THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Deuteronomy 6:1–2 (ESV) — 1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

I. IT IS A COMMAND

Deuteronomy 6:1-2 (ESV) — 1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Deuteronomy 6:1–2 ESV

1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Deuteronomy 6:24 (ESV) — 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.

Deuteronomy 6:24 ESV

24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.

Proverbs 3:7 (ESV) — 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:7 ESV

7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 8:13 (ESV) — 13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 8:13 ESV

13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 14:2 (ESV) — 2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.

Proverbs 14:2 ESV

2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.

The fear of the Lord is a way of thinking; it is an attitude of mind. Fear of the Lord must be learned from generation to generation. It is not an experience that can be remembered but is rather a response of humility and obedience.[1]

II. IT IS A GIFT, IT IS LEARNED, AND IT IS A CHOICE

Isaiah 11:2–3 (ESV) — 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

Isaiah 11:2–3 ESV

2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

Psalm 34:11 (ESV) — 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 34:11 ESV

11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:28–31 (ESV) — 28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

Proverbs 1:28–31 ESV

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

Jeremiah 5:23–24 (ESV) — 23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. 24 They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’

Jeremiah 5:23–24 ESV

23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. 24 They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’

Matthew 10:28 (ESV) — 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28 ESV

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Proverbs 14:16 (ESV) — 16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

Proverbs 14:16 ESV

16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

III. IT IS RELATIONAL

Psalm 25:14 (ESV) — 14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Psalm 25:14 ESV

14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Psalm 34:7 (ESV) — 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Read Psalm 34 and see the full context)

Psalm 34:7 ESV

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Psalm 147:11 (ESV) — 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Psalm 147:11 ESV

11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Proverbs 14:26–27 (ESV) — 26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:26–27 ESV

26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 19:23 (ESV) — 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

Proverbs 19:23 ESV

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

Fear of the Lord is the central maxim of each of the wisdom books. Whatever be the questions of life, the response must begin with the fear of the Lord experienced at the mountain…Even more dangerous than such practices as these is failure to fear the Lord and to obey the words written by the finger of God. Violence to human society is the most pernicious perpetrator of death, all of it resulting from a failure to fear God.[2]

Acts 9:31 (ESV) — 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Acts 9:31 ESV

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

[1] Konkel, A. H. (2021). Deuteronomy. In I. M. Duguid, J. M. Hamilton Jr., & J. Sklar (Eds.), Deuteronomy–Ruth: Vol. II (p. 107). Crossway. [2] Konkel, A. H. (2021). Deuteronomy. In I. M. Duguid, J. M. Hamilton Jr., & J. Sklar (Eds.), Deuteronomy–Ruth: Vol. II (p. 107). Crossway.