Is everyone caught up? Ok, the second thread I see running through all of these is what is commonly called "the fear of the Lord". In fact it's been on my mind so very much that I've asked the Lord to teach me that fear. I know we've discussed this before so I looked for the thread and bumped it up for us so any who want to review it can. It's The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning of Wisdom
I did a quick search in the Bible for the phrase "fear the Lord" and came up with 82 hits in 81 verses in the ESV Bible. (I used that one as it generally gives the most accurate information when looking for specific words) The KJV gave 75 hits in 74 verses. Then I tried the phrase "fear God" and got 34 hits in 34 verses.
Here's a couple of examples:
1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Luke 12:4-5 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
This verse from 2 Corinthians is often translated "terror of the Lord".
and of course the ones we're most familiar with:
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
What I'm afraid of is that we don't really know what it means to fear the Lord.... it's not REAL to us....or maybe it's just me.... Let's pray that the Lord in His mercy will teach us, guide us, and give us wisdom and discernment about "the fear of the Lord", that we can better serve Him.
Since I asked the Lord to teach me about this I've been noticing something in the bible as I read and study it daily. I noticed before too but I guess I just never related it to this before. All through the bible you see statements like this, very matter of fact, like they thought it was a plain as the nose on their face and needed no explanations:
2 Chronicles 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 24:24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.
2 Chronicles 26:19-20 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.
Nehemiah 4:15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
Nehemiah 2:8 ...And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
Ezra 9:7 From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
Ezra 8:18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, ...
Ezra 6:22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 32:22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.
As you can probably tell lol all I did was quickly scroll back through the books I've been reading and copied a few of the verses from them. Did you notice anything similar about all those verses? Let's go back and read them again, only this time, let's imagine that these are things that are happening right now-today. You can even fill in the names with names from our current history if you want.
Are you starting to see what I am? They are describing every day events and major events in their lives, both good and bad and saying that the Lord was responsible for these things and the way things worked out. Can you imagine what that would look like today right here in America? Let's pretend for a moment what that might look like if it did happen here. We might here something like this:
Take the oil spill for example. When some people suggested that it was because of the hand of the Lord they were often ridiculed.
Or how about the weather that's been so crazy and even devastating all over the world this past year and more? Again when someone says that it's the hand of the Lord, people often ridicule them.
If someone suggests that a military win or defeat or stand off is because of the Lord they're ridiculed.
When a ruler actually does something right, who is given credit? Usually it's the people themselves that take the credit. You hear speeches about how "the people won" because "they stood up to the government" etc or other things like that. I don't recall ever hearing it suggested that the Lord changed the governments mind....or that He had any hand in it at all.
When lightening struck the building where the Lutherans were meeting when they decided it was OK to accept gay priests, people laughed at those who suggested God's hand might have had something to do with it.
I guess what I'm beginning to wonder is if just maybe we've become "too civilized". The things like those I mentioned above are always written off as ridiculous, coincidental, and superstitious now days.
Like last week when I went to the grocery store and after not finding something I really needed for 2 months, they finally had it, and I jumped up saying "Thank you Lord!" quite loudly lol There was no doubt in my mind that the Lord was behind the fact that the store had finally stocked that item again, yet I know that many people looked at me as though I'd lost what few wits I still had!
I have continued to ask the Lord to teach me to fear Him so that I can know the "fear of the Lord" so that I can please Him and plan to continue to ask for this.
I'd like to point out one other thing about this too. See how the fear of the Lord is linked here to not complaining and not arguing? (It's also linked in other places with not lying, not worrying, not swearing, etc.)
Philippians 2:12-16 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
Those who fear the Lord are not going to swear, lie, worry, grumble, complain etc. They'd be to afraid to do so! You know who I think of when I think of the "fear of the Lord"? Abraham, when he obediently went to sacrifice his son to God. Now that to me is the perfect illustration of the fear of God. Would any of us have been obedient if we heard God telling us to do something like that? I wish with all my heart that I could say that I thought I would be, but I don't. I don't think I would have done it. Why? Don't I love Him enough? Don't I trust Him? I think it's because i don't fear Him enough. That's why I've asked Him to help me work on this.
