People say, “Why should I be afraid of a Loving God?” or “Scripture says God is love. Why would I fear Him?” So, I asked myself what is the definition of fear? What does the Bible tell us?
Webster’s definition of “fear”-
An unpleasant emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.
Biblical meaning of “fear”-
The Hebrew word translated into ‘awe’ in the Bible is yirah (pronounced yir-ah). It often directly translates into fear, like “fear of The Lord,” but it can also mean respect, reverence, and worship. But yirah is strongly connected to ‘trembling’.
A good explanation to me is what Isaiah said in 6:1-5-
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on His throne; and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, The Lord Almighty.”
When Isaiah saw The Lord on His throne, he felt reverent fear. If I was in Isaiah’s shoes I would have been terrified. To see the Lord on His throne with angels all around Him would take my breath away.
Here are a few more Scripture passages about fear of The Lord-
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 8:13 To fear The Lord hates evil; (God says ) I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech.
Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Job 28:28 And he said to the human race, “The fear of The Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.
Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear The Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him.
I believe my generation started the decline of reverent fear and respect of authority. I was in my teens and early 20’s in the 60’s. Our parents were born in the Great Depression and fought in WW2. That generation respect authority at home, at school, etc. Recognizing authority and then willingly submitting to it was normal.
When the controversial Vietnam War happened and our friends were being drafted and some killed to fight a war we never intended to win, my generation went into rebellion mode. Authority of all types were questioned and challenged. The ideas of “I am my own man (or woman)” and “No one can tell me what to do. I am in charge of me” were birthed and have only gotten stronger in the generations that follow.
When I was in High School respect for teachers was normal. At sporting events everyone sang the National Anthem proudly. Today just is not the same. The respect for figures of authority has disappeared and given away to the “it’s about me” culture.
If our nature is to challenge authority, then the questions above are generated, “Why should I be afraid of a Loving God?” or “Scripture says God is love. Why would I fear Him?” Instead of recognizing God as the creator of everything and the ultimate authority in the universe, He is seen more like a loving grandfather. With that mindset, Scriptural principles that seem “hard” are interpreted in a manner that the reader is more comfortable believing. They say to themselves, “I know what the Bible says, but God doesn’t really mean for me to live like that. He wants me to be happy.” Our definition of happy, not the definition of an all-knowing God.
At the end of the book of Job, God sets the matter straight talking to Job. Chapter 38 begins a series of questions that God asks Job. They go on through chapter 41.
38:1 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
Read the rest of chapter 38 through 41. God helped Job understand reality.
Then in chapter 42 Job answers.
42:1 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job came to understand the Fear of the Lord because of the Lord’s awesome control of the universe. In the beginning, God created all things. He created everything from nothing. He thought everything into existence. If we realize how infinitely greater He is than we are, we will naturally fear the Lord with reverent awe and believe and follow His Word.
Christian Life Coach 