DOES OUR GOD AND FATHER YEHOVAH WANT US TO FEAR HIM?

The word “fear” is common in the Old Testament, and to many it sounds like we should cringe in dread of God’s presence.

Of course, we also find “fear” in the New Testament too. The Gentiles who believed in God were called God-fearers, and the early church was said to be built up in the “fear of the Lord - Yehovah” (Acts 9:31).

Why is there so much fear in the Bible?

The key to solving this mystery is to know more about the Hebrew word that we translate as “fear.” Like many words in Hebrew, it has a much broader range of meaning than we have in English.

To us, “fear” is the opposite of trust, and its synonyms are fright, dread, and terror.

The Hebrew equivalent, yirah (yeer-ah) encompasses a wide range of meanings from negative (dread, terror) to positive (worship, reverence) and from mild (respect) to strong (awe).

You may be surprised; every time you read “revere” or “reverence” in English it comes from the Hebrew word yirah. In Leviticus 19:3, we are told to “fear/respect/revere” our mother and father using this same word. Certainly, here yirah refers to showing them respect or reverence, not being afraid of them.

An even stronger word for “fear,” pahad, (which is often translated “dread”) can also describe jaw-dropping awe.

Listen to how Jeremiah uses it to describe the coming glory of Jerusalem:

She shall gain through Me renown, joy, fame, and glory above all the nations on earth, when they hear of all the good fortune, I provide for them. They will thrill and quiver because of all the good fortune and all the prosperity that I provide for her. (Jeremiah 33:9 JPS)

Here pahad is translated as “thrill.” Just imagine; “fear” describes spine-tingling amazement at what God has done to bless his people!

How Should We “Fear Yehovah”?

Many Christians interpret “the fear of the LORD - Yehovah” as the fear of the punishment that God will give us for our sinful acts. Certainly, we will all stand before God’s judgment administered by His agent the Lord Jesus:

2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat [the bema] of the Messiah, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad"

Romans 14:10: "Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God".

Now, if you know that the Messiah has paid for your sins, you should not have this kind of fear anymore. This is what John preaches against when he says:

1 John 4:18-19: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love [Yehovah’s love] casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and the one who fears has not been perfected in love. we love because He first loved us.”

Rabbis often spoke of the “fear of Yehovah” - Yirat Yehovah; but they always thought of it in terms of the most positive sense of the word yirah. They defined it as awe and reverence for Yehovah - God that motivates us to do His will.

They pointed out that fearing God’s punishment is an inferior understanding, because at its core it is self-centred. It doesn’t even focus on God. Rather it looks at God only through the lens of your own interests, by asking what will happen to you because of God’s knowledge of your deeds.

If you have yirat Yehovah, awe and reverence for Elohim - God, it fills you with a joyfull kind of fear. Imagine that you work at a mega-corporation and one day you’re promoted to work directly under the CEO. Wouldn’t you tremble as you report for your first assignment? When you have great respect for someone, you feel terrible knowing you’ve disappointed them. And when you love another person deeply, you earnestly want their approval. How much more should this be true with our love for our God and Father Yehovah!

Understanding Yirat Yehovah as we should shows why the “fear of the Lord - Yehovah” is so highly praised in the scriptures:

Proverbs 9:10: The fear of Yehovah is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

In the fear of Yehovah there is strong confidence, and His son or daughter will have refuge. The fear of Yehovah is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 14:26-27

The “fear of Yehovah” in these passages is an awe-filled love of Yehovah - God that allows us to grow in intimate knowledge of Him. It teaches us how to live and reassures us of Yehovah’s indwelling power and guidance. It gives us a reverence of His will that keeps us from getting caught in sins that will destroy our relationships and lives.

A Sense of God’s Presence

One aspect of Yirat Yehovah is the idea that we should be constantly aware of the presence of Yehovah. You see a reminder of this in many synagogues. Over the ornate cabinets that hold the Torah scrolls is the phrase “Know Before Whom You Stand”. This means to realize that an infinitely powerful Elohim - God is close at hand. Wow!

In worship, there really is no greater thrill than to feel spine-tingling awe at the grandeur of our God and Father Yehovah. In this sense, to “fear” Yehovah is one of the most profound experiences of our lives, spiritually. You can see why the “fear of Yehovah” as an awesome sense of His presence is really the essence of our life of faith.

We need to realize that study of Yehovah’s spirit filled words, must always be done with Yirat Yehovah, who will open our eyes to see spiritually. Many biblical studies tend to be entirely intellectual, and believers often find it dry. What they are looking for is Yehovah’s God’s voice speaking through the scriptures, and to find it they need Yirat Yehovah. There is an enormous difference between the study of the scriptures that has Yirat Yehovahi, reverence for Yehovah on one hand, or on the other hand a study of the scriptures in a purely intellectual approach.

A classic saying is the one who does not have Yirat Yehovahi, “is like a man who owns a treasure chest and has the inner keys but not the outer keys.” Rich wealth is right in his hands, but he can’t get at it. To study the scriptures without reverence is a dry enterprise that will never unlock its true meaning or experience the joy of what Yehovah has revealed for the future He wants us to participate in!

Our Moral Foundation

Another thing that Yirat Yehovah gives us is an inner moral foundation. When you know that God knows your thoughts, you are compelled to act not just for what other people think, but for what your God and Father Yehovah thinks. This was what Paul meant in Colossians 3:22 when he said, “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord - Yehovah.” Reverence of God gives us an inward and outward sincerity because we don’t so things just for appearances, but to please Yehovah Elohim - God who knows our heart.

A humorous story illustrates:

A rabbi once caught a ride on a horse-drawn wagon, and as the wagon passed a field full of ripe produce, the driver stopped and said, “I’m going to get us some vegetables from that field. Call out if you see anyone coming.” As the driver was picking vegetables, the rabbi cried out, “We’re seen! We’re seen!” The frightened man ran back to the wagon and looked and saw no one nearby. He said, “Why did you call out like that when there was nobody watching?” The rabbi pointed toward heaven and said, “God is watching! God is always watching.”

An awareness of God’s presence will motivate us to obey Him. The “fear of Yehovah” should really be appreciation of His majesty that gives you an earnest longing to please Him. When you know He is always with you, it motivates you to strive to live as the disciple He wants you to be. To become more like His uniquely begotten son Jesus His anointed one.