Judges Series #15 L:ife Cycles
“Fighting Fear with Fear” Part 6
Review
I have sought to understand the topic of fear from a Biblical perspective over the past several weeks. The subject permeates Scripture from Adam in the book of Genesis to the tribulation in the book of Revelation. Everyone experiences fear from time to time.
Fear is a tangible involuntary reaction to a perceived or actual threat to my well-being that is either present or potential that requires some sort of intentional response.
I have suggested a process by which to tame the paralyzing beast. We will never fully eliminate fear in this life but we can minimize it through a Biblical response. I have come to view that stirring in the gut as a warning signal that something is wrong and I need to respond. There may be something wrong in my thinking. There may be something wrong with my trust. There may be something wrong in my world that threatens my wellbeing.
Analyze the fear.
Consider the intentional response.
The primary intentional response to fear must always involve trust in and obedience to God.
God is an infinite all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present God who pledges to incorporate every threatening circumstance and tragedy into a master plan that works out for His ultimate glory and our ultimate good. This same God declares His unconditional love and unending presence and ultimate purpose. The realization of these truths serve to diffuse our unsettling fear in the face of threatening circumstances taking place now or loom in the future. The promise of God’s love, power and presence in the face of threat accompany the numerous admonishments to take courage and do not fear.
Such trust and obedience enables the other possible responses to life’s threats.
Stand and courageously fight the enemy or wisely escape the treat by God’s direction.
Wait for God’s timing to respond with courage and hope.
Pray to our infinite God with thanksgiving in every threatening circumstance.
Pursue further truth and understanding related to the source of the threat.
Encourage others with godly words and touch
Prepare spiritually and mentally for threating tribulation in life
Rejoice in the Lord always, again God says REJOICE!!
Genuine trust in the infinite loving God also enables us to avoid the things that intensify fear.
Avoid Sin and disobedience that increases our level of fear.
Access divine healing from previous trauma in our past that affects our present.
Eliminate pride and a hard heart that causes us to fall short of the grace of God.
Resist doubt and ignorance that forces us to rely on our own strength rather than His.
Defeat demonic influence and strongholds that have gained a foothold in our life.
Develop the fear the Lord rather than people or pain
Fear functions as a measure of genuine faith. If we say we trust God with our future yet continue to fret about what MIGHT happen in the future, the reality is we are not really trusting God. To say we have faith or trust in God does not mean we have it. Life demonstrates the reality of our faith. Use fear as a tool to discover doubt and inspire us to trust God more fully. Most fear stunts our spiritual growth and weakens our faith. The Bible addresses other aspects of fear that produce positive results.
Along with a dark list of life and ministry threatening circumstances, Paul listed the daily, pressure or burden of his concern (fear) for all the churches. That concern motivated specific intentional action.
In 1 Cor 12:25, God instructs us to have a concern for fellow followers of Jesus that motivates us to act.
Hebrews teaches that God provides a rest for His people.
There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11
We become so weary striving in this life.
We strive for God’s approval.
We strive for happiness.
We strive for success.
The psalmist admonished us to “Cease striving and know that I am God.”
"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:10-11
The writer of Hebrews called his readers actually to fear missing that rest.
Hebrews instructs us to fear missing God’s promised rest.
Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. Hebrews 4:1-2
They did not enter God’s promised rest in the midst of threatening circumstances because they did not believe God. They did not trust. They did not act on His promise. This is a healthy concern that we live the faith rest life. Joshua was all about what a faith rest life looks like. It is a life of continually trusting God and acting on his direction and promise.
Now back to the fear that diminishes all other fear.
"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. Matthew 10:28
From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? Psalm 118:5-6
The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25
As we develop a proper perspective of the God we serve, fear of other things fades away.
Remember, the primary intentional response to fear was trust and obedience. The primary response to a proper perception of the majesty of God is trust and obedience. The more we fear the Lord above all, the more we trust and obey. The more we trust and obey God, the less we fear the threats to our wellbeing. Fight fear with Fear!
WHAT IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD?
When translating the terms for fear related to the Lord, translators use fear, honor, reverence, worship, respect. Acts 9 balances fear of an awesome God to the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. Acts 9:31
In my study of the passages related to the fear of the Lord, a clear relationship emerged.
An involuntary reverential reaction to God comes through a deeper understanding of Him through demonstrations of His power or encounter with His word.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the involuntary reaction to a rich understanding
of the person and work of God that inspires some sort of intentional response.
