I was recently asked what it means to “fear the Lord.” I admit, it seems like strange language! Elsewhere in the Bible, we’re told that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), so why are we repeatedly encouraged to ‘fear the Lord’? I’m glad you asked!
In modern vocabulary, when we talk about “fear,” we often mean “phobias.” For example, I am afraid of spiders. I know it’s completely crazy, and they can’t hurt me, but I still have a deep fear of them. In fact, whether it’s a shark or a spider, I have a similar over-the-top reaction. I’d like to say I’m working on it, but honestly, I have no intention of dealing with spiders, so I’ll just keep my distance and hope they leave me alone.
All this to say, when the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, it’s not about my irrational spider phobia. I recently heard a fantastic teaching on Proverbs 29:25 that says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Again, in this verse, we’re not talking about phobias; the author isn’t referring to an irrational fear of man, like my fear of spiders.
A notable example of the fear of man is found in 1 Samuel 15. God sent King Saul on a mission, through the prophet Samuel, to completely destroy their enemies. However, King Saul decided not to destroy everything and kept the best of the best. When Samuel confronts Saul for his disobedience, Saul’s first reaction is to deny it and insist he did obey God (1 Sam 15:20). That’s not a great start—if you’re taking notes, arguing that we’re right while God is wrong when He convicts us of disobedience is not a good approach. Fortunately, Saul eventually admits that he did disobey, but he adds an excuse: “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men, and so I gave in to them.” (1 Sam 15:24). He was afraid of the men he had just led into a victorious battle.
Later in that same conversation, Samuel refuses to go back with Saul, but Saul begs him: “I have sinned. But please honour me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” (1 Samuel 15:30).
King Saul shows us that the fear of man is not a phobia but rather a deep concern to please others, maintain good relationships, and avoid offence. Saul preferred to displease and disobey God rather than displease man. Even when confronted with his wrongdoing, Saul asked Samuel to make an appearance with him so he(Saul) could still please man by appearing to be in God and Samuel’s good graces. In this manner, both the fear of the Lord and the fear of man are similar – they drive us to seek the approval, avoid rejection, and strive for harmony with either man or God. Unfortunately, the fear of man and the fear of the Lord have very different agendas. Ultimately, we need to choose which one we really want to please, even if it comes at the expense of the other.
I love the song “Fear of God” by Brooke Ligertwood and its repeating chorus that says: “Satan roams around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us, but the fear of God will keep us. Let him keep scheming, let him keep trying; he knows the hour is near, but the fear of God will keep us.” In other words, the concern for what pleases God, the desire to seek His approval, and the drive to be on good terms with Him are what truly keep us.
