Fear God
Thank you so much for joining me today! Open your heart to the revelation of the Word through the Holy Spirit. Continue seeking, loving, and fearing God. The benefits are out of this world! Eric
Today, we are going to focus our study on the command, ‘fear’ the Lord. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word used for ‘fear’ is yare, which means: reverence, fear, and honor. The Greek word used in the New Testament for ‘fear is phobeo, which can be used in two different ways. Phobeo means: fear caused by concern of danger and harm; or to treat with deference, to have reverence, respect, or be in awe of God. It is the last meaning we will mainly discuss in this blog post.
Our topic, “Fear God” is very important. Why, you might ask? Look at Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14 with me, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” The phrase ‘the whole duty’ means totality or everything. We also see in Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” The Hebrew word shaal translated in this verse as ‘require’ means: request and by extension, to demand. So, why is it important to ‘Fear God’? God requires it of us!
Let’s look at Matthew 10:28, “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.” We are told to not ‘fear’ (meaning to fear or dread to undergo some suffering) man, who at the most can kill the body or take our temporary earthly life. Interestingly, the second time the word ‘fear’ is used in this verse - “but rather ‘fear’ him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,” according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, means: to fear one, be afraid of one. ‘Him’ in this verse is referring to God, the judge and avenger. Only God has power over death and hell. Have reverence for Him.
I will expound on this verse as I believe it expresses something we need to thoroughly understand. In recognizing that God is a holy God and as such is the avenger and judge, we must realize that He has given each one of us a free will. Therefore, we have the choice to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior or not. We are told in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,” We choose between life and death, blessing and curse. Then, through the inspired Word of God, we see God’s heart and desire for us…”Therefore choose life.”
If we never accept His gift of eternal life through His Son’s sacrifice - by default, we choose to be separated from God forever and will spend eternity apart from God’s presence, in hell. For those who refuse God’s grace (given freely to us through the sacrifice of Jesus), it is a dreadful choice because God made us in His image (Genesis 1:26), meaning that we are eternal beings. Our physical body will die, however, our spirit and soul lives on, either with God or separated from Him. Hebrews 10:29-31 reads, “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Then we also read in Matthew 25:31-34, 41 and 46, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ... 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ... 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." These verses very clearly point out what will happen at the day of judgement which is coming.
Psalm 2 also reveals how God reacts to those who refuse to fear (reverence and honor) Him. Psalm 2:1-12, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” The word ‘fear’ in verse 11 is the Hebrew word yira and means: fear and trembling. Those who set themselves against the Lord and his Anointed (Jesus) shall be broken with a rod of iron and dashed in pieces. Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood is more that a suggestion…it matters …it is a matter of life and death!
Don’t fall into alarm and terror, God has given us His Word so that we can know the truth and choose life and blessing.
There are men in the Earth today who do not gear God, just as there was in the time of Noah (Genesis 6:5, 11 and 12).
We have seen, in Noah’s time and in our own, that when and where there is no fear of God, there is no shortage of sin. When people do not fear God, any thing goes. Romans 1:18-32, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
Although it may appear that those who do not fear God are successful, it is only temporary. Ecclesiastes 8:13, “But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.” Then Proverbs 1:28 and 29 speak to us very clearly, “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD.”
We are told in Matthew 24:36-39 that it will be as in the days of Noah when Jesus returns.
God loves His creation so much, He sends an angel encouraging and warning those who have not yet chosen to ‘fear God’ and give Him glory, to do so because the hour of His judgment has come.
I realize this has been a heavy study to this point. However, the message must be presented because God’s Word is truth and those things foretold in the Scriptures will come to pass!
You can read in Revelation 15:3-8 that, in His time, the truth of ‘needing to fear (revere) God’, will be very evident for those who have refused, remained defiant, and continued in their rebellion for they will see the angel of the Lord pouring out the wrath of God on all who remain.
Please believe me when I say, it is better to learn to fear God now and walk in the benefits of fearing Him while here on the planet.
We need to understand this about God, when He commands and requires something, He makes the way for you to be successful in it. (by the equipping through the Holy Spirit) and He honors and blesses us for our obedience. There is always a purpose and a blessing or benefit which follows our obedience.
1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” When God’s plans are followed, man will have great success, peace, and prosperity.
Psalm 25:12, (NASB20), “Who is the person who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.” ‘Instruct’ means: teach, and give direction. When you fear (reverence, honor, are in awe of) God He will give you direction.
Psalm 31:19 (NASB20), “How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have performed for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of mankind!” ‘Goodness’ in the Hebrew means: kindness and rewards. ‘Stored up’ means: reserved blessings, good things. He has reserved His kindness and rewards for those who fear Him!
Psalm 34: 7-9, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
Psalm 33:18 and 19, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 111:10 tells us the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and those who practice it has good understanding.
Proverbs 1:7 reveals that the fear of the LORD is also the beginning of knowledge. (In the highest sense, knowledge of God including obedience.)
Acts 10:35, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.“ If you fear (revere and honor) God you are accepted!
The blessings of God for those who fear Him are many. God is the Creator of all that exists! He created you in your mother’s womb. He breathed His life into you. He alone is God and is worthy to be praised. He deserves that we be in profound awe of Him. We need to shower our respect and love on Him.
The Word of God is very clear also concerning those who refuse God’s grace. We read in Hebrews 10 that God is the judge. Then in reviewing Matthew 25:31-34 and adding verses 41 and 46, we discover that when we face the LORD in judgement, He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Then we read, in verses 41 and 46, “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ... 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
If you have not accepted Christ’s sacrifice for you - now is the day of salvation. Then, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His power. If you know of others who have not yet responded to the gospel, share it so they will not be one who misses being in the presence of the Lord forever.
Get ready!
Be prepared!
Do not procrastinate - His return and the day of judgment will come suddenly.
Unless noted, scriptures were taken from the English Standard Version
NASB20 New American Standard Bible 2020