Is The Fear God Old Fashion ?

These days very few writers talk about the fear of the Lord because I think that they probably don’t understand the topic from God’s perspective in the scripture and because they think it is only an Old Testament concept which is outdated because Jesus came. So, is the topic useful to those who believe in Jesus or is it an outdated concept for Bible believing Christians?

Fear is often considered something that brings terror or harm to an individual and makes them want to flee like the threat was a shark or an armed robber!  Yet, the Bible talks about the fear of God in an opposite way.  This type of fear draws you into his presence, not away from it. The fear of the Lord is more than mere respect or reverence, as some would suggest. It is not about having emotions of dread.  It is about an enlightenment that changes the soul from the inside out and results in a deep love of God.  It is, in essence, a doorway that gives us access to God’s presence and help.

There is a passage in the Old Testament about King Jehoshaphat, who brought great reform to the land of Israel. The king traveled throughout the land to instruct the judges that they should rule with the fear of the Lord in mind, not some other bias for the purpose of gain. The king knew the fear of the Lord to be a healthy perspective in life and not something to be neglected or resisted. He tried to motivate people under his authority to live while being aware that we all have to be accountable to God for our actions.

2 Chronicles 19:6-7

He said to the judges, Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.

King David also wrote a lot about the fear of the Lord, as did most of the prophets of the Old Testament.  I believe this was done for good reason. David wrote about the fear of the Lord as being “Clean” from the perspective that it is not contaminated by something that loses its value. The Hebrew word literally means “Pure”, as in not defiled. Secondly, David says with confidence that the fear of the Lord endures forever!  The word David used  to express this is the word for “Standing”, meaning it holds its own.

Psalms 19:9

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

In the book of Job, he writes that the fear of the Lord is literally “Wisdom” or for the people desiring to walk in wisdom.

Job 28:28

And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

So when David talks about the fear of the Lord he is referring to our attitude either towards God or towards this world, which is opposed to God. Fearing God is the direct opposite of pursuing evil.

David goes on further in Psalms 34 and asks the question of whether we want a good life knowing that if a person wants to live a good life then he must choose the fear of the Lord. Having this concept of honoring the Lord incorporated into our lives according to David will help us to hold our tongue from evil or speaking lies. So, the fear of the Lord gives us wisdom to manage our lives well and thus is timeless in its application.

Psalms 34:11-13

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

David then tell us that the fear of the Lord is the “FIRST” ingredient and the essential element in having a good life. Why? Because the fear of the Lord is the guiding element in making choices. By putting it first we are aware of the benefits and penalties of our choices before we make those decisions and thus avoid the pitfalls of pride and independence outside of a relationship with God.

Psalms 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments;

King Solomon, David’s son, talked about people who reject wisdom and reject the fear of the Lord. Solomon says that because people reject the fear of the Lord wisdom will also be reject in them.  These powerful words mean that when we respect God for who he is, wisdom guides and guards us.  When we reject fearing God we become stupid in our choices and ultimately in life itself. Solomon says wisdom will refuse to answer us when we need it because we rejected the fear of the Lord!

Proverbs 1:28-29

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.

Finally, David elaborates that God sees everything we do and thus the fear of the Lord makes sense to have in our lives as it becomes a check for every decision we make.  I believe the question to ask is if God sees all that is going on in and around us, do we approach God in “Reverence & Fear” or are we living casually as if he doesn’t see all?

This should remind us that the principles in the Old Testament are incredibly valuable because they lay the ground work for our understanding of the character and ways of God and what it takes to please Him.  If you and I neglect the most basic principles laid out in Scripture how can we hope to please the Lord and gain his favor for both our personal life and the lives of those around us? Shouldn’t we take another look at the fear of the Lord in order to apply it principles?

Every great teacher I have met over the years took the fear of the Lord seriously and endeavored to apply it to their daily life. It’s easy to impress people with your bible knowledge if you memorize scripture but who are you trying to impress? I don’t think God is impressed with memorization as much as he is impressed with true diligence in discovering the fear of the Lord. Be that person that pleases the Lord more than trying to please man. Scripture says if we please the Lord there is a great reward!

Questions:

1) Have you done a careful study of the fear of the Lord?  If not, why not? Again, if we believe scripture that states clearly the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom then we all should take another look at this valuable topic.

2) Do you desire to please the Lord in your walk? Then start today with a bible concordance and discover what the fear of the Lord did in those who understood it.

May the Holy Spirit help us overcome a lack of healthy respect and love for God in our lives,

Pastor Dale