Fear of God
Fear the Creator
It is critical that one adopts an Ancient Middle East mindset in order to comprehend the absolute authority of the Creator. The ancient mindset was dominated by the collective interests, a focus beyond the four dimensional world, personal accountability and the will of the gods over the will of men. This is in complete contrast to the Western Civilization mindset, which is predominately driven by individualism, materialism, rights and the will of the people.
He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”
"You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord."
“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord."
"You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God."
"Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you."
"You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God."
How on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.'
"Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!"
"That you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long."
"It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear."
And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.
So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
"You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him."
"And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you."
"And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always."
"And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again."
"And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them."
"And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you."
Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
“If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God."
Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law.
"And that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
"So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”
“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord."
If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.
Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God.
Hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.
And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth.
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”
And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them.
"But you shall fear the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice."
And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods.
"And you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods."
"But you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”
"That they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers."
And he charged them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart."
And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.
So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?"
The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
"I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many."
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”
Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow.
For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
A God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?
Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
Nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children.
He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
He will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.
Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear.
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men."
And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.
“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings."
So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives.
Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts.
Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
"Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”
I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.
They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.
Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.
And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
The voice of the Lord cries to the city— and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: “Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!"
I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name.
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me", says the Lord of hosts.
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
A devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”
So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation."
And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
"The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”