We often preach of God’s Love, his mercy, his longsuffering because God is Love. If we want to go to Heaven, we must possess these qualities. Sometimes when we point out God’s commands for us and our failure to obey them and the punishment that awaits the disobedient we say wait! Let’s go back and talk about the loving God, the forgiving God, the merciful God, and let’s not talk about the God that demands obedience to his Word, which demands his commands be met. Many don’t want to hear about Hell and how it awaits those who are not obedient. Keep preaching on Heaven and its joys and beauties. In our lesson today, (1) I want to examine our fear of the Lord. (2) Why the fear is important to us. (3) How came can develop a healthy fear without going to one extreme or another.
Acts 9:31-NKJV-The Church Prospers
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
As Luke writes to the early church, Saul had just been converted and how “they enjoyed a time of peace” but was the church growing because of the time of rest. They were growing because they “were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.”
Paul in writing to the church at Philippi Philippians 2:12-13-NKJV
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Looking at the Word, Fear in these verses helps us to understand this meaning. The word fear is the Hebrew word yirah (year-uh), it is used to describe fear, terror, unawesome or terrifying things.
Fear of God involves respect, reverence. This is the fear we should talk about. This fear we should have is a fear or a reverence or awe, a respect for God. Matthew 10:28 NKJV
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
A proper fear of the Lord would then include: reverence and awe, being afraid to offend God in any way, a trembling that if one knows they have offended God they must obtain forgiveness.
The writer of Hebrews puts it like this
Hebrews 10:30-31-NKJV
30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Let’s examine the importance of fearing God. In the book of Proverbs we learn the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
Proverbs 1:7-NKJV
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Fearing the Lord will cause one to hate evil.
Proverbs 8:13-NKJV
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way
and the perverse mouth I hate.
Fearing the Lord will prolong life.
Proverbs 10:27-NKJV
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.
The fear of the Lord provides strong confidence and is a foundation of life.
Proverbs 14:26-27-NKJV
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
The fear of the Lord prompts one to depart from evil.
Proverbs 16:6-NKJV
6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
The fear of the Lord leads to a satisfying life and spares one from much evil.
Proverbs 19:23-NKJV
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.
The fear of the Lord is the way to riches, honor and life.
Proverbs 22:4-NKJV
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.
Without the fear of the Lord, we flirt with evil and temptations and can be corrupted by them. Without the fear of the Lord we will not come to know the love of God that gives us assurance and confidence of our salvation. When we fall into sin, we will not be motivated to repent and turn to God.
Psalm 103:17-18-NKJV
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
So how do we develop a healthy fear of the Lord, by the Word of God? Just as faith cometh by hearing, the same can be said of fear.
As one reads and studies God’s word we should gain a healthy fear, reverence and awe of God. Through God’s word we must develop a healthy and reverent fear that would call someone to change their life if they are living in sin.
Consider the words of Paul in
Romans 2:5-8-NKJV
5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,
Peter puts it this way in
2 Peter 3:7-14-NKJV
7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
Even in these passages God’s word speaks of grace and forgiveness for those who repent. The word of God properly used will help us maintain a proper fear factor in our lives.
In a crazy move, a woman at the Toronto zoo who lost her hat at the tiger enclosure decided that she was going to retrieve it. She climbed the outer fence, dropped over the edge and scrambled around to find her hat. Fortunately for her there was a second fence between her and her hat. A bystander captured the video of a tiger desperately running back and forth in front of the wire cage trying to find a way to get at the woman to have an early lunch. This woman’s fear of the tiger was not nearly what it should’ve been. She was almost casual in her approach to retrieving her hat. Others watched horrified, some screamed and parents covered the eyes of their children. The woman found her hat and climbed back over the wall that separated her from the tiger. She did not fear the tiger.
The Bible says “Fear the Lord.” We might wish there is a better word that the Bible uses instead of fear. In Hebrew, this word is used when people are in terror for their lives, and it’s the same word used for awe and respect. Too many people have become bored in their knowledge of God, either because it’s partial and inaccurate or because it is distant and detached.
Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. An awe-inspiring, even terrifying understanding of who God is in your life. But the analogy is incomplete if we leave out the fact that God is as loving as he is fearsome. He is fearsome and good. Without a complete understanding of who God is, seeking wisdom from a God who brings up uncomfortable issues of correction for us to face is fearsome without love attached. Only God, who is awesome and even fearsome in nature but who also loves us unconditionally can instruct us in such a way that we become wise. When we cry out for wisdom, we also cry out for deep and personal knowledge of the wisdom of God-the God who inspires both fear and love.
