Prayer: Father, help me to understand the concept of fearing You. Amen.
Reading: Proverbs 14 key: 26-27
26 In the fear of Adonai one has strong confidence.
It will be a refuge for His children.
27 The fear of Adonai is a fountain of life,
turning one from the snares of death.
Attention: I have heard television pastors preach that God is my friend. Have you heard a popular worship song that says, “I am a friend of God”? I am assuming they based the song on a couple verses found in Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23 where Abraham is called, “a friend of God.” This verse could also be translated, “Abraham who loved Me.”
Fear is defined as: “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat” (online dictionary). Would Old Testament figures have any reason to fear Adonai? How is Adonai described in Scripture? Let’s use the account in Exodus of Moses’ interactions with Pharoah. God said, “Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharoah. By way of a strong hand, he will let them (His people) go (Exodus 6:1).” God outlines the plan to Moses, and He proceeds to eliminate one by one (by plagues) the false gods of Egypt. Each plague increases in intensity until in the final plague, the death angel appears. Here is how Adonai framed it to Moses, “At around midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die—from the firstborn of Pharoah sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the maidservant behind the mill, along with all the firstborn cattle. There will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, the likes of which has never been before nor will ever be again (Exodus 11:4b-6).”
There was a cry heard throughout Egypt, in every Egyptian household. Death of the firstborn human and animal, and not a single child or animal of the Hebrew people was touched!
Let’s look at one more example in Moses’ life. God commands him to come up to the mountain and then to go back down and instruct the people. Adonai says to Moses, “I am about to come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak to you and believe you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to Adonai. Adonai said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow. Be ready for the third day. For on the third day Adonai will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You are to set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘Be very careful not to go up onto the mountain, or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death. Not a hand is to touch it, but he will surely be stoned or shot through. Whether it is an animal or a man, it will not live. When the shofar sounds, they may come up to the mountain.” On the morning of the third day, there was a thundering and lightening, a thick cloud on the mountain, and the blast of an exceedingly loud shofar. All the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the lowest part of the mountain. Now the entire Mount Sinai was in smoke, because Adonai had descended upon it in fire. The smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace. The whole mountain quaked greatly. When the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with a thunderous sound.
There is more, but you get the point. When God showed up, He showed up in majesty and the people and the mountain trembled.
There is a statement made by the writer of Hebrews, which says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10: 31).”
Is it possible that our concept of the fear of God might need to be based on the whole of Scripture to balance any misconceptions about our friendship with God? He is sovereign and we are not.
In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Mr. Beaver tells Susan that Aslan (the ruler of Narnia) is a great lion. Susan is surprised, since she assumed Aslan was a man. She then tells Mr. Beaver, “I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” She asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe, to which Mr. Beaver replies, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.”
I feel safer balancing my concept of God with the concept of giving Him proper respect and reverence. The fear of the Lord is appropriate and necessary even today!
Action: I will embrace a healthy awe, respect, and reverence for Adonai.
Yield: Fear of the Lord is an attitude of surrender.
Engage: I am engaging with the Sovereign when I give Him proper respect.
Relationship: He is Divine, and I am not.
Prayer: Father, in many of Your encounters with man, Your first words were, “fear not.” So, help me to have proper fear, while not being fearful of You. Amen.
Memory Verse: Hebrews 10:31
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Music Video: https://youtu.be/ZYkZE8AogDE
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”