The Fear of the Lord

Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Deuteronomy 13:4

When we fear God, we walk after His leading and guidance. It’s up to us to humble ourselves and seek the face of God. God will not make us fear Him. The starting point is to keep God’s written Word, the Bible. That’s where Jesus started as well, by quoting the Bible and saying “it is written”. We also need to obey the voice of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus sent back the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We must be filled with the Spirit before we can really hear and obey God’s still small voice.

When we fear God, we serve Him. It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. We follow the steps of Christ and obey the Father’s commandments. His commandments are not burdensome. We were created to serve God, love Him, and keep His commandments, for our good always. While serving God, He also makes us servants of our fellow mankind, too. Just like Christ laid down His life for the Father and for the world, so do we.

When we fear God, we cleave to Him. To cleave means to stick like glue. We are inseparable from God and His ways. God also uses the word cleave to describe the husband wife relationship. Just as a man sticks like glue to his wife, so should we have a hunger and thirst for the living God. Obedience to God’s commands are no longer optional. Doing the will of the Father is our very life and His commandments bring illumination to our hearts and minds.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

Deuteronomy 17:19

God commanded that the king of Israel be well acquainted with His law or His Word. God required of him a constant study of His Word, so that he may learn to fear God. Fearing God is taught to us by the Word of God. We must humble ourselves before the Lord and LISTEN to what He has to say. When one fears God, he or she keeps ALL the Word. It’s not negotiable. God expects us to DO His commandments. Unless our actions line up with the Word of God, we cannot truly say that we fear God. It’s a learning process, so God is long-suffering with us and will wait patiently for us to learn the lesson that He must be feared in all things. As you obey God in the little things, He will make you ruler over much.

That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.

Joshua 4:24

When we fear God, it will cause the world to rethink their lack of a relationship with God. Doing the will of God from the heart is the only way to please God. He expects us to influence the world by our words and actions. We must guard our hearts from being influenced by the world. They are surely trying to get us to go their way, which is the way of death. The fear of God is the path of life and so it’s for our neighbor’s good that we do the will of God always.

God intends an eternal relationship with us, His people. So it stands to reason that we must fear God forever and ever. The word fear in the Hebrew means to reverence. It means that we don’t walk around in terror that the Lord will strike us dead at any moment. Our relationship is founded on love and mercy and so we can expect a patient and loving Father to look after us and take care of us, slowly teaching us how to fear Him.

The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

Psalm 36:1

When people are constantly transgressing the Word of God and living how they want to live, with no rule or restraint on their lives, it shows that they have no fear of God. It is our actions that reveal the state of our heart, whether it be good or evil. Jesus said you will know them by their fruit or actions. Even a child can understand that someone is good or evil depending on what they do or don’t do.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5

These verses show that the Fear of the Lord requires our WHOLE HEART. We must diligently search out God’s commandments in all of His Word. We can’t choose and pick what we are going to obey. Man shall live by EVERY Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. God expects us embrace the fear of the Lord with all our heart and all our mind. Our walks show the diligence or lack of diligence we’ve had in seeking out the commandments of the Lord. We are an open book, known and read of all men. What is your life teaching others? Does it teach the Fear of the Lord?

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

The entire responsibility of mankind is to fear God. When we fear God, we keep His commandments. Hear and do, hear and obey. This is the path of righteousness that Christ has laid out for us. Remember that the spirit of the devil is at work in the children of disobedience. It is the Spirit of God that is at work in the children of God, the children of obedience. God is helping us to obey His Word, praise God!

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

The fear of the Lord teaches us to discipline ourselves to obey the Word of God. God doesn’t suddenly take away our freewill. He gently leads us in the path of righteousness for His name sake. The fear of God gradually perfects holiness in our lives. It teaches us to be clean in our bodies and in our spirits. The fear of God touches every area of our lives. God gradually instructs us in all areas, but He does it decently and in order. Be sure that God will not stop perfecting holiness in you, as long as you are submitted to Him in the fear of the Lord.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Hebrews 12:28

Because God’s kingdom is unshakable and unmovable, it is a solid foundation for our lives. God’s grace teaches us to fear Him. It is the divine influence on our heart, which manifests obedience outwardly to God and the world. There is no true grace without obedience. There is no true grace without fear of the Lord.

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Revelation 14:7

When we fear God, we bring Him much glory. It shows that we reverence the maker of heaven and earth. It shows that we trust His dominion and His power and His goodness in our lives. Because God made everything in the world that is good, it is reason enough for us to submit ourselves to Him in godly fear. Another reason to fear God is that He is the judge of all works. If we fear God, He will find us faithful servants and will reward us with eternal life, which is knowing Him and His Son Jesus.

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Joshua 24:14

When we fear the Lord, we serve Him sincerely, with all of our hearts, souls, mind and strength. We can’t fool God. He knows if we are obeying from the heart or whether we are just going through religious motions. The Fear of the Lord also requires the Truth. God’s Word is Truth. Truth is an accurate description of reality. It’s how things really are. We can trust God’s Word to be the Truth. We can then sanctify ourselves before the Lord in accordance with His Word. When we fear God, it inspires us to put away all false gods and all idol worship. God is a holy, jealous God and will not tolerate our hearts being double minded.

Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

Psalm 22:23

The fear of the Lord inspires us to praise and worship Him for who He is, the maker of all good things in the world and in our lives. The fear of the Lord brings gratitude and thanksgiving to Almighty God.

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalm 25:14

God reveals some of His secrets to those that are close to Him through fearing Him. Only those that take the time to be intimate with God through fearing Him will find the glorious favor of the Lord. Worship the Lord in your secret place and watch what He will do for you!

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Proverbs 1:29

Fearing the Lord means that you love His Truth and His knowledge. It produces a hunger for the Word of God in our lives. Seeking the Lord daily means that you have a fear for Him and His commandments. The Fear of the Lord is something that must be chosen daily, moment to moment. Just because we formerly chose to follow the Lord doesn’t mean we will at this moment. We must continually guard our hearts to make sure the fear of the Lord is in us. Choices matter! All choices matter! Choose the fear of the Lord in all things.

Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Isaiah 8:13

To fear the Lord, we need to set Him apart in our hearts as being holy and special. He is our number one priority. We must serve Christ above all things and all people. Allow the fear of God to be in your hearts in every part of your life.

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Isaiah 29:13

Fear of the Lord has to come from a sincere heart. To follow after the Lord means that our hearts belong to Him completely. Only the Word of God will produce a genuine fear of God in our lives. The teachings of men do not produce the fear of the Lord. We must be careful that we hear God’s Word and good teaching and preaching that rightly divides the Word of Truth. Commandments of men will cause us to stray from the path of righteousness.

To summarize, God is worthy of our fearing Him and obeying His commandments. Only He is the Creator God and only He is truly good. He is worthy of all service and all praise. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners. He is merciful. His ways reveal a greater Truth than all the world’s wisdom combined. His commandments teach us and instruct us in the fear of the Lord. They are to be trusted above our own lives. When we fear the Lord, we stop doing our own will and start doing the will of the Father. His will is love and mercy for others. We will continually choose to fear God from moment to moment, into eternity with the Lord. Understanding the fear of the Lord truly brings illumination to our spirits and minds. Walk in the fear of the Lord my friends. Seek Him daily while He may be found and you will be wise in the sight of the Lord. If the Lord is pleased, does anything else really matter?