By the Rev’d Chris Willis – 2^nd March 2021

There’s an awkward word that keeps cropping up in the Bible. It’s one which it is difficult to explain, and seems to sit somewhat incongruously against our expectation of a loving God. 

The word is fear. 

We read in the Bible, ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’; Israel is told they need to ‘fear the Lord, walk in his ways and love him’; Psalm 2 tells us to ‘serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way’.

But maybe this is just an Old Testament phenomenon. After all, isn’t the Christian God the God of love? And yet there it is again, right bang smack within the New Testament, in Mary’s song of joy, when carrying Jesus within her womb: ‘she sings, ‘His mercy extends to those who fear him’. Even right at the end of the Bible, in Revelation, a voice from heaven declares, “Praise our God, all you servants, you who fear him, both great and small!”[5]

What sort of God is this that I am supposed to fear? 

The truth is, there are two types of fear illustrated within the Bible. There are two types of fear we experience. One is protective and positive, and the other debilitating and anxiety inducing. 

Fear of course can be helpful. It stops us touching a flame, or driving too fast. I personally become jelly legged when standing on high building looking over the edge as my knuckles become white, gripping the rail, hoping that rust has not weakened the rail itself, lest I and the rail take the quick way down! 

The negative fear is not the one which the bible applies to God. That negative fear occurs when we are threatened, or our peace of mind is robbed from us. It happens when a phone call, like the one I had the other day, advised me that a warrant had been issued for my arrest unless I paid my taxes. Of course (I promise!!) this was a fraudulent call, aimed at conning me.  Yet these things can cause fear and anxiety for many. They debilitate us and rob us of peace of mind. 

Yet the fear of God is liberating, and frees us to live and walk with him in fullness of life. It removes anxiety. 

The way I find it most helpful to think about the fear of God, is like a mountain. The view is awesome and terrifying. The immensity of the peaks which tower over you are breath-taking. They feel like you could reach out and touch them, yet at the same moment make you feel incomparably small when weighed against these mammoth natural structures. If we then climb or ski or walk on the mountains there are inaccessible places; and always a healthy respect is essential. To be casual and contemptuous of a mountain is a bad idea. And I have often found this a helpful metaphor by which to see the awesomeness and immensity of God. The God who is love. The mountain does not actively seek my destruction, but should I be contemptuous of the mountain it won’t be long before I get into difficulty. The mountain after all was already awesome and majestic before I decided to climb it, or indeed for those who prefer descending to ascending, to ski it! And God is also awesome and majestic and mighty, and as we approach him, in his immense love, grace and compassion, it is also right to do so with ‘reverent fear’, or as the writer of Hebrews puts it, ‘reverence and awe’.

The Apostle Paul made it clear that in Christ we need no longer live in [negative] fear, as we have been made children of God. Yet one fear remains for those who trust in Jesus, that which is positive and notices the awesomeness of a God, the God who is love, and calls us to abide with him. 

I hope you have found this helpful. May you know how great the love of God is for you!

Prayer:

Lord God, we thank you that we can call you father. You are a good father, without flaw, patient and forgiving. Forgive us for times when we might have treated you too casually, and help us also not to misunderstand you and let anxious fear rob us of the intimate relationship you call us towards with yourself. Help us to have a reverent fear, one which wonders at your awesomeness and majesty, and delights in living in you. We pray this in the loving name of Jesus, who is Christ. Amen.

[1] Proverbs 9:10

[2] Deuteronomy 10:20

[3] Psalm 2:11-12

[4] Luke 1:50

[5] Revelation 19:5

[6] 1 John 4:8

[7] Hebrews 12:28