“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”-{Prov 3:7}
WHAT IS “THE FEAR OF THE LORD?”
The “Fear Of The LORD,” is not like a dog that has been cruelly treated by its wicked owner cowers in a corner when the owner comes in its presence, or of a prisoner who upon seeing his torturer is in fear he might hurt him. But a reverential, loving respectful attitude, affection, adoration, worship, confidence that influences our choices and living. It is like a child who loves their parents and desires to please them out of love for them, and not desiring to hurt Him.
It is to have a sense of awe,adoration, loving respect for the greatness of God
One way it is manifested is as Prov 3:7 says is to “turn from evil.” Such is the effect of trusting the LORD v5, and it is manifested in Fearing the LORD and turning from evil! To “fear the LORD” having a healthy respect, honoring Him above all else as seen in living to love and obey Him, and not desiring to hurt Him, by the way we live. It is to hold Him in highest regard and live in light of His Wisdom and showing Him the respect He deserves. The “Fear of the LORD, ” is the beginning of wisdom.
To cultivate, develop, “The Fear of The LORD,” we must acquaint ourselves with Him in His Word, praying the Spirit of Truth will enlighten our understanding and this HE will do!-{Read John 16:13; 1 John 5;15-16}… It is to increasingly come to know Him, His character, His promises, ways, and will, as revealed in His Word, and to submit to Him which is the evidence of trusting Him! We must be as Ezra, become people of the Word seeking to know HIM.-{Read Ezra 7;10}.
“This is the natural result of trusting God. As we trust Him we come to know Him better, leading to natural reverence and awe (to fear the LORD). As we trust Him, we are drawn more to God and further from evil.”-{Guzik}
“…it’s a reverential fear, a holy concern to give God the honor He deserves and avoid the chastening of His displeasure. It protects against temptation and sin and gives motivation for obedient, righteous living.
Such fear involves self-distrust, a sensitive conscience, and being on guard against temptation. It necessitates opposing pride, and being constantly aware of the deceitfulness of one’s heart, as well as the subtlety and strength of one’s inner corruption. It is a dread that seeks to avoid anything that would offend and dishonor God.”-{MacArthur}
1. Fearing The LORD in part means TURNING AWAY FROM EVIL.
“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”-{Prov 3:7}.
The word,”Turn,” {ekklion} is to continually turn away as the practice, habit of your life. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph sexually, he said, “…How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”-{Genesis 39:9}. And he fled from her. He had concern and respect for her husband and the LORD! Paul told the Corinthians, “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.”-{1 Cor 6:18}. He tells them to flee, like a fugitive does everything not to be caught but is on the run, so too we must be running away from sin and the temptations it brings ultimately that we sin against God! Turning from sin, is seen in Job;s life Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” You can also see this principle in these verses as you study them. Pr 8:13, 14:27, Ne 5:15, Job 1:8, 28:28, Ps 34:11-14, Eccl 12:13, 2 Co 7:1
The Fear Of the LORD delivers us from our delusions!
2. Fearing The LORD manifest itself in OBEDIENT FAITH In HIM.
“for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.- {Genesis 22:12}
3. Fearing the LORD in part is to DELIGHT in His WORD.
“Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments.” – {Psalm 112;1}. The Psalmist in Psalm 1:1-2 shows this as he has wisdom to discern not to walk with stand with or sit with the counsel of the ungodly but instead delight and mediates day and night on His Word and this one is called “Blessed!”
The Benefits of “Fearing The LORD?”
1.“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.“-{Prov 9:10}. “Fear,” is command to continuously be fearing the LORD.
Wisdom “sophia,” is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action for you in the situation you find yourself in, based on knowledge and understanding. Wisdom is knowledge that is skillfully and rightly used. Some people can know what to do after the event, but wisdom knows what to do when the event is unfolding. Wisdom is to take the knowledge and apply accurately, skillfully to life as appropriate for the moment, person,circumstance.
He is the fountain of true wisdom! All other types of knowledge are useless unless based on the knowledge of God to live life, honoring Him.
2.“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction. “- {Prov 1:7}
3. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.” -{Prov 14;27}.
4. How To Understand the Fear of The LORD. –{Proverbs 2:-5}
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
5. “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
7. “Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.”-{Prov 2;5}
8. Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments. -{Prov 112:1}
9. ” How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord. ”
-{Prov 128;1-4}.
10. “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.-{Prov 8:13}
11. “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”-{Exodus 20:20}
12. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.”- {Psalm 19;9}
13. “Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope? -{Job 4:6}
14. He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,
But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. -{Prov 14:2}
15. “Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.”-{Prov 23:17}
16. “I know that it will be well for those who fear God,who fear Him openly. But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.” -{Ecc 8;12-13}
17. “Let all the earth fear the LORD;Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. -{Psalm 33:8}. Hear is a reason for evangelism. For not all the earth has respect, admiration, reverence, obedience to Him! So these are opportunities for us
18. “Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.“-{Psalm 34;11}
19.“The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.” -{Prov 15:33}.
20. ” Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:”-{Gen 42;18}. Joseph’s testimony to his brothers.
21. “But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.“-{Ex 9;30}. Moses saying to Pharaoh.
22. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”- {Rom 3;18}
” And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” – {Rev 14:6-7}
Here are some references you can look up for your study, in regards “The Fear of the LORD.” It is good to look at what is mentioned before hand and also at times after it is mentioned so you can get the right meaning, application.
{Prov. 1:7,29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26-27; 15:16,33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17.}
SOME MOTIVATIONS TO FEAR HIM INCLUDE…
HIS HOLYNESS– ” Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.” – {Rev 15:4}
His GOODNESS – “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”- {1 Samuel 12:24}
His WONDERFUL WORKS/ POWER. -” For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what He had done to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” – { Joshua 4:23-24}
HIS FORGIVENESS – ” But there is forgiveness with You,That You may be feared. ” – {Psalm 130:4}
HIS HELP. – “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;He is their help and their shield. ” – { Psalm 115:11}
HIS JUDGMENTS -” and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” -{Rev 17:4}
CHARACTERISTIC OF HIS PEOPLE- “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.”-{Malachi 3:16}
SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED WITH JOY – “Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling.”- { Psalm 2:11 }
SHOULD BE PRAYED FOR. “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth;Unite my heart to fear Your name.” -{ Psalm 86:11}
SHOULD TEACH OTHERS HOW TO. -“Come, you children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the Lord. “-{Psalm 34:11}
THE LOST HAVE NO FEAR OF GOD.- “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes.“- {Romans 3:18}
As you Read His Word, meditate upon the LORD JESUS and what it reveals about Him in order to obey Him and understand in Him, wisdom is found…”Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”-{Luke 24:27}. “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.“-{1 Cor 1:24};
“Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. “-{Col 2;3}.
A good study is as to read Colossian’s and note the word “wisdom” is used six times and how it is used.
Trust Him
Know Him
Submit to Him
Live to Honor Him