FEAR OF THE LORD - YEHOVAH

In general, the expression "the fear of Yehovah"  denotes the qualities of one who is in a covenant relationship with God. Those who have spurned God, who have no desire to yield their lives yielded to Him, are consequently outside of this blessed relationship, thus "there is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:18). There is no reverence for God, no respect for Him, no sense of awe when they consider the Creator, nor even a sense of terror (for many men deny He even exists). From their perspective, He is utterly irrelevant. For such persons, terror awaits them -- "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Such rebels might have no "fear of God" (respect, awe, reverence) now, but a day is coming when they will stand before the One they have rejected, and it will be a day in which they will truly "fear God" (terror, horror, dread, dismay). The wise man "fears God" during his life here on earth, so that he will not be forced to face Him "in fear" on that final day.

Our love, honor, respect, awe and reverence for Yehovah God here will abolish all fear, terror, dread hereafter (and, indeed, it increasingly removes such fearfulness from our hearts even now as our faith grows and matures). In this way, the apostle John declares, we, who are in covenant relationship with God, "will have confidence on the day of judgment." After all, "there is no fear in love; perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:17-18).

Our heavenly Father has no desire for His beloved children to be terrified of Him. Yes, we should be fearful of the consequences of turning away from Him, or of disobeying Him, but a sense of terror in a child with respect to his or her father does not suggest a very health relationship. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. As genuine believers in the Messiah Jesus, we're part of the Family of God. We're no longer under the dominion of LAW, but dwell within the merciful parameters of His matchless GRACE. We have been called into fellowship with Him, and within the warmth of His embrace we find love and forfeit fear. "The rulership of law, in which God was a Sovereign to be obeyed and a Judge to be dreaded, was consummated by the rulership of love, in which God is a Father and the Messiah a Savior-Brother. It is the distinctive message of Christianity that God wills men to serve Him without fear. The atmosphere of the household of God is filial trust, not servile suspicion and dread" [Dr. James Hastings, Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. 1, p. 403]. "The concept that believers need not fear receives its most radical expression in 1 John. This epistle, with its great emphasis on love and its fatherly tone, reassures its readers that on the day of judgment they need not fear, because fear has to do with punishment, and God's perfect love for them has removed that threat" [ISBE, vol. 2, p. 292].

This distinction between feeling terror at the presence of God and "fearing Him" in a far more healthy manner is powerfully presented in the account of the people of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai shortly after their exodus from Egyptian bondage. God had descended upon the mountain in an awesome display of His glory. "All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance" (Exodus 20:18). There was certainly some "fear and trembling" going on here, since they were utterly terrified. Moses said to them, "Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin" (vs. 20). It almost seems like a contradiction, doesn't it? They were to "fear God," and yet they were NOT to be "afraid." God's display of His majesty on the mountain was not for the purpose of "scaring them to death," but rather for the purpose of conveying to them that He was worthy of their awe and reverence, which would be manifested in their lives of devotion to His will. In Hebrews 12:28 we are told to come before our God in a spirit of worship that is characterized by "reverence and awe," rather than fear. The people of Israel had come to Mount Sinai "trembling with fear" (Hebrews 12:21), "but you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the city of the living God" (vs. 22), and through the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah Jesus you now come into His presence "with confidence" (Hebrews 10:19), rather than with dread.

There are a great many blessings associated with this "fear of Yehovah" ("fear of God"). "Behold, the fear of Yehovah is wisdom" (Job 28:28). "The fear of Yehovah is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10). "The fear of Yehovah is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). "The fear of Yehovah prolongs life" (Proverbs 10:27). "In the fear of Yehovah there is strong confidence" (Proverbs 14:26). "The fear of Yehovah is a fountain of life" (Proverbs 14:27). "By the fear of Yehovah one can keep away from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). "The fear of Yehovah leads unto life" (Proverbs 19:23). "The reward of humility and the fear of Yehovah are riches, honor and life" (Proverbs 22:4). Little wonder then that Solomon should observe, "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecclesiastes 2:13). Peter urged his readers to "love the brotherhood" and "fear God" (1 Peter 2:17). Just such a man was Cornelius, "a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually" (Acts 10:2). Commenting on this centurion, Peter declared, "In every nation the man who fears Him, and does what is right, is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:35).

Although there is much that could be said about this concept of "fearing" our Lord God (since much is said in Scripture about it), yet I believe it comes down to this -- any person who desires a saving relationship with the Father must come before Him with reverence and awe, yet in the full confidence of the gift of His grace in the Messiah Jesus, which salvation we appropriate through faith, which faith allows us to come boldly before Him in complete surrender of ourselves to His sovereignty. Thus blessed by God, we commit our lives to daily walking in the light of His love, showing our reverence to Him in our loving relationships with one another. In this manner, we exemplify the reality of "the fear of Yehovah - the Lord" in our daily lives for all people to behold, thereby giving Him all the glory and the honor and the praise. In this way, we today may experience the following -- "So the called-out Assembly throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of Yehovah - the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase" (Acts 9:31).