Have you ever been afraid to talk about “fear”? I’m not talking about having the fear of heights, spiders, or speaking in front of crowds… I’m talking about the “fear of the Lord”.
Some… actually, most, Christians are afraid to speak of this fear for fear of being fear-mongers… This fear is rooted in a fear that the world might perceive our Wonderfully Benevolent God as being some kind of “Hell, Fire, and Brimstone” God that takes fiendish delight in sending sinners to Hell and/or bringing sorrow, pain, and suffering to the earth for “minor” misdemeanors.
I was reminded of this fear (of speaking of fear) while having lunch with fellow believers earlier this year. As I spoke of the fear of the Lord and related it to the tassels the Israelites wore (which I will get to in a minute), I noticed the face of one of my acquaintances. It showed concern and “fear” at me talking about fear. After he responded to what I said, I caught the “fear” myself and was fearful of talking about fear any more. I quoted Proverbs 1 which says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, and then (in fear) changed my words from “fear” to “reverence” (which is a much more palatable word, if you didn't know).
Perhaps this fear is partially based in our “positive thinking” society. In this day and age it is basically anathema to speak of anything that can be construed as negative. Because, hey, if you think negatively the “Positive Fairies” won’t bring you “Magical Baskets” of true happiness and walnuts (or whatever you want to fill your magical baskets).
Beyond this, people nowadays want to go to church to feel good, mingle with others who are clean mouthed, do fun social activities, or maybe even find that certain someone. Whatever the reason, they certainly don't go to hear about the holiness of God or how His wrath is coming against all ungodliness. That type of narrative just doesn't rub people the right way, in fact, I would say that it even causes them to have a little bit of… fear.
Is fear a bad thing, though? Not when that fear is appropriate and compels one to a proper (or should I say, holy) lifestyle. Even in the natural world there are things we should fear. Wild animals come to mind. These guys could easily cause pain or death (scorpions, cobras, lions, sharks), and they are not little fellas that you should treat flippantly. One could say that having a proper fear would cause you to have the right response to these creatures, whereas a lack of fear could get you killed.
Moving on… Have you ever wondered why the Israelites were told to wear tassels on their garments?
Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. Numbers 15:38-40
How would it remind them? Well obviously it was a visual reminder. Some commentators believe that the blue color of the tassels was to remind them of the Tabernacle (which had this same color included in its design). Other commentators believe it was to make each man look like a priest, as God had said in Exodus 19:6 they were to be a kingdom of priests to Him.
Whatever the case, we can see some of the meaning from the immediate surrounding context. In Numbers 15:22 God gives instructions on how the entire nation was to offer a sacrifice if they unwittingly failed to follow God. Then, in the next paragraph, starting in 15:27, God gives them direction on what to do if a single individual sins unintentionally.
However, in Numbers 15:32, the next paragraph (and the final one before our paragraph on the tassels), there is a story of a man who knowingly disobeys God by working on the Sabbath. The Israelites confine him and go to God to see what to do. God responds that he should be stoned by the entire congregation. God is very serious about obedience.
So then, if the visual reminder was related to priestly garments, it could be comparable to us wearing sheriff badges at all times to remind us to keep our laws (or perhaps seeing a police car on the highway and checking your speed). But whether it was that or something else, what we see clearly is that they were to be proactive in remembering God’s Law and obeying it.
You might be thinking though “Are fear and obedience really related?” Deuteronomy alone has over a dozen references connecting fearing God and obedience to God. Here’s a good one from Deuteronomy 6:2 to show you what I mean “…so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.”
For the Israelites, God’s Law not only told them what to do and what not to do, but also told of the consequences of breaking His Law. However, He promised to bless them if they obeyed Him. Psalm 19 speaks of this exact subject. Let’s go there and see what it says about fearing God and keeping His commandments.
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Psalms 19:7-10
Not only do we see the fear of the Lord being a good thing again in this passage, but we see it is synonymous with keeping the Lord’s Law, testimony, precepts, commandments, and judgments. Psalm 19:11 defines how fearing God in order to keep His Law is a good thing: “Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” His Law warns us not to sin (and therefore not receive His punishment for sin), and He even goes the other way and blesses us (gives a reward) for obedience.
The final verses of Psalm 19 go hand in hand with what we were looking at concerning the tassels in Numbers 15. “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:12-14
You see, the psalmist is asking God to help him remember His Laws and keep them. He is asking God to help him not sin unintentionally (hidden faults). He also implores God to not let him purposely sin (presumptuous sins) as that would be like the man who worked on the Sabbath in Numbers 15. He doesn’t want sin to rule over him in any way, shape, or form (read Romans 6 if you can). Instead he wants to be blameless before God. He is also not just concerned about righteousness in his physical actions, but his speech (words of my mouth) and thought life (meditation of my heart). Do you see how proactive the psalmist is? He wants his actions, words, and even the very things he thinks about to be holy to God, blameless, righteous, and acceptable (definitely not sinful and evil).
Song writer Mark Altrogge echoed some of the thoughts of Psalm 19 when he wrote these words in his song “In the Presence of a Holy God”:
In the presence of a Holy God, I bow down and I adore. You reveal the secrets of my heart, and I am shaken to the core. And I cry Holy, Holy, Holy God! How awesome is Your Name! I cry Holy, Holy, Holy God! How majestic is Your reign! And I am changed in the presence of a Holy God…
Proper fear should cause great fear in our hearts when we look at who we really are and what we've really done against this Great and Awesome God, Who we call Father. Believers should have an awesome respect and fear of God—being broken and sorrowful over any unconfessed sin in their lives. They should also be fearful of displeasing Him—knowing He has called us to Himself to be His children. On the other hand, non-believers should be shaken to the core of their very being, as well, humbled and scared of the imminent consequences of their evil deeds. Their only reasonable recourse is to repent of all their sins, turning to serve the only True God of all the universe.
So… fear isn't something to be afraid of. Instead it should be embraced as a life saving agent God has put into our hearts, urging us to run to Him.
Don’t be afraid of fear...
Written by Caleb Jensen, Director of WORD Center Ministries
