Fear the Lord
Notes
Transcript
Intro; A few weeks ago on Wednesday night I used Mal. 3:16 as a reference while talking about Israel crossing the Jordan into Canaan. And I kept coming back to that scripture for the past few weeks concerning one phrase in it, “Fear the Lord”.
Now there are 27 verses in the Bible that use this phrase “Fear the Lord” and 27 verses that use the phrase “Fear of the Lord”. So as I began looking at those phrases to see if they mean the same thing, I found out that they are in completely different verses and are used in a different meaning.
“Fear of the Lord” is mainly used in reference to wisdom, knowledge and the understanding of God.
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
“Fear the Lord” is mainly used in the context of how we honor or give reverence to God which carries blessings or cursings based upon how we give it. Such is the case we will look at this morning and for the next few weeks.
Text; Mal. 3:16-18
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.
17 “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
Background of the Book of Malachi- Malachi was a prophet at the end days of Nehemiah. Even though Jerusalem had been rebuilt, the people have fallen far away from God. The priests were corrupt using wicked practices like the pagans. There was infidelity, mixed marriages and rampant divorce, false worship and an arrogance about the people. They said some harsh things against God and even have come to the point to where they wonder if it’s even worth serving God at all [3:13-15]. But in the midst of all the complaining and backsliding of God’s people, there is a remnant who continue to Fear the Lord, and God takes notice of that.
1. Character of those who Fear the Lord; 16
1. Character of those who Fear the Lord; 16
Character- the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual; character is who a person is when no one is watching.
Feared the Lord- Did you know there’s no greater mark of good character than to fear God and no greater mark of a bad character in that you don’t fear God.
[Dan. 6] Daniel was a favored man in the eyes of Darius but all the other nobles were jealous of Daniel. So they wanted to get rid of Daniel. But they didn’t know how because of his Godly character.
4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
They had to attack his religion to bring him down. They tricked Darius into having people worship him, but Daniel stayed steadfast and feared the Lord!
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
Spoke to one another- God knows our conversations. Words matter not only to people, but to God! Speaking to one another let’s us know they continued to meet and worship regardless of what others did.
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Meditate on His name- they stuck to the Word of God
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
The one who fears God the most loves Him the best!
2. The Book of Remembrance; 16b-17
2. The Book of Remembrance; 16b-17
God records our life. Scripture clearly speaks of the fact that God records everything.
Kings frequently recorded in books instances where people would perform favors for them with the hopes of returning the favor one day (e.g., Esth 2:21–23; 6:1–3).
21 In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
22 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
23 And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
1 That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
3 Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
God recorded the fear this remnant had for Him, and He did so to reward them. So what is their reward?
God made them His “jewels”
Jewels are precious stones/treasures that people put great value upon. But jewels are also ones personal possession. God is saying that those who fear Him are a special treasure to Him!
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
Many of these died in the wilderness because they did not fear God and were not a jewel to Him!
But those that fear the Lord are blessed and He will remember!
3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the Lord, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God.
God spares them who serve Him - fearing the Lord is serving the Lord!
Serving the Lord is not always easy, but it is rewarding. This remnant probably were ostracized and mocked because of their continual faith in God while everybody else fell away and lived for the world. But God rewards them by sparing them in the day of judgment.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
God rejoices over those who fear Him and He remembers!
3. Discern the Difference; 18
3. Discern the Difference; 18
An appraiser is someone who examines something and sets a value on it [house, car, jewelry].
God appraises our life and sets a value upon it based on what we have done with His Son Jesus [salvation] and how we have “feared Him” [served] as a christian.
Salvation- God knows who are His and their names are written in His book!
Revelation 3:5 (NKJV)
5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Serve- God knows how we serve Him as christians and our works will be judged
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
God connects the righteous with serving and the wicked with those who don’t.
Close;
This morning, you and I have to appraise God and see what He is worth to us. We have to examine Him honestly and see Him as scriptures reveal Him, and decide if He is worthy of all our love, reverence and service.
This morning, you need to decide if you are going to “Fear the Lord” and walk in His blessings or forsake Him and wander in the wilderness of His curses!