‘In
the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a
place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away
from the snares of death’ (Prov 14:26-27).
The fear of the Lord
is generally defined as reverence and awe of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 explains it best:
‘Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be
thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is
a consuming fire.’ However, it is important to note that the fear of the
judgment of God and eternal death comes into play, when the fear of God is
being discussed. More often than not, when the Bible talks about the fear of
the Lord, it is in relation to the judgment of God. A classic example is Luke 12:4, 5 when Jesus was teaching about
the fear of God. His words were, ‘and I say to you, My friends do not be afraid
of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I
will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has
power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him’.
Clearly, Jesus was
talking to His disciples, whom He referred to as friends. This debunks the
school of thought that, it is only unbelievers who need to fear God in relation
to His judgment and eternal death. Hebrews 10:31 also confirms this truth by
saying that, ‘it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’.
The writer of Hebrews was addressing Christians and teaching them about the
dangers of sinning willfully, after receiving knowledge of the truth. The focus
of this lesson is the benefits or blessings in fearing the Lord, as outlined in
Prov 14:26-27.
‘In the
fear of the LORD there is strong confidence’ (Prov 14:26):
Confidence is one word that best explains faith. The Bible has countless
examples of people that lived and walked with incredible and unwavering
confidence in the midst of great challenges. The three Hebrew boys refused to
worship the image of gold at the expense of their lives, due to their fear of
God. In full confidence they declared, ‘our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from
your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not
serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up’ (Dan
3:17-18). Many are worshiping the image of gold today; the god of materialism
is ruling their lives. They have chosen to serve Mammon (money) instead of God
(Mat 6:24). Those who fear God have unwavering faith or confidence in Him and
His word.
Those who
fear the Lord, He will be a
refuge for their children (Prov 14:26): The blessings of the Lord reaches unto
the descendants of those who fear Him. The Blessings that Israel enjoys today
are clearly a result of God’s blessings on Abraham (Gen 12:1-3). By fearing God
you leave a legacy of blessings for your descendants (Ex 20:5-6).
The fear
of the LORD is a fountain of life (Prov 14:27): It definitely
leads to holiness of life and conduct. It is the beginning of wisdom and wisdom
is the gateway to a fruitful life on earth (Psalm 111:10, Prov 9:10).
Finally,
‘the fear of God turns one away from the snares of death’
(Prov 14:27): It leads to eternal life. One’s love for God makes Him know God
and any one that knows God will definitely have reverent awe (fear) for Him.
Also, as a result of the wisdom gained through the fear of the Lord, the
Christian triumphs over Sin. God’s strength is wrapped up in His wisdom (Eph
3:10).
In conclusion, remember the words of Prov
16:6, ‘unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil’.
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