Day 15 - Deut1:19-25 & Ex 1:17

Do Not Fear

Deuteronomy 1:19-25 - ¹⁹ “Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. ²⁰ And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. ²¹ See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ ²² Then all of you came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.’ ²³ The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe. ²⁴ And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. ²⁵ And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.’

This is an instant reply of sorts of the account that took place in Numbers where the Israelite sent out 12 people to spy on the land and 10 came back with a report of fear and 2 came back with a report of courage. Moses is now speaking to them reminding them of their sin of unbelief It is easy to notice a few things: one, it was clear to Moses and to everyone else, before they went to spy on the land that they were supposed to go up and take the land that was given to them. But, instead of moving forward and trusting God, they asked Moses to send out twelve people to spy the land. The idea, it seemed good to Moses, but he never paused for a moment to ask if it seemed good to God. I wonder in retrospect if he would have stopped long enough, if God would have commanded him not to. But, Moses didn't, and the rest is an unfortunate history of wandering and death and discouragement. When confronted with possibilities and problems, we always must go to God first, to seek his wisdom and counsel and strength so that when the time comes, we can live confidently, without fear, as we move forward in faith.

Fear God

Exodus 1:17 -But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

It is interesting as we progress canonically through the Bible how these verse relate in such unique ways. If the midwives did not fear God, Moses would never have been born. And the verse above shows Moses not fearing God, but fearing the people which ends up in turmoil. Fear of God must override our fear of men. Period. When our fear of men overcomes our fear of God we wander and waste our lives. Praise God for those courageous midwives.

Day 14 - Nu 14:8-11 & Genesis 50:19

Numbers 14:8-11 -
8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

I studied this last week and this is such a crucial moment in the history of the Israelites. The 12 spies just returned from searching out the land, and when they return, 10 have a bad report and 2 have a good report. The 10 rile up the Israelites with such fear that they are wishing the could be back in Egypt. This moment is the last hope for Caleb and Joshua and Moses to convince the people that indeed God is with them, they do not need to fear and they were promised this land long ago. But, the people would listen, they would not remember God's provision and miracles, and they set out to stone they faith-filled fearless men. God showed up and protected them, but as for the rest of the Israelites, 40 years of wandering in the desert was the result of their fear of God. Such a great reminder to trust God where he leads us so that we don't waste our lives wandering.

Fear God

Genesis 50:19 - But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?

Joseph comforts his brothers who are now fearing for their lives because their father Jacob is now dead. Joseph does not lose this fear of God which in turn he uses to reassure his brothers. Joseph fears God and because of this respect and trust that comes out of this fear, Joseph is able to have the proper perspective of God's will which overcomes any motivation of revenge. Can we say this today? Are other confident of our fear of God that they will not fear revenge or mistreatment on our parts?

Day 13 - Lev 26:6-7 & Gen 42:18

Do not Fear
Leviticus 26:6-7 -

6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

This is a great verse of the encouragement that comes when we fear God only and obey Him with our life. There is no need to fear anything when we fear God only.

Fear God
Genesis 42:18 -¹⁸ On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

Joseph clarifies to his brothers, before they know that He is their brother and think that He is pagan-serving Egyptian, that He fears God. By the mere mention of this idea of fearing God, assumes that it is both normal and comforting to hear someone say this. The fear of God is not talked about much anymore, but in this verse, Joseph in an effort to reassure these brothers, helps them trust Joseph that He won't mistreat them unfairly because of his fear of God. Fearing God restrains our will and our commands our obedience.

Day 12 - Ex 20:18-21

Exodus 20:18-21 -¹⁸ Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” ²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” ²¹ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

God had just finished giving the Israelites the 10 commandments. As His people came up to the mountain and with the conclusion of this important message, God helped the Israelites understand the importance of obedience to his commands by having thunder and lightning and a sound of trumpets accompany this great declaration. The response was a shaking of fear of God in such a way that they were terrified to listen directly God, but wanted Moses to be the mediator. But Moses assured the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you that the fear of him may be before you that you may not sin." It is a play on the same word. Essentially what he is saying is, Don't be afraid of God, but be afraid of sinning against God. Let this fear of His holiness and His might be the basis from which you avoid sin and obey Him. Fear God, but do no be afraid of God. Reverence Him, and be afraid of anything that is contrary to Him. This is a test we certainly do not want to fail.

