Are you afraid to fear God?

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Pr. 1:7).

This verse is fairly well-known; so well-known, in fact, that I almost read right over it without stopping this morning. But something made me stop and go back.

It took me a little while to figure out what it was - what connection was my mind trying to make here? Finally, I got it:

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." The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was (Ex. 20:18-21).



The phrase "fear of God" is a stumbling block for many. People usually interpret it one of 2 ways: either they tiptoe through life terrified of making God angry, or they are so afraid to fear they emasculate it to just "respect."

 

The problem with these approaches is that God obviously isn't afraid to inspire true fear. Yet the only one who came to him at Mt. Sinai was the one he considered a "friend" (Ex. 33:11). It feels like a contradiction.

 

So, let's get back to Proverbs. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" used here has its root in a word meaning "to know by experience" (BDB Lexicon of the Old Testament). Why does that matter?

 

Because God has always wanted to be known by his people - to be experienced by them. He knows truly experiencing him is the only thing that will convince us not to try to experience everything else that offers itself to us. 

 

That's why fear is the beginning of this knowledge. It is right to fear knowing - experiencing - anything that would draw us away from God. Moses tried to warn the people ("Don't be afraid!"), but they were unwilling to push past the fear to the knowing.

 

The consequences were extreme. Despite being miraculously delivered from Egypt, they quickly began to be picked off by the destructive forces both within and outside of them. Their refusal to experience God as fully as Moses did left them vulnerable to experiencing the truly fearful things around them.

 

The fear of the Lord is not something we can neatly categorize into a cozy, theologically safe box. It is a entry point into an experience of God that will not only protect us, but also propel us into a life with him beyond our wildest imaginings.