The Fear of God

Isaiah 8:12-14

By Dr. Neil T. Anderson

            Fear is the most basic instinct of every living creature. An animal without fear will become some predator’s dinner. Fear is the natural response when our physical safety and psychological well being are threatened. Rational fears are rooted in truth and something we learn for survival. Phobias are irrational fears that are rooted in false perceptions and lies. We categorize certain fears by their objects. Acrophobia is a fear of high places. Claustrophobia is a fear of enclosed places. Xenophobia is the fear of strangers, etc. In order for a fear object to be legitimate it must possess two attributes. To be feared, it must be perceived as imminent (present) and potent (powerful).

            For most people, poisonous snakes are legitimate fear objects. You are probably experiencing no fear of snakes as you read this, because there are none present. You would be overcome immediately with fear if one suddenly appeared in your room, because it is potent and imminent. But if the poisonous snake in your room were dead (imminent but not potent), you wouldn’t have to fear it. A fear object is no longer legitimate if it loses just one of its attributes.

God is the ultimate fear object because He is omnipresent and omnipotent. “The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary” (vs. 13). Normally a fear object is something or someone you want to run and hide from, but not so with God. He becomes our sanctuary when we fear Him. We revere God because we have total respect for His attributes, but the fear of God goes deeper. God has the power to judge causing the Psalmist to say; “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (Ps. 130:3,4). ).

It was prophesied of Jesus that, “He will delight in the fear of the Lord” (Is. 11:3). And we should too, because Jesus took our punishment upon Himself. Consequently, “There is no fear in love, But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 Jn. 4:18). Does that mean we no longer fear God? No, because, “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever” (Ps. 19:9), and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10). The wise man fears God, because the fear of anything other than God is mutually exclusive to faith in God. He is the only fear object that eliminates all other fear objects, because nothing can be elevated above Him.

We maintain a deep reverence for God, because of who He is, and because we are accountable to Him. “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:9-11). Fear is a powerful motivator, and knowing that we are accountable before God should motivate us to do everything pleasing to Him.

Thought for the day: The wicked man flees though no one is pursuing, but the righteous are as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). On what basis can the righteous be bold as a lion?