A story of fear

Jonah 1:5-16 - Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

This is a long passage today but it really captures fear in many different extremes. The sailors feared the waves and the sea. They feared for their lives and called out to their gods to no avail. Jonah was sleeping and it showed that even though he was running away from God, he also was able to sleep knowing that God was in control. It is ironic that Jonah said he feared the Lord when if he truly feared him would have obeyed him. But when the casted lot confirmed the reason for the tempest, Jonah was thrown overboard and the ocean calmed down. The men feared the Lord exceedingly. Story is often a greater teacher, and in this story we see depicted the power of fearing God and nature. God once again shows that He is above all nature, powers and dominions. There is nothing to fear God but God Himself. May our fear lead to true obedience and heart felt worship.

The proper perspective of fear

Am 3:3-8 - “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it? “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”

The sovereignty and power of the Lord almighty scream through on this page. Though it is difficult to fully understand, nothing happens outside of God’s divine control. And because of that we must fear, not the current events, but the one who is in control of the events, working them through according to His divine plan. We are to fear the lion of Judah and we will not fear the daily events. Praise God for his goodness and His love for us.

Let all the earth Fear the Lord

Joe 2:21-23 - “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.

This is the first time that God speaks his words of comfort to both land and beasts. And the context shows that it is for the comfort of his people Israel. The early rains leads to a great harvest and it is God who controls it all. They do not need to fear because the Weatherman will take care of them. We are to rejoice because the Lord has done great things. As Romans 8:19-24 writes, “ The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. [20] For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. [22] We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” This verse in Romans clarifies that creation has indeed been subject to frustration and is moaning because of its decay. As God speaks blessing and comfort to the creation, he speaks it to mankind as well. Do not be afraid.

Ps 76:8-12 - From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet— when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land.Selah Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

This shows the reverse, the fear that the land should have of its ruler. What God says will be done and the Land will bear the result of the judgment. The lands will see that God is God, the one who is to be feared, by land and by Kings. We can’t forget the importance of fearing God the way that He deserves to be feared.

Fear that witnesses

Da 10:11-19 - And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Daniel was told twice not to fear in the presence of what appeared to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, and then Michael, the archangel. He was told not to fear, not only the vision of these spiritual beings in al their glory which left him totally useless, but also what was to come in terms of prophecy. When God commands us to not fear, he does so because he knows that fear eliminates peace, strength and courage. These are necessary if we are going to do what God has called us to do. When we do fear, we lose peace, we lose our strength and we lose our courage. When we lose our peace, our minds are not kept in Christ. Like Philippians 4:6-7 says that anxiety causes our hearts and mind to be infiltrated so that Christ is not in charge. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If we fear, we are not strong and do not have good courage. We need to strength and courage to be able to obey all that God has for us to do. Joshua is a great example of having to be prodded to not fear. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." If he is not strong and courageous, will not go where God wants him to go. Peace, strength and courage come when we fear nothing and go when we fear something.

Da 1:8-16 - But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Though this passage does not actually quote the fear of God, it shows how fear can change lives. The chief feared the king and thus was afraid to let Daniel do what his convictions demanded. But, Daniel feared the King and was willing to believe that He was able to make him healthy despite the lack of food that he would eat. Because Daniel feared God, the chief now understood the power and strength of God in a new way. It is a great contrast in fears, and a great reminder that fearing God is a necessary witness to a fearing world.

The beauty of an undivided heart, Part II

Eze 39:25-28 - “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore.

A lack of fear always seems to be front and center as a place of promise for his people. With so much to be afraid of, God promises that for His own glory, he will keep them safe. And I think that is a great thing for us to contemplate. As father protects his own children and takes glory in protecting them, how much more the Father for his children. When we fear, we are doubting not only his strength, but also the that brings Him glory. Everytime we do not fear in the face of fear, we bring glory to the Lord of all Lords. Peace in the midst of the storm witnesses that there is a God and that He is big enough to shelter us from all our storms.

