust and rejoice in the Lord. Many people profess to know Christ. They say that fear God, but they have no desire to live a holy life. If you truly fear the Lord you will strive to be holy. Holiness is not a suggestion or even good advice, it is a Biblical command. God said, “Be ye holy; for I am holy." Therefore I ask, do you obey, serve, honor, commune with, trust and rejoice in the Lord. According to the scriptures we have examined you should, for these characteristics that will be present when you possess "The Fear Of The Lord”.
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