The Fear of the Lord

Holy fear is God-given, enabling men to reverence God’s authority, obey His commandments, and hate and shun all forms of evil (Jer. 32:40; Gen. 22:12) – The New Bible Dictionary, p. 419.

To hate evil; pride, arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverted mouth – Prov. 8:13.

“Reverential fear” of God is a controlling motive of the life, in matters spiritual and moral, not a mere “fear” of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him, a “fear” which banishes the terror that shrinks from His presence, Rom. 8:15, and which influences the disposition and attitude of one whose circumstances are guided by trust in God, Acts 9:31; Rom. 3:18; 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 5:21 – Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, p. 230.

“Profound, adoring, awed respect” – Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, p. 983.

Deut. 10:12 What did the Lord God require from Israel?

Do you think that the Lord requires this from you as well? Why (1 Pet. 1:17; 2 Cor. 7:1)?

How can a person learn to fear the Lord (e.g., Heb. 12:28, 29)?

Are you reading God’s Word and applying/obeying it in service to Him, so as to get to know Him? How often, and why?

Prov. 23:17 Instead of letting our hearts envy sinners, how should we live?

Do you live in the fear of the Lord always by respecting Him through hating evil and obeying His commands, and why?

Eccles. 3:14 God has so worked (in His sovereign rule so that His purposes for His creations will definitely be fulfilled) that men/people should do what?

Are you fearing (intensely, deeply, humbly, honoringly, adoringly respecting) the Lord? If so, how?

Eccles. 12:13 When all has been heard regarding wisdom in living on earth, what conclusion should be true of every person?

Do you fear the Lord by so respecting Him that you hate sin, and therefore, don’t commit it, but instead obey His commands?

Why?

Isa. 8:13 Since the Lord of hosts is to be regarded as holy, what should He be to us?

Do you fear (intensely, humbly, honoringly respect) the Lord so much that you not only reverence Him, but you are genuinely and extremely reluctant to disobey Him? Why?

Matt. 10:28 Who are we told not to fear?

Rather, who should we fear?

[Destroy – Gk. word “appollumi” means loss of well being or ruin, as in Matt. 9:17.].

Who do you fear more, God or man, and why?

1 Pet. 1:17 How should we conduct ourselves during the time of our stay on earth?

Do you conduct yourself with fear (humble respect/reverence for God) while here on earth, or do you just live to please yourself?

Why?

If you don’t, how could you acquire such fear/reverence for God? Will you?

Psa. 25:12 What will the Lord do for the man who fears/reverences Him?

Do you desire the Lord’s guidance in your life?

Will knowing this motivate you to fear God? If so, how?

Psa. 31:19 What has God stored up for those who fear Him by avoiding/shunning sin and obeying Him instead?

Have you experienced God’s great goodness in your life?

If not, could it be because you do not really fear the Lord?

Psa. 103:11, 17 How great and how long is the Lord’s lovingkindness (loyal, steadfast, and faithful love) toward those who fear Him?

Does it matter to you whether you experience God’s lovingkindness or not, and why?

If it does matter, will you begin to faithfully and daily fear (obey) Him?

Psa. 115:13 What will the Lord do to those who fear Him?

Have you been experiencing God’s blessing/goodness upon your life? If so, how?

If not, do you think that a lack of fearing the Lord could be a reason why the Lord’s blessing is being withheld from you?

Psa. 145:19 What will God do for those who fear Him?

Why do you think this is true?

Will knowing this motivate you to reverence/fear God, and why?

Have your desires (prayers) been fulfilled (answered) by the Lord?

[God may not grant them immediately, but He will in His perfect time.].

Psa. 147:11 What does it say about those who fear the Lord?

Do you think that the Lord favors/takes delight in you, and why?

Prov. 19:23 What does the fear of the Lord lead to?

Besides real qualitative life, what other benefit is received from fearing the Lord?

Do you sleep satisfied (securely and peacefully), or do you stay up worrying at night because of how you’ve been living or who might get/harm you, and why?

Prov. 22:4 What is the reward of humility and the fear of the Lord?

Do you desire this reward from the Lord? Why?

Lk. 1:50 Toward whom is God’s mercy upon generation after generation?

Does it matter to you whether you are the recipient of God’s blessings or not?

Do you even think that God’s blessings are worthwhile having? Why?

Psa. 90:11 If one understood (took to heart) the power (intensity) of God’s anger and fury against sin, what would be given to God?

Do you ever stop to think about God’s anger or wrath against sin?

If so, how does thinking about it affect you, and why?

[If you have a problem with sinning, meditate on: Acts 4:32 – 5:10; 12:19-23; 2 Sam. 6:6, 7 with Num. 4:15; 2 Chron. 26:16-21].

Jer. 10:6, 7 Why should God be feared (humbly, deeply, honoringly respected)?

Do you think that God deserves your reverential respect, and why?

If so, how do you specifically show/express it, and how often?

Ex. 20:18-20 Besides coming to test the Israelite people, why else did God come to the smoking mountain?

Does the fear of (deeply, humbly, and honoringly respecting) the Lord keep you from sinning, and why?

