Definition – 1
“The fear of God is the soul of Godliness.” And yet, as we commented last Lord’s Day morning, it is obvious to any observing person that this pervasive and dominant theme of Holy Scripture has well nigh been lost to our own generation. Now, this morning we begin to come to the second area of our study, namely the meaning of the fear of God as defined by Scripture. It is one thing to capture and feel and sense something of the predominance of this concept of the fear of God in Biblical thinking. It is another thing to know that we attach to that concept the meaning which Scripture demands that we attach to it. And at this point, as with all learning, we have a problem. For some of us have erroneous concepts of the fear of God, concepts which we have rejected. Others perhaps have concepts erroneous, nonetheless, but because they are compatible with our own natural inclinations, perhaps we embrace them and cherish them.
And so it’s necessary as we come to this subject that we, who are the people of God, inwardly cry to the Lord that He would make our minds virgin minds, unspoiled, unprostituted minds, minds that can receive what He Himself would say to us through His own holy Word. Now, how shall we attempt to arrive at the meaning of the fear of God in the light of Holy Scripture? Since the Holy Spirit saw fit to use the two most common Hebrew words and the most common Greek word for fear when describing the fear of God, what we’re going to do in attempting to arrive at the meaning of the Fear of God is, first of all, attempt to find how the word “fear” is used in its general usage. And having established how it is used in its general usage in Scripture, then we’ll see how these two facets of its general usage have been attached to its usage in reference to the fear of God.
How then are the words for fear (which the Holy Spirit took to use in describing and defining the fear of God) used in everyday common language in Scripture? Well, first of all, there is the fear which can be described as being afraid: having terror or dread. It’s the kind of fear a little nine year-old fellow feels when he’s walking home from school and he turns the corner to go the last block between where he is and his house and he sees there standing in the middle of the sidewalk the neighborhood bully. Here’s a fourteen year-old kid; he’s 5 foot 10, 170 pounds and he loves to beat up little nine year-olds.
And so when this little nine year-old turns the corner and he sees the neighborhood bully standing there–and he looks like a giant to this nine year-old kid as he stretches up his 5 foot 10, 170 pound frame–and all of a sudden this child is griped with terror and with dread. That terror and dread is based on the recognition of the potential harm that the object of that dread can do to the individual. Now, the word “fear” in everyday Biblical usage sometimes is used to describe this kind of fear. Notice the reference to this in Deuteronomy 2:24:
“Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.”
God says, “I will so attend your efforts to subdue these Canaanites that when word begins to spread around of how mighty you are in battle because of My presence and power upon you and in your midst, people hearing of you shall be filled with dread. They shall be filled with terror. They shall be filled with anguish. And the word used here in verse 25 is the same word used when the fear of God is dealt with: “I will put My fear of you upon this people.” You have a similar reference in Psalm 105. Speaking of the deliverance by which God brought His people out of Egypt, verses 36-38 say, “He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.” That is, they had begun to dread the presence of the Israelites because of the terrible judgments of the God of that people which were exercised upon them and directed toward them. So this is the fear, again, of terror and of dread.
You have an example of this in the New Testament in that familiar Christmas passage. For we read in Luke 2:9, that when the angels suddenly appeared to the shepherds, they were terrified. They were filled with fear, and it was the fear of dread of these angels in this unusual manifestation. One other reference is acts 5:11 when the news went out of how God struck Ananias and Sapphira because of their attempt to lie to the Holy Spirit. The Scripture tells us that fear came upon all men who heard these things. The exact wording: “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” So you have, then, both in the Old and New Testament, this common word “fear” used to describe this emotion of being afraid, of being gripped with terror and with dread.
Then there is another kind of fear, the same word used but obviously a different meaning. And it’s the fear of veneration and of honor, the fear of respect. Let’s take that same nine year old boy–and he’s no longer turning the corner on his way home and confronting the neighborhood bully, but he’s with his school. And he’s taking a class trip, and they’ve gone to Washington. And as they’re going through various parts of the White House where they go on guided tours, suddenly an official brakes the ranks and says (calling this boy by name), the president of the United States wishes to talk to you.
Suddenly the little boy’s eyes get wide, and his breath begins to become hard. And he says, “He wants to talk to me?” “Yes, to you. Your name is such and such, isn’t it?” And the boy is filled with fear. But it’s not the fear of dread. He’s not afraid that going to see the president, he’s going to suddenly give the orders that will bring soldiers out and put rifles to his breast. No, it’s the fear that comes when an individual stands in the presence of an object that is superior in worth and in dignity. It’s the fear of veneration, of honor, and of awe.
Now notice this aspect of the word “fear” in texts like Leviticus 19:3: “You shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.” Now, does God command you children every time you look at Mom and Dad to have the same feeling you have when you meet the neighborhood bully? Does He want you every time you see Mom and Dad to tremble in your boots? No, but He says you shall fear them. The same word is used. But it’s obvious it has an entirely different meaning. God is saying to all children, “You are to recognize in your father and mother, not just someone who is taller than you are, someone who is bigger, someone wiser and a little bit more experienced, but they are My representatives to administer My rule and My will to you.” Therefore, because of the dignity of their position, you are to regard them with veneration, honor, and awe.
This is not the fear of dread but the fear of veneration and honor. You find a similar reference in Joshua 4. And I think this will suffice to underscore what is very obvious, I’m sure, to all of us, but what I wish to see specifically rooted in texts of Scripture. Verse 14: “On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.” And again, it is obvious that this is not the fear of dread or of terror but the fear of veneration, of honor, and of awe. As the fear of terror is based upon a recognition of the harm that the object of fear can bring to me, so the fear of veneration is based upon the recognition of the intrinsic dignity and worth and exalted position of the object of that fear.
Now, these two common usages of the word “fear” that were found in the vocabulary of the people of Biblical times; that are found in some measure in our vocabulary are the two concepts that come together in the Biblical thought of the fear of God. The fear of God involves both of these concepts. There is a legitimate sense in which the fear of God involves being afraid of God, being gripped with terror and with dread. Though this is not the dominant thought of Scripture, it is there nonetheless, and I want to demonstrate it this morning. And then the second aspect of fear which is peculiar to the people of God is the fear of God in terms of that veneration and honor and awe with which we regard our God which leads us not to run from Him but to gladly submit to Him.