Turn in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 1. Proverbs chapter 1, we're going to consider the fear of God as set forth in the Proverbs and in other portions of Scripture. This morning we looked at Matthew chapter 10. The Lord Jesus gives as a reason why we ought not to fear men, we ought to fear God.
He says, do not fear those who can kill only the body, but rather fear Him who has the power, the ability to destroy both body and soul. in hell. So it would be good for us to increase, grow, develop the fear of God, cultivate it in our own hearts as that will hopefully displace the fear of man that unfortunately lurks in our hearts as well. I just want to read Proverbs 1 verses 1 to 7 and then we'll look at some of the passages in this great book. The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
To know wisdom and instruction. Perceive the words of understanding to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity. To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.
To understand the proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Amen. Let us seek the Lord again in prayer.
Opening Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for your word. We pray now for the Spirit to guide us and truly in our hearts cultivate the fear of God. We just pray that we would not fear men, that we would not fear peers, that we would not fear friends or foe, but we would faithfully and consistently testify and confess Jesus Christ before men. We praise you God for your mercy and for your grace and we pray that you would supply that even now and we ask through Christ the Lord.
Amen.
Introduction
Well this is introductory in the book of Proverbs. Notice in verses 1 to 6 what we have is the purpose for the book of Proverbs. In other words, when Solomon takes pen to paper, and he starts to record these various proverbs that he has rehearsed with his sons. He gives the design.
He tells what it's for, to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity. to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. All of these are his aim in this particular book. But then notice in verse 7, the necessary prerequisite to receiving God's wisdom. It is the fear of Yahweh.
It is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. In other words, in order to receive God's wisdom, in order to function properly in God's world, in order to conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with His Holy Word, the prerequisite, the presupposition of the fundamental element that is necessary in our hearts is this fear of the Lord. So it is good for us to understand what this doctrine or what this concept means biblically and then, as I've mentioned, to try and cultivate it in our own hearts so that we may rightly relate to our God.
Just a couple of men that we can quote in terms of a working definition of what the fear of God is. John Murray, in his book Principles of Conduct, describes the fear of God as the soul of godliness. The fear of God is the soul of godliness. Jerry Bridges in his book trusting or hoping or something in the fear of God says there are three elements involved in the fear of God.
He says reverence toward God in recognition of his infinite worth and dignity. Reverence toward God. Respect toward God. Honor toward God.
And then he says admiration of his glorious attributes to stand in awe of what God or who God is. God is Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. It is good for us to admire those attributes in our reading from the prophet Isaiah. In fact, it is in the prophet Isaiah that God reveals Himself as the Holy One of Israel so many times in that prophecy.
So we not only are reverent toward God in recognition of his infinite worth and dignity, we admire his glorious attributes, and then he says, and we are amazed at his infinite love, the reality that our God has bent to bless us so richly that He has stooped to save us, that He has condescended through His Son to deliver us from hell, from damnation, and from sin, and bondage, and the devil, and all bad things, we ought to stand in amazement at the infinite love of God. Then finally, John Murray again defines it this way, The fear of God in us is that frame of heart and mind which reflects our apprehension of who and what God is, and who and what God is will tolerate nothing less than totality commitment to Him. So the fear of God in us is that frame of heart and mind which reflects our apprehension. We understand, we know something about who and what God is and where we stand in relationship to Him.
And he says that fear of God demands nothing less than totality commitment to Him. Great working definition. So
Four Observations on the Fear of God
I want to make four observations, as I said, primarily from the book of Proverbs, though we will venture out of this particular book on a couple of occasions. Four observations concerning the fear of God, and then a couple of practical applications. The first is that we need to understand that
Fear of God Is Wrought by Grace
the fear of God is wrought, or placed there, or put in the heart by the grace of God. The fear of God is wrought by the grace of God. In other words, I cannot preach to an unbeliever, you need to fear God the way the scripture says. No, you need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
Newton captured it well in that fantastic hymn, Amazing Grace. He says, "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear." We need to understand that man outside of Jesus Christ, man apart from the gospel, does not fear God. Now there may be certain aspects or elements about God that are scary to him, but in terms of this apprehension of who God is, and what God is, and a realization that He demands totality commitment from us, and that reverence, and that admiration, and that amazement, the unbeliever simply does not have that. Remember in Romans chapter 1, the Apostle Paul introduces his theme in verses 16 and 17.
