In the Fear of the Lord
Solomon said, “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26) He also said, “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.” (Proverbs 23:17) The phrase “in the fear of the LORD” is found in three other passages (2 Chronicles 19:9; Isaiah 11:3 and Acts 9:31). Thus, there is meaning in the statement, and we must understand and accept that meaning!
To my knowledge, there is only one other translation of the phrase “In the fear of the LORD.” The ASV says “In the fear of JEHOVAH.” The emphasis is upon God the Father, but what does it mean to “fear” Him, to know that “in the fear of the Lord” there is confidence, and to remain in the fear of the Lord all the day long? Let’s examine.
“In the fear of the LORD” carries an understanding of “great respect.” Jeremiah wrote, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” (Jeremiah 17:7) Yes, we can “fear” things, and TRUST them at the same time. For example, have you ever walked across a “swinging bridge?” Friends of mine in West Virginia lived in a remote area of the hills (mountains) and to get to their cabin, you had to cross the deep chasm via a “swinging bridge.” The first time I endeavored to walk that rickety-looking thing, held together with what appeared to be loosely tied ropes and rotting boards for the walkway, I was afraid and quite hesitant to do as my friend demanded, “Come on, Mike. I made it!” Yes, I’d seen Ed walk across without incident, and his wife Mazie assured me I’d be fine. But I had to TRUST the bridge while FEARING it simultaneously. Spiritually, that’s walking ‘in the fear of the LORD.” That’s where we find that STRONG CONFIDENCE.
As well, when you think of walking across that old swinging bridge, you didn’t waste time by playing games or acting crazy while going from one end to the other. While safe for those who stayed on task, that bridge wasn’t a jungle gym! Therefore, to make the spiritual application, using that bridge didn’t allow folks to envy the sinners who used it foolishly! You had to walk “circumspectly, not as fools but as wise” (cf. Ephesians 5:5). “In the fear of the LORD all the day” means we remain consciously aware of God’s all-seeing eye (Hebrews 4:13).
Too many souls seemingly have no fear of the LORD, The apostle Paul reminds us of this sad reality (Romans 3:18). Those who conduct their lives without fearing the LORD are fools: fools meaning they deny God, or at a minimum, ignore His constant existence! (Psalms 14:1; 53:1) To not fear (trust, stand in awe of, respect with an unwavering allegiance to) is to deny the very Creator of our being, the very Source of our living (Genesis 2:7). Therefore, without our lives being “in the fear of the LORD” there is neither strong confidence nor an abhorrence of evil (Romans 12:9). Everyone does that which is right in their own eyes (i.e., Judges 17:6; 23: 21:25), resulting in “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3: 10 – 12). They simply refuse to believe their lives would be so much better if lived “in the fear of the LORD.”
Several years ago, a brother in Christ suggested to me that “in the fear of the LORD” meant literally being afraid of God the Father. While I’m not completely “comfortable” with his thought, perhaps it is worthy of consideration. Yes, as faithful Christians we should tremble in His presence, even as Israel did (Hebrews 12:25 – 29). Yet, He has proven His loving kindness, and His desire that we come boldly before His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Therefore, we should not consider God as some “undesirable necessity” (i.e., something we fear and DON’T trust) but rather the Being we know has power to save AND power to destroy! Our presence before Him must be with reverence, respect, dignity, and sincere appreciation for all He has done and continues to do for us: viz. we come before Him OBEDIENTLY! That is living “in the fear of the LORD.”
Yet, sadly, some need to be afraid because of their LACK of obedience. Jesus said, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. “(Luke 12: 4 – 5) Like children coming before their parents, knowing they are guilty and deserving of severe punishment, souls who are disobedient to the Father in Heaven should be afraid, and in this respect FEAR Him! Hell is eternal, just as Heaven is eternal. But those whose eternity is without God, without hope, and without the desperate cries of the lost being heard, will be there because in this life they did NOT fear Him, nor keep His commandments (2 Thessalonians 1: 4 – 10).
Thus, it behooves every Christian to increase his faith daily (2 Corinthians 4:16), and to walk in the fear of the LORD with each step he takes! Remember that “in the fear of the LORD is strong confidence,” thereby granting us the knowledge of His protection (Hebrews 13:5-6). Remember “[we must be] in the fear of the LORD all the day.” Maybe we can’t change the entire world, but we surely can change a part of it – one soul at a time! When others see our fervent stand for His truth, our confidence in knowing when we obey Him, and that we obey the highest order of righteousness, then perhaps they also will fear Him enough to obey Him! We can take great comfort in knowing He knows us as His children (2 Corinthians 6:15 – 18; Romans 8: 16 – 17). But as children who love, respect, honor, and fear their parents, so we must love, respect, honor, and fear the God of Heaven.
“No one stands so tall,
as when he stoops to help a child!”