Brethren, what do you fear the most? Some of the most common fears people have include the fear of flying, spiders, failure, heights, closed or open spaces, snakes, speaking in public, and even death. Sometimes, fear can be so intense and irrational that it turns into phobias.
There’s no doubt: fear is something we generally don’t like. For many years, people have strived to remove it from their lives. Many have researched it, and there are plenty of teachers, gurus, and books that talk about eliminating fear from our lives.
That’s why, if you lived in the 80s or 90s, you probably saw shirts with the words, “No Fear.” Or perhaps you’ve heard the famous quote by President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Biblically speaking, we’ve heard and read about how God wants us to live without fear. Some preachers even say that the command “Fear not” appears in the Bible 365 times, serving as a daily reminder not to be afraid.
However, in our quest to remove fear from our lives, there is one particular type of fear that we may have neglected. This is an area of faith that is not often discussed, examined, or reflected upon.
Today, I want to talk about this type of fear that the Bible encourages us to have—the Fear of Yahweh, or in most translations, the Fear of the LORD.
Sadly, the Fear of the LORD has not been emphasized in most Christian circles today. As a result, many Christians, even within the Church of God, have become lukewarm in their faith. Because many people don’t fear God enough, we see many following the evil dictates of their human nature.
Sobering Statistics From Lack of Fear of the LORD
Let me give you an example. According to the Pew Research Center, 54% of Christians say that we should accept homosexuality. That’s an increase from just 44% in 2007. By denomination, 70% of Catholics, 66% of Protestants, and 62% of Orthodox Christians believe homosexuality is acceptable.
Another example: according to a 2016 Barna Group study, 41% of practicing Christians in the United States believe that cohabitation is a good idea. I believe this belief is fueled by a lack of the Fear of God.
According to a 2014 Barna Group survey, 64% of Christian men admitted to viewing pornography at least once a month. A 2020 Restoring Hearts Counseling study found that 77% of Christian men between 18 and 30 years old look at pornography at least monthly, and 36% view it daily.
Here’s what’s even more shocking: according to Baptist News, 68% of churchgoing men and more than 50% of pastors view pornography regularly.
I could go on with various examples, but I believe one of the main reasons people don’t take their faith seriously is the lack of the Fear of Yahweh.
A Story of Loving but Not Fearing
Here’s an eye-opening story I want to share with you. I believe this story reflects how the lack of the Fear of God affects us. There was a popular televangelist in the US in the 1980s. I won’t mention his name, but his ministry grew so big that at one point, it was the largest ministry globally. The problem was that he was accused of sexual misconduct by a church secretary, which led to his resignation. His illegal misuse of ministry funds eventually led to his imprisonment.
A few years after he was imprisoned, someone interviewed him and asked, “When did you fall out of love with Jesus?” The interviewer asked this because, early in his ministry, his love for Jesus radiated from him. His fire and passion were evident to all who heard him. The interviewer wanted to know when his love grew cold and what caused it.
The convicted former pastor answered, “I didn’t fall out of love with Jesus. I loved Jesus the entire time. I loved Jesus, but I didn’t fear God.”
Unrecognized Problem in Christianity
I think this is one of the little-known and unrecognized problems in Christianity today. Many are fervent in their belief in God. They won’t deny God, they will serve God, and they are zealous for God. But when temptation strikes, they give in because they don’t fear God. They talk a lot about love, mercy, and grace, but almost no one talks about fearing God.
After all, how can you fear God if you only see Him as a statue or graven image in your church? How can you fear Him if He is simply a decoration in the corner of your home? How can you fear Him if you don’t even know about His great power and majesty?
That’s why, brethren, I want to take this opportunity to talk about the Fear of the LORD. Before I began studying this topic, I didn’t realize how much the Bible has to say about the Fear of Yahweh. I can honestly tell you that I’m amazed at what I’ve learned and discovered. There is more to learn about the Fear of God than I can possibly share with you today. However, with the time allotted for this message, I want to focus on two questions:
- What is the Fear of the LORD?
- Why should we fear the LORD?
What is the Fear of the LORD?
we need to establish a fundamental understanding of what the Fear of Yahweh is. Let’s look at our first scripture in Exodus 20:18-20:
18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
Before we dive in, let’s clarify what the Fear of Yahweh is not.
The Fear of Yahweh is not the fear of man or circumstances.
Isaiah 51:12-13: “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?”
The Fear of Yahweh is not a paralyzing terror.
1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
This is an important verse to note. When we don’t understand the perfect love of God for us, we can experience unholy and negative fear. Negative fear actually drives us away from God. Remember when Adam and Eve sinned? They developed a negative fear of God. Instead of approaching God, they hid from Him because they were afraid of God’s judgment. However, with God’s perfect love, He grants us mercy and grace, making it possible for us to be forgiven and avoid punishment. So, perfect love casts out fear.
Now that we know what the Fear of Yahweh is not, we can proceed to understand what the Fear of Yahweh truly is.
What is Reverence?
Reverence is a deep respect, honor, and admiration for Yahweh. This reflects a recognition of His holiness, majesty, and authority. Reverence is about recognizing God’s greatness and approaching Him with the highest regard and respect. It acknowledges God’s worthiness in our worship and submission. It involves both humility and respect. That’s why you don’t call anyone reverend. Because if you call someone reverend, you are saying that person is worthy of reverence, which is actually not true. No one is worthy of reverence but God.
Imagine you are meeting a highly respected leader, perhaps the president of a country or a distinguished judge. You would dress appropriately, act respectfully, and speak with careful words. This reflects your respect for their position and authority.
The same is true when we present ourselves to God, especially during Sabbath services. Our conduct, the way we dress, and the way we present ourselves to God is part of our godly fear. Do we fear God enough to carefully choose the words we say, the dress or attire we choose, and the things we do?