He said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. If we were to ask the question, why is that, Paul? Verse 17, for in it, for in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. that just as it is written, the just shall live by faith.
That's the thesis statement for the epistle to the Romans. The apostle is going to explain the gospel. Now notice that Paul does not start with God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Paul starts with the wrath of God in Romans 118.
He says, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Why? Because they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. God has made this world, God has made man in his image, God has stamped himself upon the soul, and yet man denies the very existence of our gracious and great God.
Paul then says that Gentiles are dead in their trespasses and sins. Moralists are dead in their trespasses and sins. Jews are dead in their trespasses and sins. And then he summarizes his entire argument, beginning in chapter 3, around verse 9, and he takes it to verse 20.
And in verse 18, when he's corroborating this thesis that God or that sinners are rejecting God, they do not honor God as God, they're not thankful to Him, Paul tells us that there is no fear of God before their eyes. Man apart from grace, man apart from the gospel, man who is a stranger to the covenant of grace, man who is dead in his trespasses and sins, does not fear God. It is through God's grace. It wasn't just Newton who taught this.
The prophet Jeremiah, or God through the prophet Jeremiah. In an announcement concerning the new covenant, God the Lord says, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good. Beautiful language. That's our God.
He covenants. He says, I will not turn away from you to do you good. Incidentally, this is the passage in the prophet Jeremiah. He says, I will plant you in the land with all my heart and all my soul.
But in verse 40, he says, I will put my fear in their hearts. so that they will not depart from me." We need to understand that the fear of God is wrought by the grace of God. If there is a proper fear, if there is this reverence toward God, an admiration of His glorious attributes, an amazement at His infinite love, maybe you haven't ever encapsulated it that way, but you say, yeah, I'm tracking, that's true of me, then praise God for sovereign grace. Praise God that He taught your heart to fear, that He put His fear in your heart so that you would be rightly related to Him. John Flavel, the Puritan, says, this fear of God is a gracious habit or principle planted by God in the soul.
Isn't that beautiful? We don't tell unbelievers, hey, you need to learn how to fear God. We tell unbelievers, believe on the gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus. We trust God to plant the fear of God in their hearts.
He says, this fear of God is a gracious habit or principle planted by God in the soul, whereby the soul is kept under an holy awe of the eye of God, and from thence is inclined to perform and do what pleases him, and to shun and avoid whatsoever he forbids and hates. It is planted in the soul as a permanent and fixed habit. To fear man is natural, but to fear God is wholly supernatural. It's the first observation.
Fear of God Affects Our Thinking
Secondly, the fear of God affects our thinking. The fear of God affects our thinking. It's an interesting thing that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2.16. He says, with reference to believers, we have the mind of Christ.
When Jesus is asked, what is the greatest commandment? He answers with the Shema. He answers with Deuteronomy 6, 4. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. The Lord Christ highlights that reality in terms of total commitment to the living and true God. Notice He speaks of our mind. He speaks of rightly relating to God intellectually.
He speaks of rightly relating to God in terms of how we think, in how we rationalize, and in how we reason. We see that in Proverbs 1, 7. The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge. Until you fear the Lord God Almighty, You may have certain bits and pieces of truth by virtue of God's common grace, but you don't understand the way things are.
You don't understand the way things ought to be. You are borrowing capital. You are using things from the Christian worldview. Proverbs chapter 2, verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
You see, we ought to give ourselves wholly and totally to God, not just in putting off sin, though we ought to, but in the way we use our minds, the way we think God's thoughts after Him. This fear of God ought to affect the way that we engage the intellect. Proverbs chapter 9. And verse 10, similar to 1-7, "...the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 14 and verse 26, "...in the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge." And then in Proverbs 15, in verse 33, the fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.