Prov. 3:7; 16:6 How does one keep/turn away from evil?

Do you desire to keep/turn away from evil, and why?

What specific steps are you taking to keep away from evil?

Prov. 8:13 What is the fear of the Lord?

How much do you hate evil, and how is it evidenced?

Are there sins in your life that you enjoy and simply refuse to stop committing?

Is the pleasure you derive from that sin (or those sins) more important to you than pleasing and respecting God, and why?

Psa. 112:1 Who is blessed/happy?

Fearing/revering the Lord is equivalent to what?

Are you fearing the Lord, that is, delighting in His commands by obeying them, and why?

Neh. 5:9 Because Nehemiah was concerned about the Lord’s reputation being upheld, why did he tell the Jews to walk in the fear of God?

Are you concerned about upholding God’s reputation through your lifestyle?

Or, do people mock God because of the hypocrisy/inconsistency/sin in your life?

Deut. 4:10-14; 31:11-13 What were the people who assembled to hear Moses’ words to learn (vs. 10)?

And how were they to learn to fear God (vs. 10; 31:11, 12)?

How much time do you spend being taught by, that is, listening to God’s Word, the Bible, so that you learn to fear the Lord by getting to know what He’s like, and thereby, respect/reverence who He is, awesome?

How much time should you be spending getting to know Him through His Word if He’s God and awesome, and why?

Deut. 6:1, 2 What was Moses told by God to do, so that the Jews might fear the Lord?

Do you have a teachable attitude when it comes to listening to God’s Word, or do you turn a deaf ear?

Is your attitude one of willing obedience to what you read as an expression of your fearing God?

If not, when do you plan on developing such an attitude, and how?

Psa. 86:11 Because David wanted to have undivided reverence for God, what did he ask God to do for him?

Have you ever asked God to grant you a healthy fear of/respect for Him? If not, why?

And when will you? [Claim 1 Jn. 5:14, 15, since you know it’s God’s will to fear Him].

1 Sam. 12:24 What did Samuel want the people to do as a result of considering what great things God had done for them?

Besides your salvation, what other great things has God done or is doing for you?

Do you even take the time to think about all the great things God has done for you, or do you simply take God for granted?

Jer. 5:22 What questions did God ask of the people of Israel?

What kind of attitude do you have toward God?

Is it one of reverence/awe, or is it one of indifference, and why?

1 Sam. 2:2 There is no one holy like Who?

Does the fact that God is holy, hates sin, and disciplines/punishes those who willfully persist in it cause you to fear God by hating sin too?

Why?

Psa. 7:11 God, who has indignation everyday, is what?

Are you motivated to reverence/fear God, knowing that you will be judged for all your actions, and why?

Heb. 12:28, 29 Besides receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, why should we offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe?

Do you even care that God is holy and just, and does it influence you to serve God with reverence (intense, humble, honoring respect) and awe?

Why?

2 Cor. 5:10, 11; Rom. 14:10-12 Where will all Christians have to stand/appear one day?

For what purpose?

What affect does knowing that you are going to be judged by God in the near future have on you, and why?

Do you think that just because you are a Christian and are guaranteed eternal life in heaven, that judgment day and gaining or losing rewards won’t matter? Why?

Gen. 6:13-22; Heb. 11:7 By faith and in reverence for God, what did Noah do?

Do you think that you would have spent 120 years building an ark since it had never rained before that time, while in the meantime, people around you probably thought you were crazy? Why?

Do you respect God so much that you’d spend many years of your life doing something the world sees as foolish/crazy, but for which God told you to do (e.g., evangelism, building up and training other Christians, etc.)? Why?

Gen. 22:1-12 God had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Since Abraham did not withhold his only son from God, what did God now know was true of Abraham (vs. 12)?

Do you think that God could say this of your life because of your complete obedience to Him, even in areas that are near and dear to you (e.g., such as giving up: a relationship with a girl/boy friend, a job/career, family, or school/degree) in order to obey God in evangelizing the lost and build up believers spiritually and be trained yourself to do so effectively?

If not, what steps will you need to take in order for this to be true of you?

Ex. 1:15-21 Why did the Hebrew midwives disobey the king and let the boys live (vs. 17)?

And because the midwives feared (intensely, deeply, humbly, honoringly, adoringly respected) God, what did He do for them (vs. 21)?

Would you be willing to disobey your governing authorities, if they told you to do something contrary to the Bible, and why?

Who would you fear more: the governing civil/political authorities or God, and why?

1 Ki. 18:3, 4, 12 Since when had Obadiah feared the Lord?

Because Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, what did he do?

Do you think that you fear God enough so that you would be willing to risk your life to save other believers, and why?

Neh. 5:15 Why did Nehemiah not take advantage of the Jewish people?

Does the fear of the Lord keep you from living just for yourself and instead cause you to think of others?

If so, how?

Hag. 1:12 What did the people show by obeying the voice of the Lord in rebuilding the temple?

Are you willing to obey God at any cost to you because you fear/reverence Him?

Or, do you only obey Him when it’s convenient for you, and why?