Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Proverbs 27-29.
Blessed is the one who fears
the Lord always,
but whoever hardens
his heart will fall into calamity.
(Proverbs 28:14)
One of the instructions that rings through the whole of the Bible is to "fear the Lord". In fact, as King Solomon surveyed all the things that might be good for a man, he concluded his search with fearing God.
So what does this fearing of God mean? Here are a few of my thoughts:
- It's a matter of perspective. We are the clay. We are dust. He is the Creator.
- He is infinitely perfect, we have natures that are in open rebellion against him.
- God has made it clear that he will destroy those who are in rebellion against him, and have even the slightest stain of sin.
- God has also made is clear that there is a final judgment day where he will for eternity separate those that are his, from those whom he opposes.
- Once a person acknowledges these things, then trust followed by obedience is God's desire.
Once a person reads, and diligently seeks to understand God's words to us, it seems that this fear of God perhaps changes color. It's not that we now fear his holy wrath, but now we fear, or give great honor and respect to His awesomeness.
God has instructed that no man can see God and live. It is not until we have the promised resurrected bodies that we can be in His presence.
I don't know about you, but this is all very difficult for our finite minds to comprehend. What we don't understand, we tend to fear. Therefore, we come back full circle to trust, faith, and obedience.
So, it seems to me that the fear of God is all of this.
What are your thoughts?
