In our post-modern world, and particularly in the West, we have a tendency to trivialize practically anything. Whether it’s in our appearances and how we dress/present ourselves or how we address authority figures, or how we communicate or how to relate to our superiors, formalities have steadily been forced to give way to more lax, overly casual approaches and attitudes.
And as is often the case unfortunately, the ways of the world has rubbed off onto the church, when the opposite should be true.
As a result, we struggle to truly grasp the intensity of reverence and awe that we ought to ascribe to the Almighty God, despite our best efforts.
Pragmatism: A Snare Against Proper Fear of God
One of the biggest ways that this shows up is through pragmatic methods of doing kingdom work.
What I mean is this assumption that God doesn’t really care how things are done but merely that they lead to the desired outcome. Now of course no one actually will emphatically state that but pay close attention and you’ll see that sentiment expressed in countless ways. From how we live, to how church is done, to what even constitutes a church, to “evangelistic” efforts etc there’s consistently a theme of “let’s help God out with our smart ideas”versus a posture of asking how has God instructed that this be carried out?
I firmly believe that pragmatism is an assault on the sovereignty of God. But not only that, it is also a snare that threatens our ability to have proper fear of God. For this reason, one of my favorite passages of scripture on the fear of God is a bit of an unconventional one. And I’ll be sharing about that in this post. However, I first want to lay down some ground work.
Two Types of Fear
I’ve observed that usually when we talk about the fear of God, we are quick to add that the fear of God isn’t about being afraid but rather about reverence. Well, what if I told you it was both?! When we study scriptures, we come to realize that God actually does not start out as a “friend” of everyone. Not even with his chosen nation- the Israelites.
The relationship starts out very strictly, as God lays the foundation of His authority. He establishes His power and His position with them. As they “grow” in their response to Him, He then gradually extends their proverbial leash. This is why their sins and wrongdoing were often met with immediate punishment and consequences. God was in the very important phase of establishing His dominion and His standards with mankind.
Humans of the Old Testament era understood and had a literal fear of God. They knew what He was capable of. They knew not only His mercy but His wrath as well. I like to think of it in terms of parenting. When children are very young (say toddlers), it is time to establish authority and boundaries. This is not the time to reason with your child as they are not capable of doing what’s right just by virtue of reason.
This phase is about loving the child and caring for the child but also loving them enough to teach them that there is such a thing as boundaries and limits that cannot be crossed. It keeps the child safe (there’s that safety word again!) But not only that, successfully training a child well during the young years makes that child pleasant to be around later on and lays foundation for forming a friendship with them later when they are old enough to be won over by reasoning.
Proper Fear before Friendship
In the same way fear of God isn’t just about thinking He’s awesome. There is a layer of actual fear embedded in it, especially when we are at the beginning of our journey with Him. But later as we mature and learn to love Him by our obedience, the language changes. He is now able to refer to us as friends when perfect love casts out all the need for fear (John 15:15; Romans 8:12-17).
When we become children of God who are led by the Spirit of God, the dynamic of our relationship with God starts to change as does our motivations. We are no longer motivated by fear of punishment but compelled by love. Just like a parent can’t sustain a life-long intimate relationship with a child based solely on fear, but by winning the child’s heart and earning their respect as they mature. In the same way, in time, the fear of God becomes a matter of holy reverence fully aware of what He’s capable of, but the motive for doing right is no longer the fear of punishment. As 1 John 4:18 puts it, “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.”
No means NO!
And now before you get too comfortable, let’s end with the account I promised. One of my favorite passages to teach children to fear God is the account of Uzzah. You can read about this interesting (and frightful) account in 1 Chronicles 13:9-13 as well as in 2 Samuel 6: 6-11. But to catch you up to speed, the Ark of God is being transported, during which the oxen carrying it stumbles. So Uzzah decides to reach out to hold it in attempt to stop it from falling. God gets angry with Him and literally strikes him dead on the spot! Whoa!
When you read the account of Uzzah, pay attention to the feelings it elicits in you. Is it anger with God, feelings that He was too harsh perhaps? Whatever your feelings are, here’s the truth- Uzzah disobeyed God. God had specifically instructed prior to this that no one touch the ark and that whoever did would die. Moreover, He gave specific instructions on how the ark was to be transported! (Numbers 4:15; Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 7:9) So, the reality is that despite how good his intentions may have been, He was in direct violation of God’s instruction!
Sometimes we can become so comfortable in our relationship with God, too confident in His mercies and too wise in our own eyes that we stand in danger of violating His instructions. We cannot allow ourselves to get carried away and end up like Moses who never entered the promised land cause ‘he knew better than God.’ (Numbers 20:7-12) We ought to remember that God is not like man, He does not go back on His principles. And His ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)The Bible says that when David saw how God dealt with Uzzah, it brought fear to His heart. (2 Samuel 6:9)
The fear of the Lord leads to life. And the opposite is also true. In borrowing the Deuteronomy 6 principle, I beseech you to first fear the Lord and understand that obedience is better than sacrifice. Then pass that fear of the Lord on to your children so that they may live. There is no better gift or legacy to pass on to them.
“For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. The depths of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are His. The sea is His; He made it. His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”-Psalms 95:3-6
In His love and light,
Ivy
