In January my daughters and I began to read a chapter of Proverbs a day for our morning devotionals. Throughout the month we noticed that ‘Fear the Lord’ or ‘Fear of the Lord’ is mentioned many times. My daughter and I were interested to know how many times it is mentioned and why it is mentioned so often in the book of Proverbs. We agreed that the Lord wants us to really grasp the meaning and the importance of fearing Him. So I decided to look further into this topic.
I found that ‘Fear the Lord’ or ‘Fear of the Lord’ is mentioned 16 times in the book of Proverbs. The meaning of fear in these verses is to have reverence or to be afraid of, stand in awe, or fear. So then to fear the Lord is to have reverence for God. To have a reverential fear of God is to have an attitude of deep respect for Him and His laws which should result in righteous living.
Solomon in his God given wisdom knew there were blessings for those that feared the Lord and extreme consequences for those that did not reverence God. Solomon wanted his son, his people, and I believe the whole world to truly comprehend the importance of having a reverential fear of the Lord. Thus the reason he stressed it so much in the book of Proverbs.
So what do the Proverbs say about fearing the Lord?
1) Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom
If we want to be truly wise then the very first thing we must do is reverence God. That is the beginning and the foundation of true knowledge. Our respect for God and His Word draws us closer to Him. It gives us a desire to want to search out His Word and learn more about His will, His righteousness, and His laws. Growing up in the knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment, obedience to His Word, and a longing to please Him. (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, 15:33)
2) How to truly understanding what it means to fear the Lord
If we really want to know what it means to fear the Lord then we have to desire the Word of God and the wisdom that it imparts with all of our heart. We have to cry out to God for insight and understanding of His Word. Our determination should be to fervently seek out wisdom like it was a hidden treasure. Then in our search for Wisdom we will begin to understand what it truly means to fear the Lord, and we will gain knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:5)
3) Don’t envy sinners because choosing not to fear the Lord results in calamity and disaster
When people refuse to respect God and ignore His laws they will most certainly face trouble and judgment. The Lord has given us free will to do what ever we want. We can to have our own way and refuse to obey God. That is our choice; however we do not get to choose the consequences that we will face for disrespecting God. The Word of God is clear that those who refuse to reverence the Lord and reject wisdom will face disaster and calamity. So don’t envy sinners. Their sin has not gone unnoticed. If they do not repent they will inevitably be in a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss because they refuse to fear the Lord. There will be a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering. (Proverbs 23:17, Proverbs 1:24-33, Proverbs 24: 21)
4) Fearing the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short
When we live our lives fearing the Lord and obeying the Word of God we are more likely to live a longer life. We will not be out there in the world acting crazy and foolish like the wicked do. That is why their lives are shortened prematurely. They do not fear danger and they do not care about their life or the lives of others. They are killed in gang shootings, drug over doses, drunkenness, diseases contracted by their careless living and in so many other ways they are dying and killing each other. There lives are cut short because they refuse to humble themselves to God’s Word. (Proverbs 10:27)
5) We are not to be impressed by our wisdom but instead we should fear the Lord, then we can have healing for our bodies
We can never think that we are wise enough. Instead we have to respect God’s wisdom and direction in our lives at all times and stay away from all evil and sin. When we trust our Lord with our lives and allow Him to lead us instead of following our own paths we will have good emotional and mental health. We will feel strong in our minds and hearts because we are trusting Him and obeying His Word. Our bodies will find healing from fear, sorrow, envy, resentment, hatred, guilt, and other emotional stresses that cause over 60% of illness in our bodies. (Proverbs 3:7-8)
6) Fearing the Lord results in obedience to the Word of God, righteous living.
When we fear the Lord we will desire to please God and obey His Word. We will hate all forms of evil. We will not minimize sin like the rest of the world does. We will hate pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech just as much as we do murder or robbery. Our desire will be to ride ourselves of any unrighteousness in our lives. Because of our love and respect for God and our desire to be faithful to Him and His Word we will stay away from evil and avoid sin. (Proverbs 8:13, 16:6)
7) Fear of the Lord leads to a secure life in trusting God and not worrying about trouble or death.
When we honor and revere God we trust Him and realize that our lives are secure in His hands. We have a sense of security knowing that He protects us from evil and harm. However, even if we do have to face trouble we know that our souls belong to Him and we are secure in Christ Jesus so we do not fear death. To die is to be with Christ Jesus. (Proverbs 19:23, 14:27)
8) Because we Fear the Lord He will be a refuge for our children
I found that ‘Fear the Lord’ or ‘Fear of the Lord’ is mentioned 16 times in the book of Proverbs. The meaning of fear in these verses is to have reverence or to be afraid of, stand in awe, or fear. So then to fear the Lord is to have reverence for God. To have a reverential fear of God is to have an attitude of deep respect for Him and His laws which should result in righteous living.
Solomon in his God given wisdom knew there were blessings for those that feared the Lord and extreme consequences for those that did not reverence God. Solomon wanted his son, his people, and I believe the whole world to truly comprehend the importance of having a reverential fear of the Lord. Thus the reason he stressed it so much in the book of Proverbs.
So what do the Proverbs say about fearing the Lord?
1) Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom
If we want to be truly wise then the very first thing we must do is reverence God. That is the beginning and the foundation of true knowledge. Our respect for God and His Word draws us closer to Him. It gives us a desire to want to search out His Word and learn more about His will, His righteousness, and His laws. Growing up in the knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment, obedience to His Word, and a longing to please Him. (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, 15:33)
2) How to truly understanding what it means to fear the Lord
If we really want to know what it means to fear the Lord then we have to desire the Word of God and the wisdom that it imparts with all of our heart. We have to cry out to God for insight and understanding of His Word. Our determination should be to fervently seek out wisdom like it was a hidden treasure. Then in our search for Wisdom we will begin to understand what it truly means to fear the Lord, and we will gain knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:5)
3) Don’t envy sinners because choosing not to fear the Lord results in calamity and disaster
When people refuse to respect God and ignore His laws they will most certainly face trouble and judgment. The Lord has given us free will to do what ever we want. We can to have our own way and refuse to obey God. That is our choice; however we do not get to choose the consequences that we will face for disrespecting God. The Word of God is clear that those who refuse to reverence the Lord and reject wisdom will face disaster and calamity. So don’t envy sinners. Their sin has not gone unnoticed. If they do not repent they will inevitably be in a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss because they refuse to fear the Lord. There will be a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering. (Proverbs 23:17, Proverbs 1:24-33, Proverbs 24: 21)
4) Fearing the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short
When we live our lives fearing the Lord and obeying the Word of God we are more likely to live a longer life. We will not be out there in the world acting crazy and foolish like the wicked do. That is why their lives are shortened prematurely. They do not fear danger and they do not care about their life or the lives of others. They are killed in gang shootings, drug over doses, drunkenness, diseases contracted by their careless living and in so many other ways they are dying and killing each other. There lives are cut short because they refuse to humble themselves to God’s Word. (Proverbs 10:27)
5) We are not to be impressed by our wisdom but instead we should fear the Lord, then we can have healing for our bodies
We can never think that we are wise enough. Instead we have to respect God’s wisdom and direction in our lives at all times and stay away from all evil and sin. When we trust our Lord with our lives and allow Him to lead us instead of following our own paths we will have good emotional and mental health. We will feel strong in our minds and hearts because we are trusting Him and obeying His Word. Our bodies will find healing from fear, sorrow, envy, resentment, hatred, guilt, and other emotional stresses that cause over 60% of illness in our bodies. (Proverbs 3:7-8)
6) Fearing the Lord results in obedience to the Word of God, righteous living.
When we fear the Lord we will desire to please God and obey His Word. We will hate all forms of evil. We will not minimize sin like the rest of the world does. We will hate pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech just as much as we do murder or robbery. Our desire will be to ride ourselves of any unrighteousness in our lives. Because of our love and respect for God and our desire to be faithful to Him and His Word we will stay away from evil and avoid sin. (Proverbs 8:13, 16:6)
7) Fear of the Lord leads to a secure life in trusting God and not worrying about trouble or death.
When we honor and revere God we trust Him and realize that our lives are secure in His hands. We have a sense of security knowing that He protects us from evil and harm. However, even if we do have to face trouble we know that our souls belong to Him and we are secure in Christ Jesus so we do not fear death. To die is to be with Christ Jesus. (Proverbs 19:23, 14:27)
8) Because we Fear the Lord He will be a refuge for our children
We don’t have to worry about our children. They are His. Our love and respect for our God gives our children a special place of refuge in Him. He will watch over them and protect them from the snares of death. He will not allow the enemy to pluck them from His hands. He will draw them to Himself. He knows that this is our hearts desire and He will fulfill this desire because we fear and trust Him. (Proverbs 14:26)
9) It is better not to be rich and fear the Lord than to be rich and be miserable
Our faith in the Lord makes rich and teaches to be content in all situations whether we have plenty or little. Either way we know that our Lord works everything out for our good. Therefore we do not have to worry about tomorrow or what we shall eat and drink, because we know that our God provides for all of our needs. He never forsakes us which allows us to live carefree. The rich unbeliever often times has inner turmoil and stress that comes with his lifestyle. He does not have peace in his soul because He realizes that his wealth and accomplishments does not bring true lasting joy. His ambitions are never satisfied. (Proverbs 15:16)
10) True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life
When we humble ourselves to the Lord and reverence Him we are blessed with many spiritual riches, divine honor, and with everlasting life. Often times the Lord will also chose to bless those that fear Him with the privilege of managing wealth and riches here in this world. Many believers have the benefit of living a long earthly life fulfilling the great commission the Lord gave us. They will be honored in this world and in the next. (Proverbs 22:4)
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2 comments:
I firmly believe one of the biggest reasons believers backslide is due to lack of reverent fear of God. I try every day to focus on the promises of God while always fearing the Lord as well. When we truly fear the Lord we will want to honor him in all we do. I pray that each day i wake up with an increased reverence for God, trusting and knowing that he has this day already planned and figured out for me. What a comfort knowing that God is with me at all times....
Father God, Thank you from the very bottom of my heart for loving me. Lord help me, each day to honor you and please you make me better and teach me to revere you and fear you with love and respect. Fear of the Lord is the beggining of Wisdom and i want to be wise for you... In Jesus most precious name- AMEN!!
Thanks for the comment..I agree with you. If we do not fear the Lord we will be more likely to fall back into our old ways and sin. As long as we stay submitted and committed to renewing our mind with the Word of God then we will learn to continually fear the Lord. Blessings to you and the family...
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