Do Not Be Afraid

Isaiah 8:13 “The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread”.

In a commentary on this verse of Holy Scripture, we are reminded that when God judges the world and the church for its rebellion against Him, it is easy for believers to be afraid. We see the world spinning out of control, markets crashing, wars brewing, morals disintegrating, and the fabric of our nation, from family relationships to governmental entities, breaking apart. Such chaos can incite fear even in the most faithful of God’s people. This was certainly what happened during Isaiah’s day. Judgment was coming, and the people saw it. But instead of trusting in the Lord, they gave way to fear. In Isaiah 8:13, the prophet Isaiah warned them to wait upon the Lord, to trust in Him, and not to be afraid.

Whenever we give way to fear, we tend to latch onto worldly things for comfort and protection. The Judean Jews reached out for the Assyrian king, thinking he could give them the protection they needed against Syria and Israel. They also turned to spiritists and mediums, not trusting the Word of the Lord. Isaiah rebuked them for this. He told them that they needed to fear the Lord, not the threats of the world. He told them to hope in God and to wait on Him. He told them to turn to His Word, to the Law and the Testimony, instead of trusting in the wisdom and vain promises of the world.

In his first letter, the Apostle Peter warns us not to fear with the fear of the ungodly, but to place all our confidence in God and to keep our eyes fixed on Him (1 Peter 1:17-21). The Lord is in control of everything, and to be afraid is to diminish His glory. It is as if we were saying, “God, you aren’t really in control. You can’t really protect us.” No higher affront can be offered to God than to give way to fear, as if He were not exalted above all creatures, so as to control all events. But when we rely on His aid, and, through victorious steadfastness of faith, despise dangers, then do we actually ascribe to Him lawful government. If we are not convinced that Almighty God can use any and all methods to deliver His people, then we conceive of Him as a dead idol.

The commentator concludes that in those times when the world seems out of control and God’s judgment is coming, we are told not to be afraid but to wait on the Lord. To wait means “I will not turn aside from God,” and “I will look for Him.” The ungodly will cling to their terror and hate God because of it, but those who are truly His will put their hope in Him and trust in Christ. What do you do when everything around you seems out of control? Do you pray to God or do you seek comfort in worldly things? What often substitutes for the comfort of the Holy Spirit in your life? The next time you are afraid, stop, pray, read Scripture, and wait on the Lord.

Blessings