The Fear Of The Lord
Key Scripture: Proverbs 9:10
Big Idea: The fear of the Lord is not being terrified of God or running away from Him. It is standing in awe of who He is, honouring Him above everything else, submitting to His authority, loving what He loves, and hating what He hates. The fear of the Lord draws us closer to God and transforms the way we live.
Summary
1. What is the fear of the Lord?
To fear the Lord means to stand in awe of Him, with reverence, honour, submission, and an awareness of His holiness and greatness.
It means loving what God loves, hating what He hates, honouring Him above everything else, and submitting to His Word.
The fear of God does not push us away from Him. It makes us afraid to live away from Him.
2. Grace and the fear of God belong together
Psalm 130:4 says:
“But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.”
At the cross, we see both God's holiness and His incredible mercy. The price Jesus paid for our forgiveness should produce awe within us.
Grace does not make God less worthy of reverence. It gives us even more reason to stand in awe of Him.
3. The fear of God leads to holiness
Proverbs 8:13 says:
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.”
When Joseph was tempted, his concern was not simply getting caught. He asked:
“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
Joseph understood that even when nobody was watching, God was present.
The fear of the Lord gives us a continual awareness of God that changes our desires, decisions, and response to temptation.
4. The fear of God puts everything in its proper place
When Abraham was asked to surrender Isaac, the question was:
Did Abraham love the gift more than the Giver?
Family, relationships, careers, possessions, dreams, and ministries can all be gifts from God, but they cannot take His place.
The fear of the Lord keeps the blessings from God lower than the one who gave them.
5. When we fear God, we don't have to fear people
Proverbs 14:26 says:
“In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.”
When God's approval matters most, the opinions of others lose their control over us. We no longer need to be ruled by rejection, popularity, pressure, or culture.
If we fear God, we don't have to fear man.
6. The fear of the lord brings us closer to God
Psalm 25 teaches that God shares His friendship and counsel with those who fear Him.
The fear of God and intimacy with God are not opposites.
Reverence creates the foundation for deeper intimacy.
As we recognize His holiness, goodness, mercy, and authority, His presence becomes more precious to us.
7. How do we grow in the fear of the lord?
Proverbs 2:1–5 gives us a practical pattern:
Receive God's Word. Approach Scripture with obedience.
Treasure His commands. Value what God has spoken.
Become teachable. Listen for God's wisdom.
Cry out for understanding. Ask God for wisdom and discernment.
Seek Him like treasure. Intentionally pursue knowing God.
The fear of the Lord is something God teaches us.
“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”
Psalm 86:11
Questions
1. How is reverence for God different from simply being afraid of God?
2. Why should God's grace and forgiveness cause us to stand in greater awe of Him?
3. What does it practically mean to love what God loves and hate what God hates?
4. How can the fear of the Lord help us when we face temptation?
Call to Action: What is one step we can take to put this into practice starting today?