Proper Fear of God
- Feb 5, 2024
- 1 min read
The "fear of the Lord" is a very difficult concept for me to get my head wrapped around. In the very next chapter of Exodus, "when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.' Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.'” (Exodus 20:18-21, NIV).
huh?
The Bible Recap video on Exodus 19-21 is very helpful in explaining the "fear of the Lord" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW5ipVQEHHA), and I also found the following article helpful: https://www.gotquestions.org/fear-Lord-beginning-wisdom.html
Here's my working definition of what it means to have proper fear of the Lord:
Reverence and Reliance: simultaneous reverence for God's righteous authority (to rule and to judge) and reliance on God's mercy and grace. It's humble worship merged with confidence in God's love and faithfulness. It's humble acknowledgement of all God has revealed about Himself, not just the warm fuzzy attributes of God.
I hope this helps. I'd love to hear how you define the "fear of the Lord".
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