So you see, when we have this fear of God planted in our hearts by God, when we have this disposition, it ought to affect the way that we think. It ought to affect the way that we reason. It ought to affect the way that we interpret the world around us. We ought to take God's Word and use it as the lens, use it as the means by which we make heads or tails of the world around us.
Fear of God Affects Our Actions
Thirdly, the fear of God does affect our actions. The fear of God affects our actions. Notice in Proverbs 3 and verse 7. Do not be wise in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord and, here it is, depart from evil. Don't run to evil, don't engage in evil. Those who have this gracious disposition planted in their heart, this fear of the Lord, when they fear the Lord, they will run or depart from evil. We see this in Proverbs chapter 5.
Notice in verse 21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. Now I realize speaks nothing of the fear of God there, but the entire chapter is pressing upon men the necessity to guard their hearts from sexually immoral women. Proverbs 5, verse 8, remove your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house.
Proverbs 5, I think it's around verse 12. Rejoice with the wife of your youth. And here in Proverbs 5, 21, remember that the Lord God Almighty is watching where you go, He's watching what you do, and He is observing the conduct that you engage in. Remember that.
He ponders those things. Do not go into her house. Proverbs 8, verse 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.
Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Proverbs 15 and verse 16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble. Proverbs 16 and verse 6, just to show you how these things are indeed to affect us in our thought, in our practice.
In mercy and truth, atonement is provided for iniquity. And by the fear of the Lord, one departs from evil. So perhaps if you have a problem with a particular remaining sin, you have a problem continuing in a particular pattern, what you ought to pray is, Lord, increase the fear of God in my heart. Help me to get a better view of who you are.
Help me to have more of an appreciation for your attributes. Help me to stand in awe and amazement at your love, and help me to revere you and fear you. Because as I ponder God in that way, as I consider Him in His beauty and in His glory, as I consider Him in His excellence, then perhaps that will overflow my soul such that I will not go and engage in that particular activity." Joseph in Potiphar's house. What's driving that man?
It's the fear of God. How can I do this and sin against God? Proverbs 19 and verse 23. Proverbs 19 and verse 23, the fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction.
He will not be visited with evil. So the fear of God is wrought by the grace of God. The fear of God affects our thinking. The fear of God affects our actions.
And
Fear of God Preserves the Soul
fourthly, the fear of God preserves our soul. We've already read that in Jeremiah 32, 40. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, here it is, so that they will not depart from me. You see, it's not Calvinism that teaches the perseverance of the saints.
Well, they do. But it wasn't Calvinism or Reformed theology that developed the doctrine. This is a God-wrought promise connected to the covenant of grace. I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me.
When you read through the New Testament, when you read passages like John 10, where Jesus says, I have them in my hand and nobody shall pluck them out. When you read Philippians chapter 1, I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will complete it onto the day of Christ. When you read Romans 8, where Paul says, I'm convinced there is nothing that shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, that is by virtue of the covenant of grace sworn by the Father. Jeremiah 32, I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me.
The fear of God preserves our soul. The fear of God is absolutely crucial. I submit we ought to seek by the grace of God to cultivate it. Proverbs 14, 27.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. To turn one away from the snares of death. Proverbs 10. and verse 27. Proverbs 10, 27, the fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 22 and verse 4, by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 23, 17. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day, for surely there is a hereafter and your hope will not be cut off. And then Proverbs 31, 30.
Proverbs 31, 30. Perhaps a very known passage to the young ladies and older ladies in our church, the description of the godly woman, the virtuous woman. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing. That's a reality, isn't it? 20s, you're motoring along, you look good. 30s, you start to recognize there is such a thing as gravity. 40s, 50s, all of that stuff sets in.
You see, beauty isn't everything. Charm isn't everything. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates.
