Understanding the Fear of the Lord

Today, I’m sharing an article written by my friend and ministry partner, who chooses to remain anonymous. Using Scriptures, she teaches us about the importance of walking in the fear of the Lord.

My prayer for us is that as we read her article and meditate on the Scriptures, we will truly begin to live daily in the fear of the Lord and yield our entire lives to God in obedience. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Until next time…

Chizobam Idahosa

As I read through the Word of God, His Word teaches me to fear Him. It is amazing how many Scriptures talk about the fear of God. This inspired me to write about the fear of God and how the Scriptures teach us to fear Him, highlighting the benefits God bestows on those who do so.

What is the Fear of the Lord?

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 ESV

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:10 ESV

Proverbs 9:10 ESV and Proverbs 1:7 ESV tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

The Hebrew word for fear in these verses is yirah, which means dread, fearfulness, terror, and reverence. (Source.)

These words describe how we ought to respond to God and His Word. We are to be in awe of God, manifesting our reverence for Him by our behavior and having a healthy fear of the consequences of disobeying God just like Noah did. When God warned Noah about God’s coming judgement, he responded in reverent fear and constructed an ark to save his family (Hebrews 11:7 ESV).

In Proverbs 1:7, the word “beginning” is the Hebrew word reshiyth, which means beginning, chief, first, choice part, and principal thing. (Source.)

Therefore, having a reverential fear of God and a dread of the consequences of disobeying Him is not only the beginning of wisdom but also the best and the principal part of knowledge. It is the very foundation of true knowledge and wisdom.

Who is Required to Fear God?

Psalm 33: 6-9, ESV tells us that every inhabitant of the earth ought to fear God because He brought creation into being by His Word. Moreover, we, His children, who have been bought by the blood of the Lamb, are commanded to fear Him. Consider these Scriptures;

“Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack!” Psalm 34:9 ESV

“But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” Isaiah 8:13 ESV

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!” Psalm 33:8 ESV

Fear God: Not Man

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul told Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love, power and self control.

This, at first glance, seems to contradict the instruction to “fear” God. However, the “fear” talked about by Paul refers to timidity, fearfulness, and cowardice before people when preaching the gospel of Christ and living as a Christian (see 2 Timothy 1:7-8 ESV). Therefore, we are not to fear people or circumstances but God alone. Meditate on these Scriptures;

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6 ESV

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; of whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 ESV

“Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:31 ESV

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 ESV

Understanding the Fear of the Lord

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2: 1-5 ESV

Proverbs 2:1-5 teaches us that there is a way to handle the Word of God that will cause us to understand the fear of God. We are told to lay hold of the Word of God like we would a prized possession and then treasure it by hiding it in our hearts, seeking to know it, understand it, and apply the wisdom from the Word of God in every area of our lives. Only then will we understand the fear of the Lord because it is rooted in the knowledge of His Word and how we handle it.

Therefore, we cannot understand the fear of God if we have a casual or indifferent approach to the Word of God! If we handle the Word of God rightly in obedience to Proverbs 2:1-5, it will cause us to develop a reverential fear of God, and also, we will not disregard Scriptures that warn us about the consequences of disobedience.

The LORD is righteous (Psalm 11:7 ESV) and righteous in all His ways (Psalm 145:17 ESV). His ways are just and true (Revelation 15:3 ESV). He hates all who do evil (Psalm 5:5 ESV).

If we approach God’s Word with the intention of growing in our knowledge and understanding of Him, we will learn what pleases Him and will be empowered by His grace to live our lives to please Him while shunning everything that is evil in His sight.

This is what the fear of God looks like – God’s saints loving what He loves and detesting what He detests. Consider these Scriptures;

“By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil” Proverbs 16:6 ESV

“Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:7 ESV

“The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 ESV

How is the Fear of the Lord Expressed?

As we grow in the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of God, we also begin to learn what pleases God and what is detestable to Him. As we pursue doing what pleases Him and make a practice of abstaining from what He hates, the fear of God begins to manifest in our conduct. The fear of God is expressed in our behavior when we believe the Word and respond in obedience to it.

Biblical Examples

Consider Noah. He expressed his fear of God through his response to God’s warning about the coming flood. He believed God and built the ark to save his household (Hebrews 11:7 ESV).

Consider David. In 1 Samuel 26:8-11, he had the opportunity to kill Saul while Saul was sleeping. Saul and his men had come after David in the wilderness with the intention to kill him, but David rejected the counsel of Abishai to kill Saul because he knew it was wrong to take the life of a king whom God had anointed. David showed he feared God when he chose not to take Saul’s life.

Consider Joseph. Day after day, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph to sleep with her. Despite the pressure she mounted on Joseph, he refused her because Joseph knew that not only was it wicked to sleep with his master’s wife after Potiphar had entrusted so much to his care, but also that it was a sin against God. Joseph’s fear of God was expressed in his refusal to sin against God (Genesis 39: 7-9 ESV).

Just like Noah, David, and Joseph, believers get to express their fear of God every day. For example, when in obedience to Colossians 3:9, we tell the truth, forgive one another in response to Ephesians 4:32, or abstain from sexual immorality in obedience to 1 Thessalonians 4:3, we show that we fear God. We manifest our fear of God every time we choose to turn away from evil and do what pleases Him.

Meditate on these Scriptures,

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:7 ESV

“and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil’’ Proverbs 16:6b ESV

“And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,” 1 Peter 1:17 ESV

Fear of God Brings Great Gain

There is great gain in pursuing the fear of God and turning away from evil. Many Scriptures highlight the benefits of fearing God. God blesses those who fear Him in various ways. He grants their desires, protects them, and crowns them with long life. His steadfast love remains on them. He is a friend to those who fear Him. He is their help and their shield. The benefits are numerous. Here are just a few to meditate on:

“He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them” Psalm 145:19 NLT

“ The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life” Proverbs 22:4 ESV

“ In the reverent and worshipful fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge’’ Proverbs 14:26 AMPC

“But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children,’’ Psalm 103:17 ESV

“The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.’’ Proverbs 19: 23 ESV

“The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.” Psalm 25:14 ESV

“ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7 ESV

“ The fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:27 NLT

“ The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.” Proverbs 10:27 ESV

In Conclusion

Scripture clearly teaches us that to fear the LORD is to depart from evil. God requires this of us just as He required it of His people before Christ came to the earth to establish a new covenant (Psalm 34:9 ESV, Deuteronomy 10:12-13 ESV).

1 Peter 2:17 tells us to fear God. Acts 9:31 tells us that the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria increased and multiplied as they walked in the fear of the LORD and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. They left us an example; we are to follow in their steps! We learn the fear of the Lord by reading, meditating, understanding, and obeying the Word (Deuteronomy 17:19 AMPC).

God takes pleasure in those who fear Him (Psalm 147:11 ESV). Therefore, we must pursue the fear of the Lord every day (Proverbs 23:17 ESV). This is possible because under the new covenant, the LORD has given us a new heart and spirit and has placed His Holy Spirit within us, thus empowering us to obey Him! (Ezekiel 36:26-27 ESV)

“Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you to fear the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and His ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil to cut off the memory of them from the earth.” Psalm 34:11-16 ESV