Eze 11:19-24 - I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.” Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me,

The connection between fearing God and His name and praising and glorifying God in the passage is no accident. When we have an undivided heart, it allows us to focus solely on walking in the truth of God. When we walk in the truth of God, we will fear God. Worship is in essence fearing God. It is recognizing the power and might and soverighty of God and saying, “Who is like you?” Our fear of God is linked closely to His glory. And when we fear anything other that God, we steal his glory, we give it away… So pray for an undivided heart so that God may his Glory.

The beauty of an undivided heart

Eze 34:25-31 - “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

What an encouraging passage which refers to the new covenant to be put into operation in the Milennial kingdom. It goes to show how full his blessing will be that will bring peace, security, full knowledge of the Lord and a lack of fear. The promise is that they will know God is with them and we will rest in dependence on God. This is a great prophecy of not only the future, but also a reminder of what God desires now, in that we submit to the Lord our God as our shepherd now in whom there is nothing to be afraid. Psalm 23 Psalm 23:1-6 [4] Even though I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me… He is the answer to our fear.

Ps 86:11-13 - Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

To know the fear of God, we must have an undivided heart. We must learn the way so that we can walk in this truth. If we have a divided heart, if we don’t know the shepherd of our souls, many things will come in and cause fear in our lives. If we understand that the God we glorify, we will glorify forever, it will give us perspective in our days on earth. We must pray for an undivided heart to truly know God and fear Him only. Than weill be able to praise and glorify Him as he deserves.

Be Still and Fear God only...

Eze 11:7-8 - You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord God.

It seems that often the Lord’s discipline is often the result of our fears. When we fear something besides fearing God, he might discipline us with that fear itself. This discipline which came to the rebellious house of Israel shows how fear makes us do wrong things. They decided to fight instead of trust God. They feared the people and yet the thing they feared ended up killing them. What an urgent warning to us all to lay our fears down at the feet of God and spend more time worshipping Him than thinking about our problems and worries and fears. Worship Him alone.

Ps 46:10-11 - “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.Selah

What a great verses to come back to in our fears. In the midst of chaos and difficulty, we are called back to quietness and rest. God is in control. He will be exalted among the nations. He is with us. He is our strong fortress. All we need to do for God to be exalted is to be still and know, to really know, to feel the effects and understand the implications that He is God.

Fear that instructs

Eze 3:8-11 - Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”

Fear them not nor be discouraged by their looks… Don’t allow these stubborn people to cause you to fear nor do not allow their looks to dismay or discourage you. Don’t allow bad news to discourage. Don’t let threats or evil intentions or anything that like the cause you to fear. I am in control. I have a plan. I am compassionate. I understand these people. Therefore fear me by listening to me and obeying me. Fear me, not them.

Ps 25:12 - Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

This verse describes so many of the saints of the Bible. God is looking for people who do not fear anything except himself so that He can use them to accomplish feats for His glory. Fearing gives power and thus glory to those with less power and glory than God. Fearing God enables us to live without regard for anything else.

How Fear leads to worship

Eze 2:5-7 - And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

We are not supposed to be afraid. Of anything. Period. And then God labels what could cause fear. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be afraid of their words. Don’t be afraid of their looks. He does tell them not to be afraid of their words twice. God says “Do not be afraid” because they are a rebellious house and you are going to speak my words to them. If Ezekiel were afraid, he would give have given more power to evil than to good. But, God is above all and therefore, just as important as it is to not be afraid, it is just as important to fear God rightly. We will do one or the other when faced with a hard time. Do not fear God because fearing God replaces fearing words, people or looks. Fearing God frees to face our fears with confidence and victory.

Ps 22:23 - You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

In the midst of fear, the fear of God will not only replace our fear, but also lead us to praise Him. It is impossible to truly fear God and not be moved to praise by His power, love, goodness and mercy. As we grow in fear of God, we will grow in our confidence and our praise. The fear of God leads to the worship of God!

