Fear that involves risk

Mt 1:18-25 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

I love Joseph’s obedience here. In what will become a scandalous, embarrassing event in the life of both Joseph and Mary, he obeys God and takes his wife. It cost him his reputation, his pride and control. The thing that God commanded that would sustain him through all of this was “Do Not Fear!” Do not fear what people think of you, do not fear what do to you and do not fear not knowing what will come next. I am in control.

Ps 2:11-12 - Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

I really think this verse describes Joseph. He served the Lord with fear and obeyed him without question. And literally, in his obedience of the Father, he kissed the Son. It is so crazy to think that the one whom he step-fathered is the on who he would take refuge in. May we follow God by fearing only Him that we may kiss the son and fear not the scandalous, reputation-hitting things that our decisions may endure.

The joy of fearing God

Zep 3:12-13 - But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

The prophecy of future peace assumes God’s sovereign rule. IF he can predict future peace by organizing events, he certainly can provide peace in the now. God is in control of all events for all time for His glorious purposes. Though mountains may shake and troubles may come, the doubts and fears that seem to barrage us are powerless to the great and mighty King who rules over everything.

Ps 85:8-9 - Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

God saving us is for His glory. The conduit of this occurring is rightfully fearing Him. He speaks peace to his people but we must not return to folly, the foolishness of fearing and trusting other idols to deliver or bring peace and satisfaction. Thank you Lord for providing for us the joy of being obedient to you.

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.