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Fear of the Lord "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matt.8:17) Recall the account in Matt.5 of the great number of people who came to Jesus from far and wide, there came it says all manner of sick people having heard of our Lord’s fame and he healed them! Matthew’s simple statement that tells us so much of our Lord, the good compassionate physician, and thereby fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. As it had said a great multitude of people from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from Judea and from beyond the Jordan even followed him. (Matt.4:23‑25) Seeing the multitudes he took his disciples aside and went up a mountain, Gennesaret, and delivered a sermon to them and specially to the twelve disciples whom he had ordained. A sermon that is a very precious one to them and to all who are endeavouring to walk in their footsteps with the eight beautiful promises or Beatitudes. "And it came to pass" it says in Luke 11:1, that "as he was praying in a certain place, when he had ceased" and evidently one of the disciples recalling that John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray said "Lord, teach us to pray." It was then our Lord gave them an illustration of the way we ought to address the Lord God, the eternal God, whose glory covers the heavens and whose Kingdom rules over the whole universe. Fear in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus began "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name." (v.2 KJ21) In this opening expression we are able to appreciate what a wonderful privilege has been afforded us, that we are able to call him "Our Father." To the Jewish disciples it must have been something new to them—a new concept—for they were a house of servants, but now privileged to consider themselves sons of God, reconciled through faith in Christ. What an assurance it must have been to them as it is to us now and that is why the Apostle John said, "as many as received him, to them gave he power (privilege) to become the sons of God." (John 1:12) So this privilege should become more and more precious to us with time as indeed there comes a growing awareness and appreciation of the love of God to us. When we pray, "Hallowed be Thy name" it indicates our profound and worshipful reverence for the glorious character and attributes of God. In these opening words of our Lord’s prayer Jesus has been able to convey to us the proper regard we should have for our heavenly Father, a fear and reverence which we must keep and cultivate for it can only be for our own welfare. "The LORD is nigh unto all them that…call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him." (Psa.145:18‑19) In searching the scriptures we find that it gives us the understanding of the fear of the Lord. This thought is expressed in Prov.2:1‑5 "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God..." Verse two tells us that it is wisdom being spoken off. Man has searched for wealth and precious things, and the more precious the more he has applied himself to finding them; so also is wisdom, we have to search in earnest and really desire to find it. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." (James 1:5,6). Think what wonderful treasures have been found by faithful ones earnestly seeking God’s truth and how much has been revealed during this Gospel age, that as the apostle Paul says was hid. (Col.1:26.) For the sake of the body of Christ, which is the church "I am a minister" he says, and was entrusted with the task assigned to him of God, for your benefit, to deliver this message in full "even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." (vv.26‑28) What a great task this was entrusted Paul by God, that which was hid from the beginning of the world, and yet the Apostle to the Ephesian brethren to whom he explains this mystery, says "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." (Eph.3:8) Less than the least! What an example this is to us. Having humbled himself before God who hath exalted him and showered grace upon grace. Much has been revealed since the apostles’ time, particularly in these last days. The meat which we enjoy in our "due season" to help us and to prepare in these difficult times which our Lord spoke of and prophesied would come, and the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. Such things as these revealed not to all, but only to his servants, they that do his will, to them that diligently search for God’s truth—the truth that giveth light, which causes us to grow in knowledge and in the fear of the Lord. "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant," (Psa.25:14) so says the psalmist. Fear and wisdom "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" we read. (Prov.1:7 and Psa.111:10.) It is as the margin states the principal part of wisdom. Job recalls the excellence of wisdom. (28:28) "And unto man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’" It is this principal part of wisdom, which is so valuable to us in our lives. It is something that we must never lose for to lose all fear is a dangerous condition according to scripture. However we realise that a fear exists, not a healthy fear but a fear of dread, as a result of misrepresentation of the Scriptures resulting from such doctrines as eternal torment and hell fire "taught by the precept of men" the Lord tells us in Isaiah 29:13. Also it is not in the mind or heart of God such an abomination. (Jer.32:35) Reverential fear But reverential fear is a pure and a high ideal that is based on love and on gratitude, as the Psalmist says in Psa.19:9 "The fear of the LORD is clean (pure), enduring for ever." Such is the effect on the heart of all those in harmony with God. We can rejoice that the precepts of men hold no terrors for us, and thank God that he has through his word enlightened us. Indeed we have the assurance that as for man we ought not to fear for it "bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." (Prov.29:25) Take care The care that we have to take is not to lose all fear, and in so doing become as it were too confident and too self‑satisfied. We have to take heed of scriptures and not lean on our own understanding. (Prov.3:5) None can rely on works as we rely on grace–we are after all in the flesh imperfect, and the perfect love which is required to cast out all fear (1 John 4:18) as much as it is desired is hardly present anywhere. It was for this reason the Apostle exhorted (Heb.4:1) "Let us…fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you (us), should seem to come short of it." Again the exhortation "be not high‑minded, but fear" (Rom.11:20) "He that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:35). This ought to be our attitude. It is said by some that Jesus feared implying a fear of dread as in Heb.5:7 it says "in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared." Now our Lord had no reason to fear, whereas we are taken from an imperfect condition and the fear (phobos) to be afraid of God is always present as well as the pious reference eulavia toward God. If we ask ourselves was Jesus heard because he feared? And if our Lord feared what did he fear? Surely Jesus was heard because of his piety because of his reverence and the Greek eulavia meaning piety is used here. Because of his reverent submission, God heard him. Reason for reverence "Yahweh of hosts, Him, shall ye hallow,—and let, Him, be your fear, and let, Him, inspire you with awe" so writes Rotherham. (Isa.8:13) He is the author of all godly fear. Yahweh He it is that induces in us the feeling of reverential fear by showing us His wondrous characteristics and mighty works. The tongue of man is too unskilled to adequately describe the attributes of the Lord—nevertheless we have the scriptures for our guidance and illumination for it was by inspiration of God that they were written by his chosen vessels. Many are the qualities which have caused us to fear the Lord. His goodness—His Holiness—His forgiveness and His greatness, these are some of many. Of the latter his awe‑inspiring greatness that draws us to him is spoken of as "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward." (Deut.10:12,17) Often the word speaks of God’s majesty, denoting infinite dignity and glory. "The LORD reigneth, He is clothed with majesty…Thy throne is established of old" "I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works." (Psa.93:1‑2; Psa.145:5) Our Lord Jesus we are told at his ascension "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." So the word majesty when applied to the Lord is always a declaration of his greatness and an invitation to worship him.(Heb.1:3; 8:1) The same is true when the scriptures speak of God being "on high" and "in heaven" i.e. He is above all in greatness and therefore to be adored. "The LORD is a great God, and a great King,..O come, let us worship and bow down." (Psa.95:3,6) So we find that our instincts of trust and worship are stimulated very powerfully by knowledge of God’s greatness. We have only to read God’s word to inspire us and to retain a proper perspective of our creator, so as to continue strong in faith. The opening chapters of Genesis give us the account of Creation and sets before us the awe‑inspiring greatness of God and well did Melchizedek the king refer to the "God of Abram" "God most High"—"maker of heaven and earth" and Abraham truly calls Him "The Judge of all the earth" (Gen.18:25) and when we think of Abraham, we have the detailed prophecies showing that all history is under God’s sway as when the Lord indicated how he proposed to work out the blessing of Abraham’s seed. To have some understanding, something tangible that our human minds can grasp of God’s limitless and infinite nature in relation to men, the Psalms are very enlightening. Consider for instance Psalm 139; man is able to withhold things from his fellow man, but not from God. "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. ANC |
