The most repeated commands in the Bible are “fear” and “fear not”—they appear more than 500 times. But which is it? Should men live fearlessly, or should men instead be afraid? And afraid of what, if so? In Genesis 3 we read that God walked in the Garden of Eden before man sinned. There was friendship between God and man. Yet after sin, the relationship markedly changed. As soon as man sinned and encountered God, Adam says in Genesis 3:10, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid…” This is the first mention of fear in human history.
Adam had reason to fear. God had said to him, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die” (Genesis 3:3). Did Adam fear death? Did he even know what death was? And why, if fear enters the world as a result of Adam’s sin, does God begin using fear through history? Do we to fear God because of sin, or fear God as a part of our relationship with Him and to know Him more fully?
To better understand the fear of the Lord, we should get a handle on what the word fear means. In the Old Testament when reading of the fear God, the word used is yirah, Hebrew most often translated as “awe, respect and reverence”. However, yirah also denotes “trembling and terror”. In Exodus 20, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Saini while the people of Israel watched from below. When Moses came down from the mountain, Exodus 20:18-19 says, “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’” The people had seen God’s presence on the mountain and there is no doubt this was not a reaction of just respect or awe, they were truly terrified. The word used is yirah.
Moses responds, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning” (Exodus 20:20). Here we see the same base word used twice. Don’t be afraid (yare: to fear)… the fear (yirah: a fear) of God will be with you…[1] Is this teaching contradictory? Don’t fear God, but at the same time, fear God? In a sense, yes, both are true. The Bible is teaching us what a healthy fear of God is. When the people were terrified in God’s presence, Moses is saying that we do not need to be afraid of the very presence of God, but we do need to have a healthy fear of disobeying or disrespecting God.
There is a difference between being afraid and having fear. Imagine you are standing near a jet engine that is running. You would be in awe of the raw power it produces. It would be incredibly loud. The thrust would be impressive, the high-speed compressor spinning at 9,000 rpm, able to propel a plane weighing more than 100 tons through the air at 500 miles per hour. At the same time, you would be wise to fear standing too close, lest you get caught and sucked in by its lethal force. The most powerful jet engines can consume nearly 2,900 pounds of air per second. The engine, if not respected, could kill you instantly. This balanced combination of awe and terror is the word fear applied to God.
According to Scripture, the healthy and holy fear of God is more clearly realized for us in the New Testament. As Christians, we live with Christ in us, and He has forgiven our sins against God. So, we need no longer fear the penalty for our sin, which is both physical and eternal death. At the same time, we have an awe, reverence and respect for Almighty God and a desire to please Him. We have an awareness of His power and might. Jesus makes this distinction when talking about fear with His disciples. In Luke 12:4-5 Jesus says, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” The New Testament word for fear being used here, in the original Greek, is phobethete. It means to be terrified, frightened and to be in reverence of.
In Christ, men have everything to fear. As we develop a healthy fear of God, that sense of reverence, awe and respect guides our thoughts and actions. Scripture consistently connects our fear of God to living smart. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Fear of God sustains us. When we have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our fear of God is not for His judgement. Rather, our fear is of being distant or separated from Him. A healthy fear of God draws us closer to Him and moves us to take refuge in Him. Psalm 31:19 teaches, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” The writer is saying that, when it comes to God, our greatest fear should be living outside of His guidance, greatness and protection.[2]
Does it seem a little self-centered of God to desire our singular devotion to Him? God commands us, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...” (Exodus 20:4-5). This is not jealousy in the human sense—desiring something that does not belong to us. No, God is saying that He does not want us giving anything else the devotion and respect that rightfully belongs to Him.[3]
A profound relationship. Reverence for God is an intense and earnest respect and love for Him. More than an internal feeling, reverence is something that is outwardly demonstrated through actions. We honor God, we express gratitude to Him. We obey His commands and teachings. We pray to Him, and we learn about Him through His Word. And we approach God with humility and in the manner God prescribes. If we truly fear God, people around us will see this in how we live our lives. 1 Peter 1:17 reminds us, “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear…”
The promise of fear. Scripture does tell us to fear God, but there are many promises we can claim as we develop and live by this healthy fear:
Fear of God make life go well: “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” Deuteronomy 5:29
Fear of God results in His compassion: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13
Fear of God gives us confidence: “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26
Fear of God results in blessing: “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!” Psalm 112:1
Fear of God keeps us from sin: “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’” Exodus 20:20
Fear of God makes us holy: “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
Fear of God is evidence of our salvation: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13
Fear of God results in our needs being fulfilled: “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!” Psalm 34:9
Fear of God makes Him our friend: “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14
Fear of God leads to life: “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” Proverbs 19:23
Fear of God fulfills His requirement for us: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” Deuteronomy 10:12
Fear of God grants us His mercy: “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50
There are aspects of the Father that go above our heads. Though we can’t possibly know all the ways of God, we can know, in a broad sense, how God’s ways are higher our ways.