UNDERSTANDING THE FEAR OF GOD

“Then you will UNDERSTAND the FEAR of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” – Proverbs 2:5

Knowing God is elusive without UNDERSTANDING the FEAR of GOD: “Then you will UNDERSTAND the FEAR of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Pro.2:5). God calls us to a passionate pursuit with such phrases as: ‘Receive my words,’ ‘treasure my commands,’ ‘incline your ear,’ ‘apply your heart,’ ‘cry out for discernment,’ ‘lift up your voice,’ ‘seek her,’ ‘search for her’ (vv.1-4). All of these are avenues to and proofs of Understanding the Fear of God. To “fear” God means to revere and respect Him; to think deferentially of Him, and thereby walk in His ways: “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (Psa.1:1). This is the basis of the Blessed Life: “Blessed is everyone who FEARS the LORD, who walks in His ways” (Psa.128:1).

The FEAR of the LORD is two-sided. First is Reverence: a sacred awe of God's absolute holiness. This involves the respect and veneration that results in Awe in the Presence of His matchless Majesty. Second is the fear of God's displeasure or judgement. Genuine faith acknowledges God's right to chasten, to punish, and to judge: “But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psa.75:7). The Fear of the Lord is an inward attitude of humble reverence toward God that results in outward expression of Christlikeness.

To fear God means to be in awe of His Majesty and therefore approach Him with great reverence. It means to take God seriously, and put Him first in our lives. It does not mean to be afraid of Him to the point of fleeing from Him. God does not reckon with those who pay lip-service to His Fear: “Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (1Sam.2:30). This virtue is non-negotiable: “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

To not fear God is to despise Him, and the result is divine disapproval! One who lacks the fear of the Lord displays levity and nonchalance towards God and a cavalier attitude toward sin, as the two cannot coexist: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Pro.8:13). Such a person takes issues of eternity lightly; speaks in a frivolous manner about God, treating Him like one of his pals; and carelessly profanes God’s name, using worldly euphemisms to describe the Most Holy God. A so-called Christian who uses terms like “jeeze” or “gees” as rewordings for Jesus’ name or “the man upstairs” to describe our heavenly Father, symptomizes a heart that lacks the Fear of God.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl.12:13).