Understanding the Fear of the LORD

The “fear of the LORD” isn’t talked about much in Christian circles today, including sermons. Why? Likely because the Mighty LORD has been essentially reduced to a cuddly teddy bear in the sky or perhaps a genial genie. The idea that the Almighty Sovereign God — the Creator of all things in Heaven, Earth & the Universe — is to be feared, respected and awed seems to be unhip. But what does the Bible say about the fear of the LORD, both Old and New Testaments? After all, the Holy Scriptures are God’s blueprint for authentic doctrine (teaching) and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17 & 1 Corinthians 4:6).

Let’s start with the fact that the fear of the LORD is foundational in a person’s life. Foundational to what? See for yourself:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

These verses show the close connection of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Knowledge, of course, is factual information, whether mundane or spiritual, while understanding has to do with comprehension. It’s possible to know something, including trivia, but not really understand it. Meanwhile wisdom is the application of what you know and understand. Many people know & understand certain important things, but they fail to live it or live in light of it, which means they lack wisdom.

Observe what these passages say is the beginning of all three – the fear of the LORD. If the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, understanding and wisdom then a person who seeks to attain these without the fear of the LORD is off track right from the start! Consequently, the conclusions they’ll come to in their journey of enlightenment will be off. We see this today with all these highly intelligent and “educated” people who are trying to reinvent morality: What is bad is now good and what is good is bad (Isaiah 5:20). Their journey has brought them to a place of twisted understanding because they failed to start with the fear of the LORD, which is acknowledging the Creator and respecting God.

Someone might argue that the “fear of the LORD” is an outmoded Old Testament principle, but Christ himself said we are to fear God:

“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.”

Matthew 10:28

Want more proof? Revelation 19:5 depicts a scene in heaven that the apostle John saw in a vision. In this scene a voice comes from God’s throne saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” Furthermore, after Ananias and Sapphira were slain by the LORD for their unrepentant lying “great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events” (Acts 5:5,11). Great fear of whom? God!

When Paul noted that all believers will have to stand before Jesus Christ and give an account of our lives at the Judgment Seat he followed it up with “since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). Why do we fear the Lord? Because we’re going to stand before Christ and give an account of our lives for what we did in the body, whether good or bad. Of course, any deeds repented of beforehand will not be evaluated because God forgave you when you ‘fessed up and “purified you from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Those sins were cast into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). Isn’t that awesome?

The type of fear Paul was talking about — led of the Holy Spirit — was obviously fear of being held accountable to something negative. In other words, fear of punishment (Proverbs 16:6, 3:7 & 8:13). This is the most elemental kind of fear, which compels people to stay on the straight and narrow. For instance, someone might not believe in God, but he won’t commit murder because he fears going to prison for decades or the death penalty. A married man might find a woman sexually alluring, but he refuses to commit adultery because he doesn’t want to ruin his family and life. Of course the Lord wants us to grow past fear of punishment on our spiritual journey and be motivated by love of God led of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:16-18 & Romans 8:14). This naturally comes with spiritual growth.

So the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, understanding and wisdom, and it’s not just an Old Testament principle, but what exactly is the fear of the LORD? Since fear is another word for reverence and worship this suggests that knowledge and wisdom begin when we properly acknowledge God and offer our Creator the reverence and adoration due. The writer of Hebrews put it like this:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming Fire.”

Hebrews 12:28-29

There’s also the respectful fear that a son has toward the just correction and discipline of his loving father. It’s a healthy respect for authority, in God’s case the ultimate authority.

A key trait of the fear of the LORD is, of course, humility, the attitude that we’re not all that and a bag of chips, which brings to mind a simple yet potent passage:

God opposes the proud but gives grace [favor] to the humble.

James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5 & Proverbs 3:34

This is quoted three times in the bible, once in the Old Testament and twice in the New. Do ya think God’s trying to get something across to us? Of course! The passage says that God “opposes” the proud, which means the LORD resists them. Those who are arrogant resist God and the Lord, in turn, resists them. They resist, God resists. It’s a doomed cycle.

The good news, of course, is that the LORD gives grace to the humble, the meek, not the weak. This means his favor! God says:

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”

Isaiah 66:2

God’s favor, blessing and enlightenment only flow to the humble who genuinely acknowledge their Creator, not the arrogant who are stubborn, hard-hearted and think they know it all. The latter includes religious leaders, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who put on airs that they knew and honored God when nothing could’ve been further from the truth. The Pharisees, for instance, claimed to be God’s children but the Messiah told them point blank that they were children of the devil (John 8:41-47)! Don’t think that such religious leaders only existed in Christ’s day. They’re all over today, just open your eyes; they even go by the tag ‘Christian’ and say “Lord, Lord” (Matthew 7:15-23).

What can we conclude from all this? If we want freedom we have to want truth, which means the way it really is. Why? Because truth is the very thing we need to set us free, as Jesus taught (John 8:31-32). Truth consists of knowledge, understanding and wisdom from God’s Word and the foundation of these is the fear of the LORD.

Needless to say, let’s be wise sons & daughters of God and cultivate a healthy reverence and awe of the Holy One. Always strive for humility, which is the opposite of stubbornness and arrogance. If you do this, God’s favor will surely flow to you. But please understand that persecutions will increase (2 Timothy 3:12). Higher levels, bigger devils.

Jesus Christ — Milksop or Mighty Lord?

THE Angel of the LORD — Mighty Angel or Pre-Incarnate Christ?

Is Christianity a “Relationship with God”?

GRACE — What Is God’s Grace? How Do You Receive It? How Do You Grow In It?

False Grace — “Hyper-Grace Cotton Candy”

Judgment Seat of Christ (the Judgment of Believers)

Why did Christ decline to give “Signs on Demand”?