One of many things on my heart during recent months is the lack of fear towards God in my heart and also in our culture and in the Church. The Bible says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. My favourite chapter in the book of Job is chapter 28. I would like to give a summary of the chapter:
"Surely there is a mine for silver and a place for gold... But where shall wisdom be found?... It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or saphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?...God understands the way to it, and He knows its place... And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"
Please read the chapter for yourself because it is much better than my summary. However, what I gather from these verses, is that wisdom is beyond monetary value. It is beyond any value. It is a priceless prize. The way to find it is in the fear of the LORD. What is the fear of the LORD?
I have often heard fear of the LORD described as merely respect for God, not actual fear. It is explained that since fear has to do with punishment and perfect love casts out fear
(1 john 4). Therefore, we need not fear the LORD. In the OT we see a very different picture. When people saw God, they feared for their lives, (Isaiah 6; Judges 6:22-23). When ezekiel received visions and a message/commands from the LORD he was overwhelmed for a week. The priests entering the Holy of Holies would have a rope tied to themselves and bells on their clothes so that if they died in the LORD's presence their bodies could be dragged out!
This fear of the LORD, synonymous with reverence and awe, produces worship and leads to repentance. Obedience is a response to the fear of the LORD. And yes we do see this same fear of the LORD in the NT. When the resurrected Jesus revealed himself, in his glory, to the apostle John, John fell at his feet as though dead! (the same John who wrote that perfect love casts out fear.
Many times in the New Testament fear of the LORD is used either in the positive or as a reference to believers. One time Jesus interrupted a funeral procession and raised the young man from the dead. It says that fear seized them all and they glorified God.
That is my prayer for myself, and for the Church and for our nation. That fear would seize us and that we would glorify God. For if God's own church does not fear him why would the world? Why would people we lead to Jesus fear God if we ourselves don't? For then, as we come into a place of reverence and awe, we will be at the beginning of wisdom. Amen.
