Fear

 

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:27-28

 

I remember growing up and thinking about how awesome Creator God was. It was obvious in nature and in looking up at a night sky that all this didn’t just happen by accident. And thankfully, I was taught the basic Creation story, about Noah’s flood, the Ten Commandments and the basic gospel of Jesus Christ at an early age. I needed to refine the details of obeying the Word of God and what it means to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord, but I had faith. I was taught that fear of the Lord meant honor, respect, revere, adoration and never desiring to ever let our awesome God down by thinking, saying or doing anything that was not “right” in the eyes of my all-seeing, all-knowing, ever-present and all-powerful Lord God. It was a comforting and secure feeling having Almighty God as my heavenly Father. Verses like Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” and Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble” confirmed this belief. Sure, but seems honor, respect, reverence, adoration and desiring to do God's Will, but there was something more, something bigger behind it, much bigger.   

 

I am a human being existing in a material world which was spoke into existence by the sovereign Creator of the heavens and the earth; all time, space and matter. Was my finite mind able to wrap around how infinitely big God really was? What would I do if I encountered God face-to-face? The Bible gives a clue from how the great patriarchs reacted in a personal visit by their Creator. Genesis 17:1-3 says, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Abram fell facedown”  

 

How about the Israelites at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19:16-19, Exodus 20:18-21? “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.” 

 

Later, in Exodus 33:17-20, the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”” How amazingly awesome must God be that we cannot look upon His face and live? My thinking was too small about His greatness, authority and power. It is not casual Christianity. 

 

The prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 18:37-39 requested of God, “Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”” How do you stand in the presence of the supernatural Creator of all things? 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 tells us, “When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lordfilled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”” 

 

Revelation 11:15-17 tells us that even in Heaven, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.” This infinite Creator God of ours is naturally terrifying to encounter because He is infinitely powerful and that must always be the base of our faith., which we build our lives upon.Hallelujah!

As Isaiah 33:6 says, “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Have a healthy fear of God, because our God is an awesome God!

 

In Christ, Brian