Thoughts on "the fear of the Lord"

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 1:7

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."

Proverbs 9:10

Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” It is important for Christians to distinguish between a “healthy” fear of the Lord and an “unhealthy” fear of the Lord.  An unhealthy fear of the Lord is based in a sense of condemnation resulting in pulling back from God and avoiding Him as much as possible. In Christ, we do not live in fear of condemnation or punishment because, as Romans 8:1 reveals, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is why John writes, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love" (1 John 4:18).

The starting point for walking wisely is a healthy, or as Professor Peter Steveson in his excellent work on Proverbs puts it, a “wholesome” fear of the Lord. Dr. Steveson observes that Solomon uses the "covenant name of Yahweh"... show(ing) Himself in mercy to mankind. This revelation calls forth a worshipful response from mankind." Likewise, Edward Welch, in his book When People are Big and God is Small, connects reverence and worship defining the fear of the Lord, "reverent submission that leads to obedience, and it is interchangeable with "worship," "rely on," "trust," and "hope in." (Pg. 97)

So how does a healty "reverence/worship" fear of the Lord enable us to walk wisely? The fear of the Lord sets us free from the fear of anything else! Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Because Jesus fully satisfied God's wrath over sin, we are set free from the fear of anyone or anything else. Romans 8:31 declares, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" This is where a wise walk begins.

Looking for more insight on the fear of the Lord? I recommend Edward Welch's book When People are Big and God is Small.



When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man By Edward T. Welch / P & R Publishing "In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" So sings the Psalmist. But quote that to a crime victim or a junior high student and they'll tell you fear of "mortal men" can prove a formidable obstacle! Here Welch offers biblical insight and solutions for a pervasive weakness in today's church. 239 pages, softcover from P&R.