To Fear the Lord is To Love Life
Summer in the Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
As we look at the second of three sections in Psalm 34, this morning I want to reflect with us on the thoroughly Biblical concept that is referred to a number of times in the passage we read, and that is “the fear of the Lord.”....or sometimes, “the fear of God.”
Recall what v.9 says,
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
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Now, in order to get at this concept, the fear of the Lord…let me begin by asking a very simple but I’m hoping a rather provocative question: what are you afraid of?
In verse 4 the psalmist, most likely David, says that the Lord delivered him from all his fears, and if we stop to think about it, that is a rather remarkable claim. Because there are a lot of fears that we have in life.
What are you afraid of?
And as you might have guessed, I’m asking that question at a deeper level than say our common phobias that we might have. If you know me well, you’ll know one of my phobias is my fear of snakes..... to this day sometimes I’ll have a dream where I encounter a snake that is just about to bite me and I’ll walk up kicking a flailing my legs in bed.... my wife Kim can attest that these can be annoyingly painful moments for her.
I’m not talking about these kind of fears..... I’m thinking of deeper ones, ones that cause a deep worry or anxiety, ones that keep us up at night.
Now I don’t want to suggest that to fear the Lord is the same as these kind of fears.... but what I do want to suggest, and I think the psalmist sets that up for us, is that the fear of the Lord transcends all these other fears.
What are you afraid of?
Let me share with you some of the fears or worries that people have shared with me over the years.... I know some of these will be painful to hear because they might come very close to home:
the fear of dying....that’s probably the most common one that people have shared with me, especially when their lives are coming to an end.
the fear of loosing a job
the fear of not finding a job
the fear of not finding a spouse and being alone
the fear of loosing a spouse and being alone
or maybe just the fear of being lonely.
the fear that a couple may have of never being able to have children of their own
or the fear that parents have of what may happen to a child who is not walking with the Lord
Those are just a few; I’m sure we can all add more.... fears that cause deep angst, worry and concern.
And it’s probably not hard for us to see how these fears can affect they way we live our lives, perhaps mostly at an unconscious level. Our fears can drive us in ways that we may not even be aware. They can cause us to prioritize things in our life in ways that might be hidden to us. Our fears can affect us at a deep level.
Allow me to give one example....the fear of being lonely. I recently read a book called “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” written by sociologist Jonathan Haidt. Many young people report increasing levels of lonliness and isolation. And often they turn to social media to find more connection and acceptance. The trouble is studies show the more time people spend on social media to find connection and acceptance, the more people feel lonely and isolated.
You see our fears often affect us in unconscious ways and can make us prioritize behaviors or ways of thinking that affect us at a deep level.
The psalmist writes that the Lord delivered him, the Lord saved, the Lord rescued him from all his fears. Later in v. 6 he writes the Lord saved him out of all his troubles.
Now as I said a moment ago, I don’t want to suggest that to fear the Lord is the same as these kind of fears.... but what I do want to suggest, and I think the psalmist sets that up for us, is that the fear of the Lord affects all these other fears, we might say the fear of the Lord dulls or even deflates those fears.
One of the very first things that the psalmist says about those who fear the Lord is found in v. 7.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
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As Pastor Jun mentioned last Sunday in his sermon, David was quite literally running for his life to escape the pursuit of King Saul. But again and again he found the presence of the Lord protecting him.
The fear of the Lord is like a protective shield that ensures no ultimate harm can affect those who fear Him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
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So, how are we to think about the fear of the Lord?
One commentator says that the fear of the Lord is “the foundation of life, the key to joy in life and long and happy days.” (Peter Craigie, WORD Commentary, 282) He draws that from the connection the psalmist makes between those who fear the Lord, and those who love life in vv. 11-12.
The "fear of the Lord" in the Bible is a concept that encompasses reverence, awe, and respect toward God, rather than simply being about fear in the modern sense of terror or dread although it does contain a sense of trepidation in it.... it comes from a deep awareness of God's glorious majesty, his radiant holiness, and his infinite power..... but also his tenderness and compassion, his mercy and love. And because of this deep awareness it leads to a life of obedience, humility, and worship.
