32. Fearful

God in the Psalms No.32 - God who is fearful

Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.

The fear of the Lord is a strange thing. It is one of those concepts that makes people dive for cover, yet it is so common in Scripture. So often we define this fear as an awesome respect, but it’s actually stronger than just respect. It is awesome. Consider what one of the psalmists said: “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.” (Psa 33:8). There is the basic call to fear or revere God, but it was then followed by reasons:  “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” (v.9-11)

Do you catch the awesome sense of concrete existence and purpose, God’s sovereignty in those following verses? When God speaks, things happen. When God plans, it happens!  If people try to stand against His plans, they still happen! God’s presence and plans are like a gigantic steamroller before which nothing can stand. Unless you are blind and stupid, to be confronted with this bearing down on you is awesome, fearful. When a steamroller comes, you get out the way or you’ll be crushed. That is a healthy sort of fear! It’s not that the steamroller has evil designs on you; it’s just simply that it’s so big it will crush you if you stand in front of it while it’s moving.

Having this awareness means our lives are changed. Consider some of the things Moses said to Israel in their early days of experiencing the Lord: “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning“ Ex 20:20.  At Sinai Israel had their first encounter with the Lord and it scared the life out of them!  It’s OK, said Moses, just let this awareness, this fear, keep you from doing wrong.  Then he taught them the Law: “Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God” Lev 25:17.  Again and again he said, this is how you are to live, with this awareness, this fear, reminding you why you are to do it.

Again he quoted the Lord: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” (Deut 5:28,29). God wanted to bless them and blessing  came when they were rightly related to the ‘steamroller’, and that meant following His design for them.. Indeed keeping God’s laws was the sign or expression of this awareness: “you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life” (Deut 6:2).  This awareness, this fear was expressed by lovingly serving the Lord whole heartedly: “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good” (Deut 10:12,13)

The ‘fear of the Lord’ is therefore not some abstract thing that the Lord seeks to impose on His people to subdue them. It is simply the recognition of the awesome greatness of the Lord and when we have it, it helps provoke us into living according to His design for us, so that all of His blessings come to us. How wonderful!