As we read the book of Proverbs, we find the phrase “fear
of the Lord” over and over again (depending on your translation, a dozen times
or more). This isn’t talking about the fear that unrepentant sinners should
have toward the Lord, a fear of His judgment. These generally urge the one who
would follow the Lord to fear Him. Today’s passage tells us to seek wisdom so
that we may “understand the fear of the Lord.”
To modern ears, this sounds unusual, to say the least. We
consider fear an entirely negative emotion, one that we seek to avoid. Perhaps
the only time we genuinely seek “fear” is when we’re watching a horror movie,
but then the fear is tempered by the fact that we’re watching can’t really hurt
us. When we think we’re in danger, we experience real fear, and it’s not something
that we like.
So why would the Bible tell us to fear the Lord? I
believe there are two primary aspects to this fear. The first is that we
recognize the awesome power and majesty of God. In Israel at the time of the
United Kingdom and in the cultures that surrounded them, the king was a figure
of majesty, one to whom proper respect was due. Even today, if you were to come
into the presence of a powerful ruler, even in a democratic country like the
United States, you would be very careful to pay proper respect to that leader.
There is a recognition that there is a gap between our station and that of the
ruler.
If this is true on an earthly level, how much more is it
true of the almighty God? While we certainly have the right through Jesus
Christ to approach the Father and to approach Him as children, we have to
remember we are also approaching the King. Sometimes Christians approach Jesus
casually, as just a friend who is there to help us, but without any sense of
His glory and majesty. We should approach Jesus as a friend (which He certainly
is), but never forget that He is also our King and Lord.
The second aspect is that of standing before a judge. We
are set free from judgment through the blood of Jesus, but that does not change
the fact that we are sinners saved by grace. As such, we deserve nothing more
than eternal judgment in hell. The only reason we are not going to receive that
judgment is the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. Understanding this, we
approach the Lord with gratitude for His mercy, but with humility as we realize
our place before Him. Our fear is not a trembling horror at judgment, but an
honest understanding of who we are and who God is.
The fear of the Lord is not something to be dreaded by
the Christian, but to be embraced. Reverence, wonder, and humility keep us from
treating God as something less than He is, while at the same time giving us awe
at the love, mercy, and grace of this infinite God that saves us from what we
deserve. As we approach God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- we must have a
Biblical fear that leads us to worship and honor Him.
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