The Fear of God

Let us take a journey through Scriptures about the fear of the Lord.

Characteristics of the Fear of God

The Bible suggests several characteristics of the fear of God.

1. It can be understood: Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:5).

2. It is a command:

   1. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him (Psalm 33:8).

   2. 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 (Deuteronomy 10:12).

3. It can be rejected: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:29).

4. It is always associated with righteousness, repentance, and hating evil:

   1. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord (Joshua 24:14).

   2. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6).

5. The fear of God can be taught and learned:

   1. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Psalm 34:11).

   2. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them (Deuteronomy 17:19).

Benefits of Having the Fear of God

Here are some benefits that come with fearing the Lord:

1. Psalm 25:14 – The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

2. Psalm 33:18 – Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.

3. Psalm 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

4. Psalm 103:17 – But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.

5. Proverbs 10:27 – The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

6. Proverbs 19:23 – The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

7. Proverbs 22:4 – By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

8. Malachi 3:16 – Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

What is required of those who fear the Lord?

There are some responsibilities that coincide with the benefits of fearing God.

Praising the Lord

Psalm 22:23 -Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

Psalm 135:20 – Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

God expects those who fear Him to be simultaneously and consequently involved in offering praises to Him.

Enduring in the fear of God

Joshua 4:24 – That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

Psalm 19:9 – The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.

Deuteronomy 6:2 – That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

These Scriptures suggest that fearing God is something we do for the long haul. It is something that once it is acquired, we are expected to keep.

Is it just in the Old Testament?

The fear of God is also mentioned in the New Testament.

“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31).

The early church evidently believed in and practiced the fear of the Lord. It was never discarded as some outdated or irrelevant religious item.

Perhaps we should examine ourselves and see if we have maintained their stance.