FEAR THE LORD
Proverbs 9:10 NLT
[10] “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”
Here’s a huge, solid stone on which to build a life. From cover to cover, the Bible teaches us to fear the Lord, the key to every other blessing in this life and the life to come.
Just as “a-b-c” is the foundation of all language, and language is the most important part of communication, so the fear of the Lord is the essence and source of all the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that we can acquire only through Him.
No child will ever learn to read and write without knowing the alphabet. No child of God will ever learn to know and trust God without the fear of the Lord.
What is the fear of the Lord?
My definition of the fear of the Lord is basic and simple…to fear the Lord is to take Him seriously because of who He is.
Although there is much more to the fear of the Lord than my simple definition, my definition helps me to keep the fear of the Lord in focus when I interact with Him.
Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
[5] “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. [6] He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”
How easy it is to ignore or dismiss God, who He is and what He says, in a secular environment where we are driven and directed by our senses and our selfish nature. Most of the world does this…treats the Lord as though He doesn’t exist. Their neglect lies at the base of the world’s wickedness. The Apostle Paul concludes that the whole human race is guilty of gross sin…
Romans 3:10-18 NIV
[10] “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” [13] “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” [14] “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” [15] “Their feet are swift to shed blood; [16] ruin and misery mark their ways, [17] and the way of peace they do not know.”
And diagnoses the cause…
[18] “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
When we fear the Lord, when we hold Him in highest reverence, awe, and honour, when we listen to Him and take Him seriously, the door swings wide open to a multiplicity of blessings and benefits. God’s promises, built on His unfailing faithfulness, provide the hope that steadies and steers us through all the ups and downs of a turbulent life on this fallen planet until we reach the safe haven of His eternal presence.
The fear of the Lord exposes us, first, to God’s mercy without which we are doomed from birth.
Before we can ever connect with a heavenly Father, we need mercy. God’s mercy, is His “chesed”, an untranslatable Hebrew word that encompasses the vast, indescribable, covenant love of God. He saw our lost condition. He planned and executed a just solution at His own expense. He sacrificed His own Son to a cruel and humiliating death, and He welcomes us back into His favour because of His “chesed”.
How immeasurable is His mercy?
Psalms 103:9-12 NIV
[9] “He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; [10] he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. [11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love (chesed) for those WHO FEAR HIM; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Who are the ones who receive this mercy?
“… so great is his love FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM… “
God’s mercy, reserved for those who fear Him, opens the door to everything we receive from Him in this great salvation.
Second, the fear of the Lord calls us to respond in faith and obedience. Once we have received God’s mercy and, since He is holy, He requires us to hate and distance ourselves from sin as much as He does.
Proverbs 8:10-13 NLT
[10] “Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. [11] For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. [12] “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. [13] All who FEAR THE LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”
Listen to David’s wise counsel…
Psalms 34:11-14 NLT
[11]”Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. [12] Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? [13] Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! [14] Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”
In essence, we show our fear of the Lord by the way we speak and act.
The Bible has much more to say about the fear of the Lord that brings us into close contact with Him, opens us to His mercy and favour for ourselves and our descendants, and guides us through the maze of tests and temptations to our desired eternal destiny.
Without the fear of the Lord, we have no solid foundation on which to build our lives, and no support for the superstructure of thoughts, decisions, and actions that we build on our foundation. However, guided by a commitment to take God seriously because we honour Him for who He is, we can be absolutely sure that He will honour that commitment by His utter faithfulness to Himself and His Word.
Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [7] Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. [8] Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”