Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Psalm 14:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
This mornings Bible study has been enlightening on the subject of Fear, Obedience and the the part they play in the Intervention of God in a person’s life. I know there are some reading this that will have already thought of these Bible verses. I included the descriptive markers from the NKJV to make a point,
1 John 4:17-21 – The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Obedience by Faith
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
The Apostle John has linked “Fear, Faith and Obedience in these few Bible verses. Before writing this I began my study of God’s Word with today’s verse of the day from the Tecarta app,
1 Peter 2:15 KJV
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
https://tbibl.es/90vz
As I do at times to get the context of a Bible verse I went back to the beginning of the chapter to see what this verse was speaking of. As I read I highlighted passages and words and clicked on the “pink” ones to read what Mr. Strong had to say about them.
Disobedient – Strong’s G544 means – From G545; to disbelieve (wilfully and perversely): – not believe disobedient obey not unbelieving.
- Thayer’s Definition –
- 1. not to allow one’s self to be persuaded,
- a. to refuse or withhold belief
- b. to refuse belief and obedience
- 2. not to comply with
The Apostle Peter in verse 6 also links “believeth” (faith) in the “Chief Corner Stone – Jesus” to NOT being “confounded.” The Strong’s and Thayer’s definition of “confounded” mention, to shame down that is disgrace, confound dishonour, b. one is said to be put to shame who suffers a repulse, or whom some hope has deceived.
Fearing God in a way that doesn’t take into account His Love, Compassion and Faithfulness is not a good thing and the Apostle John in verse 18 says that kind of fear can be a “torment.”
There is a “Good Kind of Fear” to have that Proverbs 9:10 speaks of. I believe the “Fear of the LORD” it mentions is a reverential fear of God. It’s the kind of fear that believes what God says He will do, He Will Surely Do!!! Satan on the other hand is always presenting for our consideration, “has God said?” questions to our mind to get us to disbelieve God’s Word.
As my Bible studying continued, I got to the devotional reading in MyDailyBible app for today, DailyPlan : one-year-tract : 2020-01-19 #Bible https://www.mydailybible.org/dp/esv/one-year-tract/2020-01-19.htm
In it we have the second time Abraham has shown his fear of man by telling the same half truth that Sarah is his sister now to Abimelech king of Gerar in Genesis 20. Abimelech, seeing that Sarah is a beautiful woman even at 90 years old takes her to be a wife to him,
Genesis 20:2-11
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
Abraham had assumed that Abimelech had no fear of God. The kind of fear that believes that if you kill a man to get hold of his wife will bring the judgment of God against you. Apparently Abraham was wrong in his estimation because in verse 8 Abimelech wastes no time in telling his servants what God has revealed to him about Sarah and Abraham. No one questions “has God said?” No one tries to tell Abimelech, ” maybe you ate some bad pizza causing you to have a weird dream.”
Abimelech speaks to Abraham and tells him of his understanding of sin and it’s consequences. “thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.”
In these few verses of scripture that I studied a clear picture of what having a “reverential fear of God” will bring about to reveal His Faithfulness to those who will take Him at His Word.
God tells Abimelech a very profound statement if you give it some thought,
Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Although Abraham has set up Abimelech and his entire household for destruction, God intervenes on Abimelech behalf by “withholding thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.”
God will NEVER cause a human to commit sin because it is totally against His Nature, the core of His Being but God can if He chooses direct man’s heart towards good.
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
It is a good thing if we “believe and trust God” and ask Him to give our heart “Good Desires,”
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
King David wrote a psalm by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that truly transformed my life in Psalm 51. It made me aware of many things from God’s point of view like “obedience is better than sacrifice.” That wasn’t the greatest thing I laid hold of in that psalm, it was this. I could ask God to give me a “new heart and Right Spirit” that could love Him the way I should have done all along. The wrong spirit in me had corrupted my heart and made it open to sin and disbelieving of God’s Word.
Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Psalm 51 made it clear, sin has consequences. When I finally came to understand this truth I was neck deep in them,
Psalm 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Today some preachers will never acknowledge that God punishes sin in this life with an unbalanced teaching of only “God’s Love, Mercy and Grace.” It is God’s Love, Mercy and Grace that allows us to get a taste of the consequences of our sin so that hopefully we repent and turn back to Him while there is still breath in our lungs to do so.
There is no doubt in my mind that God would have followed through with this statement if Abimelech had not “believed” God,
Genesis 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
Before you jump to conclusions and try to discount what happened here because this is “Old Testament” stuff and we are now in the “New Testament and Age of Grace” consider this,
Acts 5:1-11 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
Believing what God has said in His Word through direct statements by Him and examples of how He intervened in people’s lives is a very good thing to have. Disobedience is telling God, “I don’t believe You meant what You said” like satan is always whispering in the ears of mankind.
Having a “Reverential Fear of God” is a Good Thing. It’s not a fear that brings torment. It’s a fear that brings peace in and with God. I believe that having a healthy fear of God will bring His “Divine Intervention” into a person’s life the way He did in Abimelech’s. It brought a “Conviction and Leading of the Holy Spirit” that kept him from “sinning against God.”
Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Who in their right mind wouldn’t want God to lead them away from sinful thoughts and deeds,
Matthew 6:9-13 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Prayer To Our Dear Heavenly Father, “see our hearts and remove anything that’s standing in the way.” Because I KNOW He CAN, and WILL if we mean it.
In The Word 