Fear of the Lord
Fear of the Lord, as described by Solomon in Proverbs 9:10, should be taken literally. Fear is consistently applied in five Bible translations. Only Jesus can change the relationship.
WARNINGSTHE NARROW PATH
Trace Pirtle
2 min read
Periodically, I talk with fellow believers about Biblical wisdom. In most simple church settings, or along the narrow path, we all agree with Solomon when he wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV).
Most of us have no problem with the word “fear” in association with God. We have read the Old Testament and know what happened to Nadab and Abihu (Aaron’s sons) when they offered unauthorized incense to the Lord. God consumed them with fire (see Leviticus 10:1-2).
But occasionally, a bold soul will disagree and state emphatically that we do not need to fear a loving God.
The last time I heard this, I was attending a local church’s Christmas program. The program was highly offensive as it was a skit that portrayed Jesus’ birth from a “ghetto” perspective.
I was certain a heavenly lightning bolt was on its way to incinerate all of us in attendance. God spared us that time, and that’s when I heard the “love is love” mantra and that God is not to be feared.
Fear of the Lord: Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
So here I am reflecting once again on the experience. I decided to consult Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible to see how “fear” was used in Hebrew. Here’s what I discovered:
Strong's Hebrew 3374: 1) fear, terror, fearing 1a) fear, terror 1b) awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear) 1c) fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety 1d) revered.
No surprises in translation from Hebrew to English. And then I wondered if any of the various Bible translations had perhaps changed the sentiment of a word as powerful as fear.
Fear of the Lord: Various Bible Translations
I looked at the following Bibles and found:
King James Version (KJV): “Fear”
New King James Version (NKJV): “Fear”
New International Version (NIV): “Fear”
English Standard Version (ESV): “Fear”
New American Standard Bible (NASB): “Fear”
Even the Message uses: “Fear-of-God”
Thus, regardless of whether one version is considered traditional or contemporary, the scholars who translated the respective versions all agreed on the word “fear.”
When Fear of the Lord Becomes Understanding
So, I pray that we all agree that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It’s unwise NOT to fear Him, and He has set a fiery precedent for the unwise.
But when can we move beyond the terror of God? Until the blood of Christ saves us, we can’t; however, Scripture tells us: “Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are no longer at enmity with God the Father. We can now know the Father because we know Jesus, and Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30, NKJV).
I believe this is when we have knowledge and understanding of the Holy One—God the Father who becomes Abba Father (or Daddy). When Jesus, Abba Father, and the Holy Spirit call us friend (see John 15:15).
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Read other Narrow Path entries:
Daily Christian Reflections
Walking With Jesus
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