The clearer the understanding of the majesty of His person and the awesome nature of His work through interaction with His word, the more significant the reaction and more genuine the response. God demonstrated His majesty through smoke and fire and earthquakes.
The people reacted and responded. God demonstrated His love through the sacrifice of His dearly loved Son. We react and respond. The heavens declare the glory of God.
We react and respond. David understood the holiness of God more clearly at the death of His son. He reacted and responded (He worshipped.)
Job encountered the sovereignty of God at the loss of his entire family. He reacted and responded.
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. Job 1:20-22
God reveals His nature in innumerable ways. Many lack respect for God because they are ignorant of Him and even deny His existence. Some hold a faulty view of God that stunts or even distorts their response to Him. Others simply fail to recognize His presence.
From Biblical account of God interaction with people, we understand that God interacts with us on numerous levels. His interaction ranges from fire and smoke and burning bushes to a still small voice and the revelation of His written word. Listen to a post death conversation between Abraham in paradise with a rich man in hades who died in unbelief.
And the rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send Lazarus (back from the dead) to my father's house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:27-31
The greater the comprehension of the incomprehensible, the greater the reaction and response. Over and over the Bible connects the fear of the Lord with fidelity, worship, obedience.
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? Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. Deuteronomy 10:12-14
You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. "You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 6:13-15
You shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. Deuteronomy 8:6
The bottom line concerning the fear of the Lord has to do with developing an all-consuming respect for God through a continual pursuit of deeper relationship with Him through any means possible. The evidence of that respect (fear) has to do with fidelity, priority, obedience, service, a focus on pleasing Him and bring Him glory in everything we do. We grow to hate what He hates and love what He loves. His desires become our desires. His will our will.
Our respect for Him directs everything we do just as our respect for a person determines the things we do and say. Such intense respect for the infinite Creator of the universe and author of our salvation appears all though the Scriptures as the evidence of a genuine transformed life. We can grow more and more in the fear of the Lord. The Bible includes it as a measure of maturity.
then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. Nehemiah 7:2
Moses warned the Israelites what would happen if they failed to fear the Lord as a nation.
"If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you. Deut 28:58-60
Judgment will come on those who fail to seek the Lord and those who fail to properly respond to their Creator and Redeemer.
How does this fear of the Lord develop?
I have recorded several observations connected to the development of the fear of the Lord.
The key is a greater understanding of his infinite person and incredible works. Other references point to some specific things.
Frightening manifestations of His power
Then the Israelites said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die." Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. Exodus 20:19-21
Discipline and testing
You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. Deuteronomy 8:2-6
God wants us to realize that we only find true meaning in life through a right relationship with Him.
"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. Deuteronomy 13:4
Satan convinced Eve that one could find life apart from dependence on God. It didn’t work out for Satan so well and neither did it work for Adam or Eve. It most certainly will not work for us either. We experience true life through a monumental respect for God motivating a deep desire to glorify and please Him in everything we do.
Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. 1 Timothy 5:20
"They shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. Deuteronomy 21:20-21
God killed Ananias and Sapphira when they publically lied to the church and the Holy Spirit.
And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things. Acts 5:11
Realization of our forgiveness motivates reverence of the Lord.
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. Psalm 130:1-4
Interaction with and obedience to the Word of God
The Law 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, Deuteronomy 17:19
"Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 31:12
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. Proverbs 1:28-31
Seeking wisdom will enable us to discern the fear of the Lord.
My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5
Answers to Prayer
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11
Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers. 2 Chronicles 6:30-31
Regular Giving and celebration
You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. Deuteronomy 14:22-23
Powerful examples of deliverance
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses. Exodus 14:30-31
I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:1-3
Gift of God
They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. Jeremiah 32:38-41
Deeper realization of any one of God’s attributes can trigger a deeper reverence of God and motivate some sort of response. Failure to respond appropriately to God is the result of a hard heart. Some have elevated other things above God. Others have developed bitterness toward God. Still others have not set their heart to seek Him. Failure to interaction regularly with the Word, which is the source of life, diminishes our fear. A failure to dedicate our resources to Him exposes our lack of fear. It is a gift. It can be learned. It is a choice. Let us choose today.
We choose the fear of the Lord.
Next week we will explore the benefits associated with the Fear of the Lord.
