The Fear of God

Exodus 17-20; Acts 3

“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’”

Exodus 20:18-20

At first glance, Moses seemed to contradict himself when speaking about fear. First, he told the Israelites not to be afraid; then, he said that the whole point of the dramatic sound and light display on Mt. Sinai was so that they would fear God.

Do we understand the difference between fear that separates us from God and a reverence for God that keeps us from sinning?

When this text is referred to in Hebrews 12:18-29, the invitation is to receive discipline from God so we can share in his holiness. We are invited up the mountain of the Lord through the atoning blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf so that we might know God’s voice in relationship and worship him with reverence and awe. Much of the Church is struggling with the lack of a healthy fear of the Lord and so there is little restraint to sin. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Will we respond to God’s tests and life’s challenges with humility and reverence, inviting God’s presence and grace into our lives?

“Lord God, I desire to grow in my reverence for you and in your presence in me, for your glory.”