Understanding The Fear of the Lord
We live in a society that is reward motivated. This is not new, just different motivations. I want to address the rewards of seeking, embracing, and walking in, the fear of God. First I will give a short definition of the fear of God. It was associated with the first time the word "worship" was used in the Bible.
Genesis 22:5-6 ESV Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and WORSHIP and come again to you.” (6) And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:12 ESV He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you FEAR God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
THE FEAR OF GOD: defined The believer's fear of God is a holy awe and reverence of God. It is realizing that God is love and that thought along is greater than our minds can absorb. However His justice and judgment are as great as His love and that is also terribly beyond our comprehension and understanding. The consuming fire of His judgment is equal to the fire of His Holy presence. It is God's double-edged sword. His love is on one edge and His justice on the other. God's justice is just as just as His love is loving. One cannot override the other.
Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (29) for our God is a consuming fire.
This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the Creator of the Universe.