What Does It Mean To Fear The Lord?
The fear of the Lord is not often talked about in our culture. For many of us, we know God is "other", but not sure what it means to fear Him. Are we supposed to be scared? Isn't He a Good Father? Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
We see a beautiful example of fearing the Lord in Genesis 22 with the story of Abraham and his obedience regarding his son Isaac. As you read that passage, put yourself in Abraham's shoes. Isaac was promised to Abraham by God as his only son who would bring about God's chosen people. Abraham has been instructed to sacrifice Isaac on an alter, and Abraham is willing to trust God and do it. (Isaac isn't a young child, so his obedience is amazing in this story as well.) As Abraham is about to kill his son, the angel of the Lord says, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
One important demonstration of fearing God is through obedience. Fearing God results in following Him instead of fleeing Him. Actually, a reverent fear of God unleashes a heart of obedience.
We see this play out with the story of the Hebrews fleeing the Egyptian army. Once God closes the Red Sea on the army and the Hebrews are saved, "Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses." (Ex 14:31) In other words, by seeing His power, they trusted Him.
We can be "full of awe" of God admitting that we can't fully understand Him (Job 26:14). "His greatness no one can fathom." (Psalm 145:3)
Isaiah 40 reminds us:
He is greater than the creation
He is greater than the nations
He is greater than the rulers
He is greater than the stars (Psalm 147:4)
Jeremiah 10:6-7 says, "There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you."
We fear God for his greatness, but we also fear Him for His grace. Psalm 130 speaks to God's forgiveness and love. Abraham and Isaac's story was preparing us for the sacrifice that God made of His only son, Jesus. Jesus was obedient to the will of the Father and died for us, because He loves us. We can have forgiveness and adoption as children of the Most High. We can look to Him as a Good and Loving Father, but must always remember to have that reverent fear and respect for the Creator of All.
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