#005 Tremble Before Him
Walking in the fear of the Lord
“Worship Yahweh in the splendor of holiness; Tremble before Him, all the earth.” (Psalms 96:9, LSB)
In my last several articles, I have put a lot of emphasis on being devoted to God, as servants seeking to do His will. A crucial aspect of our devotion is how we think of Him in relation to ourselves.
For example, if we only saw God as some sort of divine aid trying to help us in achieving our goals, we wouldn’t think of our life in terms of how we could serve Him; instead, we would effectively perceive Him to be our own servant, as we followed the desires of our hearts without restraint. That doesn’t sound like devotion to God at all though, does it?
True devotion to God involves submission to His will. In order to submit ourselves to God, we must first recognize Him as superior to ourselves and worthy of our submission.
“Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9, LSB)
So what does make Him worthy of our respect and submission? Maybe it seems obvious to you, but here are several reasons we can find in scripture:
He is the creator and sustainer of all things, to whom they are rightly subjected1
He has power over all things2
He knows and has foreseen all things3
He is altogether good and perfect in righteousness4
He is faithful and unchanging in everything He says and does5
His commandments for us are just and right6
Moreover, in seeing God’s holiness, we should also recognize our inherently inferior state as people who have sinned in the sight of a righteous God, who justly deserve to be condemned for our actions, having no rightful place in the perfect kingdom He is preparing.
“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and pure when You judge.” (Psalms 51:3-4, LSB)
Understanding these truths instills a profound fear that one should rightly feel in the presence of our Creator. This fear encompasses two distinct aspects: a deep reverence for God in all His majesty, and also the dread of knowing the judgement we deserve and His power to enact it.
“And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28, LSB)
As sinners apart from God, when we come to a realization of these things, and this fear of God comes upon us, we ought to tremble before Him and fall to our knees in devastation at our own behavior in His sight — cut to the heart because of how we have disrespected the one who created us. This fear causes us to see our lives in a totally different way than we would without recognition of our Maker and His majesty.
But this is where God’s mercy calls to us, and where the depth of His love is manifested to us. Even though we are guilty and deserving of wrath, in His kindness our Creator offers us redemption, if we will stop where we are and turn to Him and put our trust in His Son —who died for our sake, and now lives as our mediator so that we might be forgiven— forsaking our former ways which were contrary to God’s commands, and living the way He intended for us to live.
The good news of salvation offered through Messiah thus magnifies the greatness of God even more, and completes a picture which should compel us to sit in utter amazement beyond words as we ponder the fear of the Lord, the maker of the heavens and the earth.
With the good news of His offer of redemption comes a call to action: Repent, and believe! The dread of the penalty due for our sin, and the mystery of God’s love for us drives us to commit ourselves to Him and throw off everything which is contrary to Him as we embrace the truth of the Almighty.
“So He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28, LSB)
When we commit ourselves to the Lord, our perception of His transcendent holiness should then turn from a fearful expectation of judgement, to an equally intense, consuming reverence, and a sort of fearful wonder at what the apostle Paul called “the kindness and severity of God.”7
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1, LSB)
The fear of the Lord is a prominent theme in scripture, and is most often used in a positive light, in that those who have this reverence for God are those who will serve Him; the wicked do not walk in the fear of the Lord, because if they truly feared God they wouldn’t dare to transgress His laws.
“In the fear of Yahweh there is strong security, and his children will have refuge. The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the snares of death.” (Proverbs 14:26-27, LSB)
For believers, the fear of the Lord should keep us within the shelter of His love and grace, because as long as we remain in His love8 we have nothing to fear, but we dare not step outside of it lest we again see the shame we had before coming to God.
We do not need to live in fear of judgement when we abide in His love, because perfect love casts out fear.9 When we walk in the fear of the Lord, there is nothing else we need to fear because the Lord is our refuge.
“Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. Yahweh redeems the soul of His slaves, and all those who take refuge in Him will not be condemned.” (Psalms 34:21-22, LSB)
As believers, we should embrace the fear of the Lord, as the reverence by which we remain steadfast in our conviction to serve Him alone.
Just as Lot did not turn back to the destruction of Sodom —as He escaped by God’s grace— for fear of the Lord’s judgement upon the wicked, so we likewise look forward to God’s kingdom with excitement, never turning back to the world behind us because we know the judgement that awaits it, and we serve God in newness of life as we walk surrounded by His favor according to His kindness toward us.
The fear of the Lord draws us to Him as our hope of life, keeps us in Him as our source of life, and humbles us before Him as the Master of our life. It teaches us true wisdom in knowing Him, and drives us to bring His truth to others so that they may also know the author of life, even as we do.
How do you think the fear of the Lord plays a part in our walk with God? What are some biblical examples of people who feared the Lord? What are some examples of people in the Bible who did not fear the Lord? Leave a comment and let me know what comes to mind!
If you know anyone that might be blessed by the words in this article, share it with them! Maybe you could start a conversation about it.
“The end of the matter, all that has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the end of the matter for all mankind. For God will bring every work to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, LSB)
Featured Song
Good news! Evil and suffering may abound in the present, but there will come a day when “from Zion will go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2, LSB). The righteous will dwell with Messiah in the New Jerusalem, and our current troubles will be no more.
That’s the theme of the new Reggae song “New Jerusalem” from Bryson Gray. Also available on streaming services.
Community Spotlight
The Creation Standard is an upcoming series of online classes for homeschoolers teaching science from a biblical worldview, offered by 15-year science teacher Josh Keefe. You can learn more and register for the upcoming classes (beginning in August 2024) at the Creation Standard website.
Ever seeking, ever finding, ever sharing.
Ever growing, never slowing, nor despairing.
Lifelong Disciple.
Revelation 4:11
Job 42:2, Psalm 147:5
Isaiah 46:9-10, Psalm 147:5, Jeremiah 1:5
Psalm 145:17, Psalm 119:137-138
Deuteronomy 7:9, Isaiah 40:8
Psalm 19:7-8, Romans 7:12
Romans 11:21-22
John 15:9-10
1 John 4:17-18