The fear of the Lord cultivates in us a sense of reverence and awe comes from a profound respect and trust in the sovereignty and authority of God. God’s ways are higher than our ways. He always works for the good of those who trust him. And though we often can’t see or understand precisely how or why God allows things to happen in our lives or in our world the way that they do, we can know with certainty, that when we do trust him, when we fear the Lord, we will lack nothing.
One of the first times this really hit home for me was during my year-long internship as a student pastor in a Hamilton church when I was still a Seminary student. During that year as a pastoral intern I came to know an older couple in that congregation named Henry and Jane and they were in their late sixties, early seventies. Henry had been battling cancer for a couple of years. At times he seemed to be improving, then things would take a turn for the worse. At one point he and his wife received the news that there was nothing that could be done. His cancer was terminal and the doctors gave Henry about 6-12 months to live. I remember visiting them shortly after they received this news and I remember how incredibly at peace they were. “Andrew, though we would never wish this experience on anyone, we can honestly say that this last year or so has been the very best in terms of our relationship with each other and with God. We have never experienced the nearness of God and the joy of the Lord like we have during this season in our life. We are completely at peace.”
The psalmist says those who fear the Lord, lack nothing.
You see the fear of the Lord involves a deep trust in God’s goodness and justice, knowing that He is both loving and righteous. It is about having a deep trust in His intentions for humanity. Though we often do not, God always knows what He is doing, and He is GOOD.
As we come to understand and experience this “fear of the Lord” we begin to see how it deflates all those other fears in our life that cause us worry or anxiety or concern. Of course they don’t go away, but they loose their power to control or dominate our lives.
I appreciate how one writer puts it:
[The fear of the Lord] is not a guarantee that life will be always easy, devoid of the difficulties that may seem to mar so much of human existence. The fear of the Lord establishes joy and fulfilment in all of life’s experiences. It may mend the broken heart, but it does not prevent the heart from being broken; it may restore the spiritually crushed, but it does not crush the forces that may create oppression. The psalm, if fully grasped, dispels the naiveté of that faith which does not contain within it the strength to stand against the onslaught of evil. (Craigie)
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The fear of the Lord is that kind of faith that contains within it the strength to stand against the onslaught of evil.
Let’s think about some of our spiritual ancestors in the Bible who showed us the kind of faith that contained within it the strength to stand against evil.
Consider Joseph. Sold into slavery by his brothers. Imprisoned on account of a lie. All the while believing that though his brothers intended harm for him, God intended good for him such that he might become one who brings blessing to all the nations of the world.
Consider Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives who because they “feared God” refused to obey the commands of the King of Egypt to kill all the boys that were born to Hebrew women. Instead we read, God was kind to the midwives and the Hebrew people increased and became even more numerous.
Or consider Daniel. Because he feared the Lord he refused to defile himself with the Babylonian king’s food, and refused to bow in prayer to an idol of the King, and we read that the Lord prospered Daniel during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus, kings of Persia.
Or finally consider Paul, who is is own words says in 2 Cor. 11,
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
So how is it we put into practice “the fear of the Lord”? How does this become evident in our life?
The psalmist writes:
11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
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In many ways this becomes a picture, a snapshot if you will of the life of faith. In fact, in the NT the apostle Peter quotes these very words as he calls followers of Jesus Christ to holy living.
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
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So, perhaps many of us are hearing in our text this morning God’s invitation to fear the Lord, to deepen our trust in his authority and sovereignty, and to submit ourselves more fully to his purpose and plan for our lives.
How might we do that?
Well, even the fear of the Lord, is a gift of God. A gift given to us through Jesus Christ.
Notice with me the words of invitation that we find in vv. 4-6. The psalmist invites us to turn to God, to seek him..... I sought the Lord, he writes,. Those who look to him.... This poor man called.... and then the psalmist brings us to a table image.....
Taste and see that the Lord is good......
In the NT Jesus is often found around a Table..... in fact, last Sunday we gathered around this Table and were invited to taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
This morning, let’s listen to this invitation of Jesus from Rev. 3
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
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As we take in Christ....his life changes us. His presence in the person of the Holy Spirit enables us to fear the Lord....to trust Him....to revere him as Lord (to use Peter’s words).....
Conclude with prayer.....
Prayer....invite Holy Spirit to fill us with faith and an assurace of God’s love...... knowing that God’s perfect love casts out all our fears...... minister your grace to us....
