THE FEAR OF THE LORD

by Ron Wood

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." (Ps. 128:1-2 NIV) Some blessings come by faith. Other blessings come our way because of God’s mercy. But the greatest blessings of all are reserved for those who walk in the fear of the Lord. "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." (Isa 33:6 NIV)

A revival of the fear of the Lord is returning to the church. In both the Old and New Testaments, the return of the fear of the Lord to God’s people preceded unprecedented outbreaks of God’s glory. Miracles follow the fear of the Lord.

When God reveals Himself, that disclosure is often more intense than casual Christians can handle. Our sin-prone flesh isn’t equipped to live in light that bright! A revelation of God’s holiness produces a realization of our sinfulness. We see our need of additional grace from God’s throne. Humility is generated in us. Then, God’s mercy transforms us and God’s love embraces us.

When God discloses Himself, we get more than we expect. He shows Himself as both Savior and Lord. "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God"

(Rom. 11:22). He is both the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is both the merciful and faithful High Priest and the soon-coming King Who will shake the nations. God reveals Himself as He actually is, not as we want Him to be. He is a sovereign ruler, not a cosmic Santa Claus. He is the Judge of all the earth, not an absentee landlord who never inspects His property. Indeed, He owns planet earth and His tenants are going to give an account for their behavior. Even now, the judgements of God are being released upon the earth.

The fear of the Lord has often come to God’s people in times of crisis. Any Christian, church, or nation that lacks the fear of the Lord is deficient and will soon decline. We need God to give us the gift of holy fear so we can be fully formed as obedient children (See 1 Peter 1:13-17).

Apart from the fear of God, we will not pass the test of being true to His Word. Without reverence, we will not be able to take the land or withstand our enemies. The fear of the Lord is the final stage of maturity in Christ.

The fear of the Lord is an antidote to lawlessness and rebellion. King Saul is a biblical example of a man who did not fear God. His arrogance and presumptuousness disqualified him and he failed in his opportunity. David, on the other hand, so feared God that he wouldn’t lift up a hand against God’s anointed servant even when Saul was persecuting him. David passed the test of integrity of character and humility of heart because he knew the fear of the Lord.

The fear of God will preserve us from evil. The reverential awe of our holy God will cause us to make right decisions when pressure to sin or temptation to retreat comes against us. In the Bible, these times of testing were highlighted with renewed respect for God.

When God lets us see His glory, holy fear is the good result. An example in the Old Testament occurred when Joshua encountered the Lord after Israel crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 5). A New Testament example was when the early church was purified by the shocking, sudden deaths of two members (Acts 5). Fear of God, or the absence of it, can determine our destiny.

Prophets know the fear of God. They sense God’s glory more quickly than other people. They tremble at His Word. Isaiah had an encounter with God that affected his life forever. He saw a vision of God seated on His throne with angels crying out, "Holy, holy, holy!"

A few years ago, as I was waiting to preach before my Sunday service, I began to see in my spirit this throne-room scene which is described in Isaiah 6. I was provoked to worship more intensely and began to say aloud, "God, You’re so holy!" As I said this, I heard God clearly speak to me and say, "Yes, and I’m humble, too."

Instantly, repentance was given to me. Convicted by the light of His grace and glory, I began to cry out, "God, I’m not like You!" The contrast between my sinfulness and His holiness, my pride and His meekness, was more than I could bear. God had disclosed Himself to me. It changed my perception of Him.

God is holy. That means He is set apart. He is "other-than", not like this present world nor like our fallen human nature. God is not contaminated with sin or impurity. His thoughts and ways are high above ours. He dwells in a lofty place, but also with those who are meek and tremble at His Word. His holiness is accompanied by humility, therefore His power is never arbitrary or capricious. He is gentle in His love for His people, even while His holiness upholds His justice.

I wondered how God could be humble. This was such a new thought. Could it be true? Immediately I thought of Moses, the meekest man on earth. God said concerning Moses that He revealed Himself to ordinary prophets through dreams and visions. But not so with Moses. This humble man had face-to-face encounters with God. That’s how much God values humility. I remembered the New Testament Scripture that said God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Humility attracts grace. Pride is incompatible with God. I thought of Jesus, who said, "Take my yoke upon you, for I am meek and lowly of heart." Yes, God is holy and He is also humble. This revelation of God’s nature caused me to fear Him in a fresh way.

How will the fear of God affect our lives? The first thing it will do is to cause us to turn away from sin. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). I know God is perfectly just and that He will cause me to reap what I sow, therefore, I fear Him. The holy fear of God is not the same thing as being afraid. I am not scared of God, but I fear Him. I am sustained by His unchanging love, but I am not casual about encountering His holy presence. The fear of God is clean. It is healthy for us. It is not a condemning, controlling, paralyzing fear.

The primary way the fear of God is shown in our lives is not with emotions, like being scared, but with obedience to His Word. In this way, the fear of God sanctifies us. Therefore, two forces drive us to obey God. Both are appropriate. They are fear of God, and love for God.

Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). We treat God’s Word the same as we treat God. Either we respect it or we despise it. To ignore God’s Word is to have no fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is not a feeling, but a decision that leads to submission to God. The Scripture says, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph. 5:21 NIV). The fear of God results in us respecting and receiving one another. This is a mark of Christian humility. It is a characteristic of living in community, of being in God’s family.

In addition, all those called to leadership are to "be submissive to those who are older... clothe yourselves with humility toward one another..." (1 Peter 5:5 NIV). Humility has a profound affect on our lives. It connects us in righteous relationships. It causes us to submit to the spiritual authority of those the Lord has set over us in the church. Real humility honors God’s authority.

After crossing the Jordan, Joshua encountered the Lord (Josh. 5:13). The Captain of the Lord of Hosts had showed up on the battle field with a drawn sword. Joshua bowed low and removed his shoes. He offered the salute of submission, awaiting the orders of his commander-in-chief. Because of Joshua’s reverence, he was given a strategy to take the fortified city of Jericho. That strategy involved respecting holy things, God’s offerings (Joshua 6:19). Joshua had the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord gave the early church a respect for God’s offerings as well. Revival was the result. A couple in the church lied about their offering (Acts 5). Peter said it was lying to the Holy Spirit. They died for their sin. Great fear came on the whole church.

The next thing that happened? An awesome wave of healing power broke out. Many people were saved and added to the church. Peter’s shadow became an instrument for healing the sick in the streets (Acts 5:15). Miracles happened. God’s glory is always manifested when His people worship Him in reverence and walk in the holy fear of God.

© 1998 by Ron Wood. Ron and his wife, Lana, have been pastors more than 30 years. He has served as a State Coordinator for the U. S. Strategic Prayer Network. Ron is best known for his prophetic writing ministry. Ron & Lana are a ministry team. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington. Ron & Lana were sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic leaders in the developing church. If you wish to copy this article for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this article and this byline is included. The author asserts his moral rights of ownership. For more information or helpful literature, visit our web site at touchedbygrace.org, or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.