The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
Do you want to be a fool? Of course not. In the NKJV, the word Fear shows up in the Bible 457 times. Fear of the Lord shows up numerous times in the Old Testament yet only twice in the New Testament.
We are taught to fear our parents when we are young. This is to keep us in line and to not misbehave. The same is true of God, we are to fear His wrath as it could mean our downfall. The early Roman church taught the doctrine of Hell and to fear God or you would end up burning alive forever. But these images pale in comparison with the true meaning of the word.
Fear is prevalent these days with the pandemic still capturing the majority of the news on TV. The media loves fear as it brings eyeballs to its channels. The enemy is actually the true author of fear not God.
I just do not like the use of fear in the Bible. I do not agree with this translation. In my mind, God is not a god of fear but one of love. Fear and love cannot coexist.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33
The true translation of the Hebrew and the Greek words associated with fear are revealed in the passage above. Awe is the true meaning of the word. See below.
The word fear in many versions of the Bible comes from the word Yirah which has a range of meanings. Sometimes it refers to the fear we feel in anticipation of danger but it can also mean awe or reverence. hebrew4christians.com
I personally do not fear the Lord. I am in awe of Him who created this world for us to inhabit and astonished how He came down to this physical existence and died on the cross so that we may live with Him eternally. This is the God I worship and revere. Not one of wrath but one of love for His creation.
I hope you will join me in this worldview and spread this message instead of the one of fear and wrath. I just don't think that is a very successful strategy when it comes to bringing others into the wisdom of God.
Let us all stand in awe of Him!
And that is the Whole Truth!
Have a wonderful rest of the week and may God bless you in your ongoing walk with Him.
And remember,
God always answers His kneemail.