It is the fear of God most high. graciously planted in the soul that affects our mind, that affects our actions, that under God's grace preserves us and keeps us and will ultimately bring us into His heavenly glory. The fear of God is a good thing.
Application
Let's just make a couple of observations or applications and then we'll close. The first thing is
Cultivating the Fear of God
the cultivation of the fear of God. If the fear of God is a good thing, how do I get more? Well, ultimately, you go to God. God is sovereign.
God is gracious. It is God who delivers the goods. It is God who implants. It is God who flourishes or causes it to flourish.
God causes it to grow. We do have some things in the scripture, though, that ought to inspire it. It ought to promote some admiration of His attributes, some reverence in His sight, some amazement at His love, the realization that the fear of God characterized our Savior. You see, it's a good thing.
The Lord Jesus Christ feared the Lord. The prophet Isaiah, there shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse and a branch should grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord. This is what marked the Lord Christ as man. He communed with God. He feared the Lord.
This was a disposition of heart that he possessed. The consideration of God's omnipresence God's omnipresent. Psalm 139. Read that psalm sometime with the view, with the goal of cultivating the fear of God.
Where can I go? If I ascend to heaven, there you are. If I descend into hell, there you are. You are the one who knit me together in my mother's womb.
You are the omnipresent God. Wherever I am, there you are. That ought to promote the fear of the Lord. a consideration of God's omnipotence, God's power, God's strength, God's magnificent. The prophet Jeremiah 10 says, Do.
That is repeated again in Revelation chapter 15. Who would not fear Thee in light of Your power, in light of Your majesty and Your excellence and Your glory? Certainly the Christian who has the Spirit of God, who has that disposition implanted there by sovereign grace, can cultivate it by a view of God. That prophet, or what we read in Isaiah 40, verses 12 to 31.
I mean, stand amazed at that. God, let that promote the fear of God. in your hearts. He measures the Earth in the span of his hand. He knows the names of the stars.
There's hundreds and billions of galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars in each one. I got five kids and I mess up their names. It used to be at the time they all started with Micah, you know, because he must have got a lot of the attention in terms of parental discipline. So you talk to Lindsey, you talk to Josh, it's mutt Lindsey.
You mess up five kids. He numbers the stars. Fear him. He is sovereign.
Fear him. Birds do not fall out of the sky apart from his will and decree. Fear him. He knows the hairs on your head.
Fear him. Cultivate the fear of God by considering who God is. This is why a study of theology is important. Theology proper.
Who is God? His essence. He is triune. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
His works, creation, and providence, and redemption. His attributes, holiness, goodness, justice, love, mercy, all of those things ought to promote in our hearts a righteous fear of God. As well, with reference to a cultivation of the fear of God, a consideration of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you, Lord, Psalm 130, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
The psalmist goes on to say, but there is forgiveness with you that, what? You may be feared. When we have been begraced, when we have been washed, when we have been blood soaked in the lamb, we ought to fear God Almighty. The cultivation of the fear of God.
Corporate Worship and Godly Fear
Secondly, by way of application, there ought to be a corporate manifestation of the fear of God. And by that, I mean church. I was thinking recently, it would have been an odd sight at the base of Sinai to find somebody selling lattes or fraps. I don't even like saying frap.
Could you imagine the congregation of Israel walking before the thundering God of Sinai in some laid-back, casual manner. You say, well, that's Old Covenant Israel. That's the theocracy. That's the people back then.
You know, it's interesting in Hebrews chapter 12, while there is contrast between the two covenants, The old has passed away. The new is a better covenant founded on better promises. It affords a better hope. Nevertheless, there's continuity between those covenants, vis-a-vis the doctrine of God.
Notice in Hebrews 12, 18, for you have not come to the mountain that may be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore, for they could not endure what was commanded. And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling. This is Sinai.
The Apostle's saying, you've not come to Sinai, but, verse 22, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. This is a contrast between Old Covenant and New Covenant. That's what the author is developing here. the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who speaks.
