Righteous Fear
In a previous article I gave several scenarios for reasons to fear and said that all were unpleasant and unneeded. However, there is a type of fear that is encouraged: Fear of God.
Matthew 10:28
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Jesus is talking to His disciples about having righteous fear. ‘Fear’ in this context is not the same feeling you feel walking in a dark alley. I mentioned several fears in the article about fear, worry, and anxiety. None of them are worth fearing. The only thing we should fear is our Holy Father in Heaven, with His almighty power and glory. As Jesus says, only God can destroy both our body and our soul. Satan and his demons cannot do it. They can try, but even if they destroy our bodies, God will protect our souls. But that’s only if we do what God commands.
Isaiah 8:11-13
11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying:
12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.
13 But the Lord of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”
Fear as it is said here means to be in awe of the power of God. To treat God with a righteous fear of His power. To treat God with the respect and reverence due to Him. But what else does this fear give us? Because all other fear is folly, why are we told to have only this fear?
Psalms 111:10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.Proverbs 9:10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Similar to the previous article about fear being linked with faith, fear in this sense is linked with wisdom. Wisdom is important to gain. Wisdom comes through a reverence for God. Having a healthy fear of God can not only grant wisdom, but also lead to other gifts bringing one closer to God.
Proverbs 16:6
6 …by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.Proverbs 8:13
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.Job 28:28
28 And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Here we find that fear of God means turning away from evil. If you have that righteous fear of God, evil will depart from you and will not be a part of your life. It is unclear if this is a cause and effect relationship or if it is a simultaneous action. I’m inclined to support the latter. To fear God involves turning away from evil.
Similarly, the fear of God can grant you blessings, confidence, comfort, and life from Him.
Proverbs 14:26-27
26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.Proverbs 19:23
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Psalms 25:12-14
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will He(God) instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.Psalms 34:9
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack!
As you can see, we gain many gifts from having a fear of God. With these things He will reward your reverence, respect, and awe. You will get confidence and refuge. You will gain friendship from God if you fear Him by showing reverence and respect for Him. You will gain life and wisdom of God if you are in awe of His power.
As you can see, to have fear of God is not an earthly fear of spiders or heights. This fear means you must respect, revere, and be in awe of God in His almighty power, His glory, and His salvation. That is why it is the only fear one should have on Earth. If you fear the Lord our God, you will gain wisdom, confidence, refuge, life, and lack in nothing!
Buzz
