Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)
How do you define the FEAR of the LORD?
A good friend of mine and I have an ongoing discussion about what the FEAR of the LORD is. I will always bring up the first part of this verse and say, “You could be the most brilliant person in the entire world, but if you don’t understand that God made you, and that He holds your life in His hands, then you are dumber than the dumbest person.” He will always end up saying, “I think FEAR of God is about respect - not FEAR as we experience fright. FEAR is negative, and respect is a positive emotion.” He is older than me, so I always let him have the last word.
The Bible gives us a definition of the FEAR of God in Hebrews 12:28: “let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe”. The verses before this verse contrast the FEAR, the abject terror that Moses and the people felt at Mount Sinai, with our experience in Christ. And what a wonderful experience we have; the heavenly Jerusalem, thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, God, the Judge of all the spirits, the righteous made perfect, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and the sprinkled blood of Christ that makes us perfect!
What a wonderful experience we have in Christ, and yet the text tells us that we still need to LISTEN; we still need to FEAR. What is New Covenant FEAR? The worship of God in reverence and awe, this is FEAR of the LORD. Do I draw near to Him in the attitude of reverence and awe? Do I see Him as He really is, or do I treat Him like He is one of my human friends? Oh friend, He is the Holy One. May we draw near to Him in reverence and awe this day.
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