We have to choose the best that we have when presenting ourselves to God because that’s part of our godly fear. That’s part of reverence. We have so much respect for God that even the way we dress, conduct ourselves, and the things we do are a reflection of our reverence to Him.
Sadly, we forget about this, and sometimes we become complacent. Now, our reverence for God isn’t just limited to Sabbath services. Who we are during the rest of the week reflects our reverence for God. Remember, we are always in the presence of God, representing Him to other people. Reverence, which is our deep respect for God, involves being a good example to others.
Reverence or the Fear of the LORD isn’t simply a biblical principle; rather, it’s a way of life. It’s a lifestyle. Reverence or deep respect for God is so ingrained in our lives that it defines who we are in the eyes of other people.
That’s reverence. Can you now start seeing the importance of the Fear of the LORD in our lives?
What is Awe?
Now, let’s go to the second word: awe.
Awe involves reverence, but it goes beyond that. It is having a deep respect for God as you recognize His greatness, but at the same time, you recognize His great and majestic power and His ability to judge sin and execute judgment.
That’s why, if you go back to Hebrews 12:29, it says, “For our God is a consuming fire.” One good example is when you witness a massive thunderstorm. You witness the beauty of lightning and the rumbling thunder. They look majestic and powerful, but you also recognize their power. The same is true with God. We admire Yahweh for His majesty and beauty, but we also recognize His massive power that is beyond comprehension.
In the Bible, we see examples of how people reacted to seeing the majestic power of God. Now, I don’t have enough time to go through each of them, but I want to specifically show you the response of Isaiah when he was exposed to God’s power and majesty. We read in Isaiah 6:1-5:
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
It’s hard to imagine the majesty, glory, and power Isaiah is witnessing here. Yahweh is sitting on His throne, the highest throne of all in this vast universe. This throne is high and lifted up. Notice that the robe of Yahweh filled the whole temple. Can you just imagine that everywhere Isaiah looks, he can see God’s robe flowing?
Now, look at the seraphim. The seraphim is a heavenly and spiritual being. It is one type of God’s angelic creation. This specific seraphim had six wings. This seraphim is a sinless being. Yet, we can see here how this angelic being covers his face in the sight of God’s glory and might! If these angelic beings display profound awe and humility before God, how much more should we mere humans?
Now, what is the seraphim saying? I believe the seraphim wasn’t saying “holy, holy, holy” as a lovely song to serenade Yahweh. The seraphim was declaring these words to describe what he was seeing and experiencing. No single word could express what Isaiah was seeing in that vision.
So, the seraphim simply chose a word that would best capture the essence of the Throne of God. He says, “Holy.” But because the word “holy” is not enough to convey the glory, power, and majesty of God, the seraphim repeated it three times. This reflects the absolute and infinite holiness of God. Notice, God’s holiness and glory were so great that His temple wasn’t able to contain it, and His glory extended and filled the whole earth! Obviously, His glory fills the entire universe!
And what happened after the seraphim said these words? The posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him. Remember, this is the Throne of God. The structure of this room wasn’t like any structure we find here on earth. Even the strongest and best-engineered doorposts in the world are nothing compared to the strength of the doorposts in heaven. However, we see here that the power of the seraphim’s voice shook the doorposts. Now, who created the seraphim? It is God. If the creature can already shake the doorposts of God’s room, what do you think the Creator can do? No doubt, God’s power is beyond comprehension. We can’t even start to wrap our minds around God’s power and strength.
Not only that, but the house was filled with smoke. What does this remind you of? The smoke reminds me of what happened at Mt. Sinai. Let’s go to that passage, but be sure to put a bookmark on Isaiah 6 because we will return to that later.
Let’s go to Exodus 19:16-18:
16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
We can see here that God’s presence is accompanied by fire, smoke, and an earthquake. The power of God’s presence was so great that all the people in the camp trembled. I don’t know about you, but when was the last time you were so afraid that you were shaking and trembling?
That happened to me when I was in college. There was this particular professor in our political science class. He was truly a terror professor, and the way he taught us was by using a microphone with a huge speaker, and his voice was coupled with a deep bass. When he spoke, his voice came out big and strong. One time, we were asked to memorize and recite the Preamble of the Philippine Constitution. I don’t know why, but I was really shaking while waiting for my turn. As I glanced at my classmates, I saw that I wasn’t the only one nervous. I’m not exaggerating. The whole classroom was so quiet, and whenever someone recited the Preamble, you could see their hands shaking. Then, my turn finally came. I was nervous and shaking, and after my turn, part of my hands were numb.
Now, that was just my professor. How much more would you tremble if you were to witness the glory and majesty of God? Let’s go back to Isaiah 6 and see Isaiah’s reaction to seeing this vision. In verse 5, we read:
5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”
Isaiah was filled with so much awe. He didn’t say, “Oh, what a wonderful vision. Oh, God’s throne is so nice. So, God’s throne is filled with little babies peacefully playing the harp.” No, look at this: he said, “Woe is me!”
Remember, in Isaiah 5, this is the same godly man and prophet who said, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!” Isaiah 5:22-23
Now, just one chapter later, the same man is not saying, “Woe to the sinners” anymore. When he saw a glimpse of God’s glory, he said, “Woe is me!”
You see, God’s power and might should change our perspective on life. Our understanding of God’s glory and majesty should produce reverence and awe in our lives, leading us to develop godly fear!
What is the Fear of the LORD?
What is the Fear of the LORD? The Fear of the LORD or Yahweh is having reverence, which is a deep respect and utmost honor for God. This reverence is coupled with awe, which is the recognition of God’s massive and unimaginable power to execute righteous judgment.