Dear friends,

What does the Fear of the LORD really mean?

.

Finding the harmony

We established last time, with some very simple Bible stories, that God is to be feared. Disobedience to God’s commands results not just in God getting upset, not just in God giving us the silent treatment, but in God actually handing down painful consequences.

But how does the Fear of the LORD harmonize with this verse?

[1Jo 4:18 KJV] 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Specifically, how does the verse above reconcile with verses like these?

[Psa 111:10 KJV] 10 The FEAR of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever.

[Pro 1:7 KJV] 7 The FEAR of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

[Pro 9:10 KJV] 10 The FEAR of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.

[Psa 64:7-9 KJV] 7 But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. 8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. 9 And all men shall FEAR, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

It’s all about relationship

The key to making sense of the Fear of the LORD is to remember Who He is.

He’s not just God. He’s not just the LORD. He’s not just the King. He’s not just the blessed and only Potentate. He’s not just the Ancient of days. He’s not a trigger happy sheriff in the sky just waiting to get you.

No, there is more to His identity than that. We have to remember that He is (and this is really good news)….our…

…FATHER!

Yes! You have a heavenly Father who loves you!

[1Jo 4:7 KJV] 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and EVERY ONE THAT LOVETH IS BORN OF GOD, and knoweth God.

That’s a beautiful thing. If you show love to others, that means you are born of God, which means He is your Father. With this relationship in mind, we can get a better handle on the Fear of the LORD…

So, what does the Fear of the LORD really mean?

The Fear of the LORD is analogous to a child’s fear of his father’s discipline. After knowingly doing something he has been specifically and repeatedly told not to do, the scariest thing a child can hear is “Son, come here.” Yes, that can be a terrifying experience. And the fear of repeating that experience can provide strong motivation to obey the father’s instructions next time.

So, the fear of the LORD is not a morbid, debilitating fear. It’s a fear that helps us live better, more stable, more productive lives, because God’s rules are not random….they are for our benefit.

[1Pe 3:10-11 KJV] 10 For he that will LOVE LIFE, and see GOOD DAYS, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Yes, the fear of the LORD actually means fear….but it is the kind of fear that dramatically improves your quality of life! So, it’s a good thing.

Applying the concept of fatherhood to the Fear of the LORD

When you remember that God is your Father, it makes perfect sense to say:

[Pro 1:7 KJV] 7 The FEAR of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Why is the Fear of the LORD the beginning of knowledge? Because a young child is not always capable of understanding the rationale behind his father’s instructions. A young child may not adequately understand the concept of being run over by a car, because the child himself has never been run over. But what can a rambunctious young child, let’s say a 4 year old boy, easily understand? His father’s discipline, that’s what.

A young child who is ignoring and disobeying instructions and warnings about running into the street may need a spanking to get his attention. A young child who learns that his father means business, who learns that disobeying his father’s direct instructions can have fearful consequences, is on his way to wisdom.

But a father does not intend for his child to always be afraid of a spanking for running into the street. The intent is for the child to grow wiser over time, such that the child fully understands the real consequences of running into the street. At that point, the child abstains from running into the street, not out of fear of his father, but out of an understanding of the actual risks of such behavior.

That is why the Fear of the LORD, our heavenly Father, is the beginning of wisdom.

To further make the point, consider these verses:

[Psa 25:12-14 KJV] 12 What man [is] he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way [that] he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

[Psa 119:100 KJV] 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

[Pro 3:5 KJV] 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

We’re not as wise as we think we are. We’re not as prudent as we think we are. We’re not as enlightened as we think we are. Even as adults, we sometimes need to simply follow God’s commands because we don’t want to get in trouble with our heavenly Father! We may not fully understand why He gives us a certain command. But if we follow His commands because we’re afraid of getting in trouble with Him? That is a great start. After all, even if we don’t know all the details, we know He has our best interests at heart anyway! Which is a perfect segue into…

The verses that tie the fear of God, a father’s chastening, and God’s love for us all together

[Heb 12:5-11 KJV] 5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the FATHER chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [OUR] PROFIT, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the PEACEABLE fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

[Heb 12:28-29 KJV] 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly FEAR: 29 For our God [is] a consuming fire.

Leveling up

In closing, Let’s circle back to:

[1Jo 4:18 KJV] 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

So, how does this verse harmonize with the Fear of the Lord? Very easily, in the context of a loving father!

My real goal for my children is that they obey me out of love. As they mature, I want more and more of the fear-based motivation to be replaced by love-based motivation. I want them to obey me because they love me. I want them to obey me because they know I love them. I want them to look beyond the concept of punishment and absorb the deeper lessons I am trying to teach them.

Instead of “How do I avoid punishment? How do I avoid punishment? How do I avoid punishment?” I want them thinking “How can I please my father? What does he want me to do? What does he not want me to do? How do I make sure not to break his heart? How can I show him I love him? How can I honor him for what he has done for me? How can I thank him for teaching me such valuable lessons?”

So, let’s start with fear of the Lord, amen and amen. And let us never say that we have reached such a high level of wisdom that we no longer need any fear of the LORD.

But, my brothers and sisters, let us work every day towards perfect love!

God bless you…