Fear of the LORD

There are two types of fear: terror, and reverent respect. The fear of the LORD is a reverent awe of God. It does not mean to be in panic of God, but rather to recognize God’s majesty, might, and divine authority, but still understanding that His love is incapable of failure. If He was merely powerful and superior to all, there would be a cause to fear Him as though He may act out of unpredictable rage. But because He miraculously proved His impenetrable love for mankind time and time again, this steers people to bow from a place of deep reverence, respect, and profound benevolence.

In the book of Proverbs, the fear of the LORD is a major theme. The audience to this literature is likely disconnected to wisdom, and are rather practicing foolishness. They are choosing pride and arrogance, loving to indulge in evil. Because of their pursuit of vein and evil gain, their length of life was cut short. Their hearts were sick like one whose body is taken by a virus, due to their pride, envy, and love for pleasure. Ultimately, they feared man. Arrogance, pride, and envy act as a mere symptom blanketing the root of the problem. Fear of man dominates over others, seeking praise rather than finding security in their identity as the recipient of God’s outrageous love.

What one fears is what he worships, and what one worships he becomes like.

Because the people in Proverbs chose the fear of man rather than the fear of the LORD, they became like what they were worshiping, foolish, sick, and even dead (Pro. 1:7, 10:27). But the book isn’t about condemning the foolish, it provides an invitation to repent and re-enter into the life that is promised to those who walk in the worship of the only One who is worthy of one’s unabated reverence and fear.

The fear of the LORD was said to be the foundation or birthplace of wisdom. A person cannot gain wisdom without first honoring God’s divine glory. It was to throw off every weight of sin that festered like an infected wound, allowing God to soften the heart enough to first recognize that there is a need for a physician, then allowing Him to perform surgery on the heart identity to remove the parasite of seeking affirmation from others to finding life in intimacy with God. The author gives beautiful examples of what the fear of the LORD is and why one ought to seek it:

It is the beginning of knowledge (1:7)
it must be sought like a hidden treasure (2:4-5)
it has to do with the hatred of evil (8:13)
it is the beginning of wisdom (9:10)
it prolongs life (10:27)
it leads to confidence and refuge, and is a fountain of life (14:26-27)
It is better than possessing great treasure (15:16)
it is instruction in wisdom (15:33)
it leads to life (19:23)
it leads to riches, honor, and life (22:4)
it leads to blessing (28:14)
and it ensures safety (29:25)

…Allow me to entrust to you a slightly vulnerable testimony concerning the fear of the LORD…

Life is a voyage. A journey that carries one to the most magnificent of places, and traverses through fiery refinement. Often the sails catch the wind at just right angle and it feels as though I am soaring through the air, flying in the freedom of the limitless sky full of endless possibilities. But other times vicious storms cause the sails to go flat and and I feel as though I am not moving forward because something is holding me back.

Fear of man often creeps unnoticed into my heart, poisoning my body and spirit. I desire to worship God out of reverence and move in His Spirit to manifest His love to those around me, but instead I often obey the voice of the snake that is coiled up inside my heart, heeding his lies that I need to suppress myself in order to gain the acceptance of those around me.

Because I feared man, I worshiped their opinion to the point that I would choose to agree with the oppressive spirit and act upon the potential judgement of others. I would choose not to speak out with power and authority when I felt the Holy Spirit’s invitation to share wisdom. I would choose not to dance in worship because of the eyes and criticism that could fall on me. I chose to withdraw and isolate because it was easier than making myself vulnerable to rejection from the people I love. But ultimately I became like what I worshiped. What I worshiped was not seeing, and my perception of situations was shaded as I perceived that I was being abandoned when that was far from reality. What I worshiped was not hearing, and I became deaf to God’s truth and could hear only the enemy’s lies or mere emptiness. What I worshiped was not alive, and I became unfeeling and numb to emotion, desperately desiring freedom and life in the Holy Spirit.

But as it says in Psalm 34:11, the fear of the LORD is something that is taught and learned throughout the voyage of life, and in James 1:5 it says that wisdom is available for all because God gives generously to anyone who asks for it. I propose that the fear of the LORD has to do with understanding who God is, and once that is recognized, than one can be at rest in the confidence of who they are in God’s eyes. Proverbs 14:26-27 says “In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” Once a person has a revelation of God’s divine power and His character of all consuming desire for an intimate relationships with each individual, their identity will be as secure as a solid rock, never molding to the expectations of others. It is in this place, that there is hope and rest. One will carry a humble meekness in light of God’s majesty and LORDship, but also find security and rest in the revelation of God’s long lasting love and longing for friendship.

So why am I saying this? Why be vulnerable and speak out my struggles? Firstly, because Ephesians 5:13-14 says that the exposure of sin is like shining a light in darkness, and where there is light, darkness HAS to flee. Satan’s scheme is to create shame so that the sin will remain hidden in darkness. He is terrified of the power of light not only because he cannot stand under the weight God’s pure holiness and glory, but he is afraid that God’s people will discover that they are ONE with God, carrying His identity and authority over the evil one. Secondly, I feel like someone reading these words needs to hear the message that there is hope even for those who feel as though they are drowning in their sin. Even when you esteem yourself too far gone, isolated from God and others, when you feel emptiness and desperation taking over, you are NOT alone and there is a way to become alive in Christ again. And it begins with this beautiful, reverent fear of the LORD: recognizing His identity so that you can know yours. And as it says in James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he WILL flee from you. Draw near to God, and He WILL draw near to you.” This is a promise that you can cling to. Keep expecting your victory. Keep submitting to the Holy Spirit. Keep pursuing God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Claim your authority in Christ and remind Satan that his place is under your feet because you know how the story ends. I pray a blanketing of Jesus blood over each individual reading these words, that you will hear the voice of God in a way that you never expected and that He will teach you the fear of the LORD. In the name and character of Jesus Christ our LORD, amen.

“Make 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 2:2-5