Episode Details

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I give all praise and thanks to you. In wisdom you have established all your works, and you have done all things well. I praise you for your love, the greatness of your mercy, compassion, and patience is boundless toward me. I praise you for your jealous love, and that with you abides no evil – even unto the discipline of your children. In faithfulness you have done them all. I lay myself before your feet, and I ask that you would fill me with strength and wisdom to walk in your ways. I can do nothing without you. Strengthen me according to your word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”

Meditation

The fear of the Lord begins with acknowledging God, but it also includes having reverence for God. Psalm 24:21 provides a good example of this aspect of the fear of God: “My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise”. The relationship between fear and the LORD’s kingly office draws this out. One does not run in mortal terror from their king, though in the wrong circumstances they might be in mortal danger from him. One swears fealty to him, and shows reverence and respect toward him.

The Apostle Peter does something similar in 1 Peter 2:17, when he says: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” Again, the ideas being associated with fearing God here include showing honour to others, and so revering God, standing in awe of him, and respecting him are all folded up in the idea of fear. When you look at the stormy ocean crashing on a rocky shoreline, it’s an awesome sight, and you begin to understand how immense and powerful it is in comparison to us who are small and powerless. As we consider the stars and the magnitude of the universe, and we realise that God spoke it into existence, there ought to be awe and reverence in our attitude toward him.

Be ye doers of the word…

The application here is very clear: treat God with reverence. Hebrews 12:28 says “let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” This is a very clear statement on the aspect of fearing God that we’re talking about here. When Nadab and Abihu came before God without reverence, seeking to worship in a way that he had not commanded, they were consumed by fire. God is not to be taken lightly, he is not to be treated flippantly, he is a consuming fire, and unless he saves us, we are all as kindling for the flame. “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps 2:11-12). Kissing the son is a sign of reverence, submission, respect, and honour. This is what it means to fear the LORD.

How ought this reverence to express itself in our daily lives? Our language of God ought to be reverential. We ought not to speak flippantly of him, and we ought not to be party to any speech that is not worthy of him. Our conduct also ought to be submissive to him. Israel of old paid lip service to God with their words, in Isaiah 29:13 the LORD indicted them: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men”. Herein is the heart of the matter: Where is our heart toward God? Is he far from us? Far from our affections and thoughts? Out of the heart the mouth speaks, and out of the heart the hand moves. Do we sincerely take his word seriously? Our response to his word in heart, speech, and deeds, is an excellent barometer as to whether or not we truly