The blessings of right fear

La 3:55-57 - “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’

La 5:19 - You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.

Fearing God resolves the fear we feel. How we resolve our fear determines the result of our perspective that will either encourage or discourage us in difficult times. He comes near when we acknowledge our fear and responds with a tender command, “Do not fear!” His throne endures for ever. He is in control. But unless we go to Him in our fears, we will never fully understand that our fears will be swallowed up in His nearness. His fear is a gift. The more we seek Him the bigger He becomes and the smaller our fears become. The hard part is humbling yourself to seek Him.

Ps 33:18-22 - But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

This is a promise. Those who fear the Lord have the assurance that the eye of the Lord is on them. There is something special and unique about a person who fears God more than he fears anything else, and as you draw near to the God you fear, you will have a renewed awakening of fresh hope in his unfailing love. Fear involves an active hope and a faithful trust in God. It is that dependence perhaps, thrills the heart of the father, to keep His eye on you.

Don't be afraid of fear

Je 51:46 - Let not your heart faint, and be not fearful at the report heard in the land, when a report comes in one year and afterward a report in another year, and violence is in the land, and ruler is against ruler.

Don’t listen to the papers, the news or the gossip. Don’t listen to the predictions or the fears of man. Don’t listen to bad reports from anyone. Nothing is bigger than God. Nothing is more true than His words. Trust in God and His word as your answer and security. If we fear God as the only one worthy of fear, than you will not need to fear anything.

1 Ch 21:30 - But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

I think this is a great example of the only thing that is worthy of fear. Fear God only and be afraid of Him only. Rest in his His power, control, and his goodness.

Fear defined

Je 46:28 - Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”

This promise to discipline but not destroy Israel is a promise later confirmed by Paul in Romans 11. Despite their exile and the bleak future, when all seems lost, God again, gives them a promise that He will save them and so they do not need to fear! When it is true that even in discipline and bleak days that we do not need to fear, when ever should we fear?

2 Ch 19:7 - Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”

If the fear of the Lord is upon us, we will have no reason to fear anything. To often our worries are upon us, or our stresses, or our fears or our burdens. We must do what Peter commands us in 1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Fear is believing that you are without help in the world. Fear is belief in something that is not God, that is bigger than God, that threatens God's sovereignty. Fearing God is belief in a God. Fearing people or circumstances or systems or governments is belief that there is no God.

Serving and fear

Je 46:27 - “But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.

There is something the connects the command fear not with the phrase “my servant” that gives the command validity and assurance. And I guess the opposite is true that when we lose sight of this idea that we are His servant, when it becomes about our safety and our plans and our worries, when it becomes about us, than we fear. Submit yourself to God as His servant for Him to do whatever pleases Him for His glory, and you will not fear.

2 Ch 19:9 - He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord.

I think this really gives us the other side of the connection between servanthood and fear. We must serve. Period. For us to walk in fear of the Lord, we must humble ourselves as His servants. We must be faithful in our efforts and wholehearted in our devotion. There is a direct correlation between fearing God and walking humbly as a servant before him. When we lose sight of our position we will fear.

Witnessing the fear of God

Je 42:11-12 - Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. ¹³ But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God ¹⁴ and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’ ¹⁵ then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, ¹⁶ then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.

Again, God gives Himself as the reason to not fear. I am with you. I will save you. I will deliver you. I will grant you mercy. If I am on your side, you have nothing to worry about, literally. But, if you disobey God by not fearing Him and by not listening to His voice, than that which you fear will happen to you. It is so clear cut, and a great principle for us to consider, in that, sometimes God would allow that which we fear to happen as discipline so we can learn to fear God, only.

1 Ch 17:20-22 - “There is no one like you, O Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, O Lord, have become their God.

This is the desired result of fearing God, in that , God makes a name for himself. That is God’s ultimate desire and plan, to make a name for Himself through His people. As we fear God, the world will see our witness and they will fear God. If we do not fear God, who will? God wants us to fear Him and worship Him so that the world will see the glory of our God!