What is the Fear of the Lord, Really?
How Jesus rewrote one of the Bible’s most misunderstood commands
Have you heard someone say, “To fear the Lord means to revere or worship the Lord”? Do you know where this teaching comes from? And are you sure it’s true?
This is a big deal because there are many “fear of the Lord” scriptures. Are we allowed to replace the word “fear” with the word “worship”? Isn’t that like changing the Bible?
Fear and worship are different things. I fear sharks, but I don’t worship them. If I’m paddling my kayak and I get a bump from some deep, dark thing, worship is usually not the first reaction that comes to mind.
Sure, I respect sharks and I am in awe of these magnificent creatures, but it’s a terrified kind of respect. I prefer to respect them from far away.
Which is exactly how some people feel about God.
“God is terrifying and awesome and I’d prefer it if he stayed waaaay over there.”
It was Moses who commanded the children of Israel to “fear the Lord your God and serve him only” (Deut. 6:13). I imagine they didn’t take much convincing. They had seen Mt Sinai ablaze with the glory of God.
“Don’t touch that mountain. You’ll die if you do.”
The men who wrote the Old Testament often portrayed God as scary and untouchable. But do you know how many times Jesus said, “Fear the Lord”? Not once. He was more likely to tell people not to fear God.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)
(Sidebar: Matthew 10:28 is the exception that proves the rule, as I explain here.)
So which is it? Are we supposed to “fear the Lord,” as Moses said, or “be not afraid,” as Jesus said? It’s the second one, obviously. Your heavenly Father does not want you to fear him.
Pro tip: If you ever have to choose between obeying Moses or Jesus, choose Jesus.
You may have heard people say, “to fear the Lord is to worship him.” Do you know who said this first? It was Jesus.
In the wilderness, Jesus quoted – or rather, he reinterpreted – the words of Moses (Matt. 4:10):
Moses wrote: “You shall fear only the Lord your God…”
Jesus: It is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God…”
Jesus put a new covenant spin on an old law which means you can too. Any time you read a “fear the Lord” scripture, you have permission to replace the word “fear” with “worship” or “revere”.
Let’s look at some examples:
- “You who fear the Lord, praise him” (Psa. 22:23) can be read as, “You who revere the Lord, praise him.” Which makes sense, because why would you praise someone you’re afraid of?
- “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord” (Psa. 40:3). This can be read as “Praises to God pour out from within me. Many will stand in awe of the Lord and put their trust in him.”
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psa. 111:10) can be read as “Honoring the Lord is the first step to wisdom.
Sin teaches us to fear God (see Gen. 3:10), but your Father wants you to know how much he loves you. He does not want you to be afraid of him. There is no fear in love.
If you fear God, ask him to reveal his love for you. When you know how much he loves you, you will never fear him.
Indeed, you won’t be afraid of anything.
Except maybe sharks.
—
What readers are saying about E2R:
“When I came across the works of Paul Ellis I wanted to cry, jump around, and dance all at the same time. Finally, someone else was speaking the pure, unadulterated grace of our Lord Jesus. Praise the Lord for the words that the Holy Spirit has filled Paul Ellis with. They point to Jesus in everything! This is what the world needs to hear! This is what the world is hungry for!” – T. Carpenter, USA
Did you know that 74 percent of people reading this aren’t free email subscribers? That means they’re missing out on their free introductory Grace Pack and are the last to know about new articles. Sign up today and get weekly words of grace sent straight to your inbox.
I love this and wish everyone would read! Such a good explanation!
I agree, but it does beg the question: Why use the word fear? I think, first, fear didn’t mean the same thing that it does today, or at least included more meanings (like reverence). Second, reverence isn’t a strong enough word for what one’s disposition should be toward God. I love to hear your response.
It’s complicated. The Greek verb phobeō (also listed as phobeomai in some dictionaries) can mean either to be afraid or to show reverence. Different forms of this verb appear in Revelation 14:7, 15:4, and 19:5. Both meanings are legitimate, so translators must decide which best fits the context. Read different Bibles and you will find some say “fear,” others say “”worship.”
What is interesting to me is how a word can mean both fear and reverence. I think it is a connection that is lost on us modern people. The image that comes to mind to me is they way most people are around their favorite celebrities (like young girls screaming at a Beatles concert). We are so overwhelmed by the experience that we feel something like fear even though we know they won’t harm us. When I think of fear of the Lord in an experiential way, that’s what I think of. Being so overwhelmed by who He is that you are trembling (like Philippoans 2:12). A great example is the fear that the disciples have in the boat after Jesus calms the storm.
I guess it’s like those English contronyms that can have two conflicting meanings (e.g., fast, oversight, screen, strike). I think your example of Beatlemania is a good one. The prophet Hosea spoke of a time when the sons of Israel would return to the Lord trembling in response to his goodness (Hos. 3:5).
Hi Paul,
Interesting that in English translations only one word is used for fear. In Spanish “fear” direct translation is “miedo”. But the Bible does not use that word in the verses you mentioned. It uses another word “temor”. The first word has a meaning close to what fear means in English (like the fear of sharks), but the word used in the Bible “temor” has a different meaning, closer to “reverence” or “respect”. When Jesus says: “Do not fear” is referring to when we are afraid. He doesn’t cancel the concept of “having reverence or respect for the creator. So in English the phrase “the fear of the Lord” could be translated “the reverence or the respect of the Lord.” Except the uses in Mt Sinai, which is referring to fear like panic. A expression we don’t see in the new covenant. I hope it makes sense the way I explain it, coming from a different culture.
—JA
I think that makes perfect sense.