“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”
This verse feels confusing because scripture repeatedly says, “fear not”. The problem is that the word “fear” is an inadequate translation for this passage… it doesn’t have the depth needed to describe how we must approach God.
I understand the verse because I had a Dad who loved me more than his own life… He was the most consistent, godly man I’ve ever known… I was safe with him, yet I had a healthy “fear” of him. I cannot explain why, as he was never abusive in any way. Sure, I got a well-deserved spanking or two growing up… but that was not what I feared. I think I feared letting him down… I feared not being in agreement with him because that would mean I was wrong. His presence was comforting, challenging, and inspiring, all at the same time.
That is an inkling of what this verse means… God proved His love for us by sacrificing His Son in our place… Because of that, we have not received the wrath we deserve, instead we’ve received grace and mercy, which provides redemption.
So where does “fear” come in? As I said, translating to the English word “fear” is insufficient… Awe, reverence, respect, amazement, humility, astonishment… we need a word that encapsulates all those emotions. His power and holiness are unfathomable. He is our protective loving Father and yet He remains the Omnipotent Warrior God of Armies… and we must perceive and hold on to both of those identities.
I never referred to my Dad as “my old man”… and it would have been ill-advised to do so in his presence. It would have been incongruent with our relationship and what I knew him to be… In the same way there is a danger in thinking of God as the “man upstairs”…. That flippant dismissiveness is unwise.
Fearing the Lord means never forgetting who He is or what He’s done… Recognizing His power produces tremendous “fear” which ironically will make you courageous. This morning, recalibrate your opinion of your Redeemer and approach today with a healthy “Fear” of the all-powerful God who loves you more than you can comprehend.
“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
- Oswald Chambers
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