For if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken. As of things that are made, that the things which cannot be or which cannot be shaken may remain." Now notice the implication.
Here's a therefore, here's his practical application. Therefore, since we, those who have come to Mount Zion, those who have come to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, not talking about those who went to Sinai, Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably." What's that mean? That means the worship of God is not a free-for-all. It means we don't get to define.
It means we don't throw our felt needs into the hat and pick them out and structure a service accordingly. Acceptable worship is defined by God. Acceptable worship is mandated and regulated by God. Now notice, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably, here it is, with reverence and godly fear.
You see, when we approach in the corporate place, when we gather for worship, the primary function The primary purpose, the primary focus is on God. It's not on our therapeutic needs. It's not on what we perceive to be helpful for me. It's about God.
It's the Lord's day. It's not your day. It's not my day. It is the Lord's day.
It is the Lord's house. And as a result of that, let us come acceptably, let us do so with The Harlem Shake and Gangnam Style ought not to be brought into the church. We ought to approach God with efference and godly fear. That's the emphasis of the text.
Now notice the underlying reason is found in verse 29. pulled right out of Deuteronomy. Yes, it was applicable to the covenant people of Israel in the Old Testament. Yes, it was applicable at the foot of Sinai, but it's the same God, so it's the same application with reference to the saints in Zion who come to Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant. Paul, or the Apostle, says, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Why? For our God is a consuming fire. We ought not to seek entertainment. We ought not to seek self-help.
We ought not to be here first and foremost for the social element. It is good to talk to brethren. It is good to fellowship with one another. It is good to catch up with the saints.
All of those things are blessed corollaries of the primary reason the Lord's Day is there and the Church of Christ exists, so that we may come with acceptable worship to our God and approach Him with reverence and with godly fear. And then
Call to Unbelievers
thirdly, with reference to unbelievers, you should fear God, but you don't. Romans 3.18 again says, there is no fear of God before their eyes. The place that you need The one you need is the Lord Jesus Christ." Newton was absolutely spot on reflecting the theology of Jeremiah 3240. "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear." And God is gracious.
God is merciful. Christ did die and rise again. And he says, all that the Father gives me will come to me. And the one who comes to me, I will certainly not cast out.
If you have not come to Christ, come. That means believe the gospel, believe the truth as it is in him, and you will have everlasting life. It is Calvary that is the first stop. It is Calvary where you need to go.
Well, let us pray and ask the Lord to save sinners and to strengthen in our hearts the fear of the Lord.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the Proverbs. We thank you for these other passages, the promise of the new covenant, and how we give all glory to you, God in heaven. It's not that we stumbled onto these things.
It's not that we developed in our own hearts the fear of the Lord, but it's you who planted this in us, and we give you praise and glory and thanksgiving. We ask that you open hearts of others. We pray that as the gospel has been preached throughout the world today, we ask God that it would not return unto you void, but it will, in fact, accomplish the purpose for which you sent it. Peter says we are to consider the long-suffering of our Lord to be salvation.
We know there are other centers and tribes and tongues and people and nation groups that have yet to be called out of darkness. So God, send your word, conquering and to conquer, and bring multitudes unto your dear son. Go with us now, we pray. Watch over us in this coming week and help us to have a right view of you, Lord God, to stand amazed at your love, to admire your attributes, and to revere you, and to honor and to glorify you.
And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
Scripture References
- Deuteronomy 6:4
- Proverbs 1:1-7; 2:5; 3:7; 5:8; 5:21; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26; 14:27; 15:16; 15:33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 31:30
- Psalm 130 130
- Psalm 139 139
- Isaiah 40:12-31
- Jeremiah 10; 32:40
- Matthew 10
- John 10
- Romans 1:16-17; 1:18; 3:9; 3:18; 8
- 1 Corinthians 2:16
- Philippians 1
- Hebrews 12:18; 12:22; 12:29
- Revelation 15