I can't wait to hear what you all think about this!
Complaining & How it all comes together
I did a quick search in the Bible for the phrase "fear the Lord" and came up with 82 hits in 81 verses in the ESV Bible. (I used that one as it generally gives the most accurate information when looking for specific words) The KJV gave 75 hits in 74 verses. Then I tried the phrase "fear God" and got 34 hits in 34 verses.
Here's a couple of examples:
1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Luke 12:4-5 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
This verse from 2 Corinthians is often translated "terror of the Lord".
and of course the ones we're most familiar with:
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
What I'm afraid of is that we don't really know what it means to fear the Lord.... it's not REAL to us....or maybe it's just me.... Let's pray that the Lord in His mercy will teach us, guide us, and give us wisdom and discernment about "the fear of the Lord", that we can better serve Him.
Since I asked the Lord to teach me about this I've been noticing something in the bible as I read and study it daily. I noticed before too but I guess I just never related it to this before. All through the bible you see statements like this, very matter of fact, like they thought it was a plain as the nose on their face and needed no explanations:
2 Chronicles 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 24:24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.
2 Chronicles 26:19-20 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.
Nehemiah 4:15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
Nehemiah 2:8 ...And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
Ezra 9:7 From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
Ezra 8:18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, ...
Ezra 6:22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 32:22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.
As you can probably tell lol all I did was quickly scroll back through the books I've been reading and copied a few of the verses from them. Did you notice anything similar about all those verses? Let's go back and read them again, only this time, let's imagine that these are things that are happening right now-today. You can even fill in the names with names from our current history if you want.
Are you starting to see what I am? They are describing every day events and major events in their lives, both good and bad and saying that the Lord was responsible for these things and the way things worked out. Can you imagine what that would look like today right here in America? Let's pretend for a moment what that might look like if it did happen here. We might here something like this:
Take the oil spill for example. When some people suggested that it was because of the hand of the Lord they were often ridiculed.
Or how about the weather that's been so crazy and even devastating all over the world this past year and more? Again when someone says that it's the hand of the Lord, people often ridicule them.
If someone suggests that a military win or defeat or stand off is because of the Lord they're ridiculed.
When a ruler actually does something right, who is given credit? Usually it's the people themselves that take the credit. You hear speeches about how "the people won" because "they stood up to the government" etc or other things like that. I don't recall ever hearing it suggested that the Lord changed the governments mind....or that He had any hand in it at all.
When lightening struck the building where the Lutherans were meeting when they decided it was OK to accept gay priests, people laughed at those who suggested God's hand might have had something to do with it.
I guess what I'm beginning to wonder is if just maybe we've become "too civilized". The things like those I mentioned above are always written off as ridiculous, coincidental, and superstitious now days.
Like last week when I went to the grocery store and after not finding something I really needed for 2 months, they finally had it, and I jumped up saying "Thank you Lord!" quite loudly lol There was no doubt in my mind that the Lord was behind the fact that the store had finally stocked that item again, yet I know that many people looked at me as though I'd lost what few wits I still had!
I have continued to ask the Lord to teach me to fear Him so that I can know the "fear of the Lord" so that I can please Him and plan to continue to ask for this.
I'd like to point out one other thing about this too. See how the fear of the Lord is linked here to not complaining and not arguing? (It's also linked in other places with not lying, not worrying, not swearing, etc.)
Philippians 2:12-16 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
Those who fear the Lord are not going to swear, lie, worry, grumble, complain etc. They'd be to afraid to do so! You know who I think of when I think of the "fear of the Lord"? Abraham, when he obediently went to sacrifice his son to God. Now that to me is the perfect illustration of the fear of God. Would any of us have been obedient if we heard God telling us to do something like that? I wish with all my heart that I could say that I thought I would be, but I don't. I don't think I would have done it. Why? Don't I love Him enough? Don't I trust Him? I think it's because i don't fear Him enough. That's why I've asked Him to help me work on this.
I can't wait to hear what you all think about this!
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