Day 11 - Ex 14:13-14 & Gen 35:5

^{Do not fear
Exodus 14:13-14 - 13} And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

As the Israelites found themselves trapped with the Red Sea on one side and a host of Egyptians barreling down on the other, they were terrified and cried out to Moses in fear and the worst kind of complaining. Moses responded with such a merciful truth that it is really amazing. He says, "Fear not, Stand Firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.... The Lord will fight for you!" The only thing the Israelites had to do was be silent. Sometimes fear brings out the worst in us, and produces complaining and cursing and anxiety. God will fight for you, Moses assured, but just be quiet. That is all I ask. I will take care of it all, just don't say anything. When we fear God and not man, we will see the salvation of God. It will change our lives, our perspective and our decisions.

Fear God
Ge 35:5 - Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

I wonder what it must have been like to have the terror God fall on these towns. You have to imagine that the Egyptians experienced this in the middle of the Red Sea. What did these other towns see, or hear or experience so that they didn't pursue the Israelites. I am not sure about these towns, but I know when I fear God appropriately, I don't pursue a lot of things that I normally would. This is one of the greatest reasons for a correct fear of God. The more we know of God, the less we pursue things that are not of God.

Day 10 - Genesis 46:2-4 & Genesis 31:53

Do not fear

Genesis 46:2-4 - ² And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here am I.” ³ Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. ⁴ I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

Fear God

Genesis 31:53 -The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

I really love God's reassuring words here to Jacob (Israel) as he was heading back to see his son Joseph whom he thought was dead. The anxiety of moving to Egypt, the fear of the Egyptians, the worries of his health and the family dynamics must have been enough to cause him to fear. And God speaks to him during his sacrifice that evening through a vision. I don't believe it is a coincidence that God spoke in response to Jacob's sacrifice that evening, in that when we worship and seek God, he meets us their to calm our fears and speak words of comfort. Flashing back to his earlier years, Jacob refers to the fear of his father Isaac as his proof that Jacob will keep his promise with his father-in-law Laban. It is an interesting idea that we would make promises by swearing on the fear of God. I think the reason promises are broken so often is because we have no fear of God.

Day 9 - Genesis 26:23-24 & Genesis 31:42

<sup>Do not Fear
Genesis 26:23-24 -

23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

Fear God</sup>

Genesis 31:42 -If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

^{God speaks to Issac in this Do not Fear passage, encouraging him that he will keep his promise to bless Issac and multiply his offspring for Abraham's sake. Because of some issues with water wells and some of the mistreatment he is experiencing, he must have wondered what was going on. God speaks to him at night and encourages him with this promise. What an encouragement that God didn't forget him and yet what an honor to have a promise hanging on your dad. But what I love is how Isaac responded in this next verse.So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well. He worshipped God. How these verses should encourage us and lead us to worship our Father in Heaven who cares so intimately and knows when we need his help. With this same emphasis, the next passage of scripture, shows that Issac retained this understanding of fear in the right context, so much so that, it is called the Fear of Issac. May our fears be so transformed in the light of Christ that we become people who could be described as ones who fear God.}

Day 8 - Gen 21:16-20 & Ge 28:16

Do Not Fear
Genesis 21:16-20 - ¹⁶ Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. ¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. ¹⁸ Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰ And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.

Fear God
Genesis 28:16-17
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." [17] He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."





When hope was gone, God hears the voice of the boy, and responds to Hagar. His words "Fear Not" are followed by a promise to make Ishmael into a great nation, but also a supernatural opening of her eyes to see as well. A great reminder that, God not only hears our cry and commands us not to fear, but to trust in him as well. Jacob gets a similar experience after he wakes, and God opened his eyes during a dream. Jacob now experiences a new understanding of the closeness of God and grows in His fear of God. I think part of the reason we don't fear God is we don't know or believe in His closeness. It is similar to the pride we experience in long periods of stability and comfort and then a windstorm or a huge thunderstorm or flooding or when a 9/11 happens, it reminds us of our smallness. God is close and sometimes we are reminded of our smallness when God shows up unexpectedly. It leads to a proper fear of a powerful, almighty and holy God.

Day 7 - Genesis 15:1 (The first Fear (Not) in the Bible...)

Genesis 15:1 -After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

As far as what I can see, this is the first time God says to anyone, "Fear Not!" It came after a great victory, and yet, before the great miracle of a child. He is striving to be faithful and yet desiring so badly to see a child born to him. In response to his courage in defeating the armies and rescuing his nephew, God says, I am your shield, meaning I did and I will protect you. And, in response to his obedience not to take the wealth that the king of Sodom wanted to give him, he says, I will be your reward. Fear not, because I am your protector and I am you reward. I am all you need to fear. What a great reminder to us that he is both our protector and our reward. Are these not the two things that cause us the most fear? The fear of our lives being hurt seems to dominate most of our fears. But I think we also fear not having enough money to survive as well. And this next verse to Abraham (coincidentally?) is the first reference to fearing God and occurs when Abraham was in faith being obedient to God to slay his only beloved son. God proved to both Abraham and God that Abraham truly did fear God. The fear of God is the prerequisite for obedience. If Abraham did not fear God, he would not have made the three day walk to Mount Moriah. What have we not obeyed that shows our lack of fear of God?

Day 6 - Psalm 27:1

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?

I memorized this Psalm as a little boy to encourage me when I was afraid. I love this verse and now I quote it to my kids... The answer to his questions? I shall fear only God and there is no one and nothing that I should be afraid of...

Day 5 - Acts 20:22-24

Acts 20:22-24 (NIV)
"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. [23] I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. [24] However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.


Though this verse does not explicitly say, "Do not fear," Paul is demonstrating that neither prison nor hardships nor fear of man is enough to hinder him from completing the task the Lord has given him... Paul fears God. It is clear in this verse that fear can keep us from doing God's will. What are you fearing today that is keeping you from completing the task that God has given you?

Day 4 - Luke 12:4-7

Luke 12:4-7 (NIV)
"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. [5] 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. [6] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. [7] Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

I love that line. Do not be afraid of those who can kill you and do no more... He is talking about eternity and that is much more important than just here and now. Again, Jesus says, fear the one who has the real power with much bigger repercussions. And yet, again, he picks something of mass, sparrows, and identifies that even in his power, his eye is on the individual. He knows, cares for us, protects and watches over us. What a great God we serve!

Day 3 - Matthew 10:28-31

Matthew 10:28-31 (NIV)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. [30] And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.


We are not only not to fear men, but we are clearly commanded that we are to fear God. Don’t fear anything except God. Now this isn’t be afraid of God like you would be a cobra ready to strike or a mugger or war, but to hold in awe, worship and honor God as you would a king, as your creator, as your judge and as your Father in Heaven. He is all you need to fear. And when he becomes all we fear, he also becomes a sanctuary of peace and protection and safety as Isaiah says, or here, he says, he knows the number of hairs on our head. We are worth much more than sparrows and yet, our Father knows them intimately. Fear and love him. Fear and trust Him. Fear and honor Him.

Day 2 - 1 Peter 3:13-14

1 Peter 3:13-14 (NIV)
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 what they fear; do not be frightened."

I believe Peter was referencing the verse in Isaiah when he commanded the believers who were experiencing heavy persecution not to fear. I just love this verse, and I can't believe that I haven't really ever noticed it before. Don't fear what those who do not believe in a sovereign, good, powerful God fear. If we do, what are we saying? There should be a marked difference between what we fear and what the person who does not believe in a God fears... We have nothing to fear.

Here is a quote by John Piper:

"Why? Why would God be so displeased and offended if Isaiah or we feared men? The answer is that God had made many promises to his people that should have taken away their fear and filled them with confidence and hope; and so if Isaiah feared man, it would show that he doesn’t trust God’s promise. And when someone doesn’t trust an honest man, he is offended and displeased."

Don't fear what you read in the paper, don't fear what people will think of you, don't fear tomorrow, for God is in control.

Day 1 - Isaiah 8:11-14

Isaiah 8:11-14 - The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary;

This verse is first because it illustrates so clearly what we are not supposed to fear and who we should fear. Don't fear conspiracies, don't fear or dread what they dread. What they fear should not even be on your fear radar. Fear God only. He is your creator, your father, your judge and your protector. He is sovereign, good, holy, and righteous. Our fear of God is reverence, respect, awe, gratitude, and honor. He is the only one worthy to fear and when we realize that, he becomes our sanctuary of peace in this world gone crazy. Oh, what a great verse...

A fear (not) blog?

This idea of a Fear (not) blog was born out of a study that I did in Zambia in preparation for a sermon to a church on the occassion of a graduation from an HIV/AIDS training class. I looked at the classic story between David and Goliath and began to get intrigued by the word fear. I did some word studies and concordance comparisons. I had heard before that this command in the Bible "Fear Not" was the most oft-commanded verse in the entire Bible. But only after really studying this concept did it really hit me how practical and important this was for the Christian life and especially my life. So I decided to do a blog where I would progress canonically through the Bible looking for the verses that say, "Fear not!" As I would daily look through verses with the word fear in it, I noticed something else. There were just as many commands to fear not as there were commands to fear God and God only. I guess I had never see that before. I had heard that their were 365 verses in the bible commanding us to fear not. I have counted them up and I don't see it. But, as I went through the entire Bible and to my delight and astonishment, there were over 365 verses that talked about either fearing God or commanding us to not fear man. And they really are a one or the other. We are commanded to fear God and fear nothing else. Period. We can't fear something on earth and still fear a sovereign God. So, be encouraged, exhorted and check back daily because there are over 365 verses in the Bible that encourage us to fear (not), enough for a verse for each day.