UPDATE: Please Read what Abmo has posted today on this topic. Go to this link: Fear
The fear of God has always been an uncomfortable place for me. I do get that God is so totally amazing and to be feared or reverenced. How can we not when we see the sky above us or the earth at our feet and understand the magnitude of our Creator?
But my background always painted God as a God to be feared for his judgement and wrath.
So it was with Joy that I read this verse in Psalms 130 this week. Joy and puzzlement. What do you think David meant when he said, "If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."
btw: The word here for feared is not the word used for simply reverence. It goes beyond that word to mean to frighten, (make) afraid, see, terrible (act, -ness, thing)
Any thoughts?
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Fear of God
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9 comments:
I think that those who delight in bearing a grudge are very afraid of this facet of His character. It is a fearsome thing to the religious mind -- this forgiving nature. forgiveness strips religion of all it's power.
Barb, it reminds me of Capon's writings in the book From Noon to Three where he wrote: "However much we hate the law, we are more afraid of grace."
That rings so true, doesn't it?
The living bible says it this way...
Lord, if you keep in mind our sins then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But you forgive! What an awesome thing this is. That is why I wait expectantly , trusting God to help, for He has promised.
As you can see it doesn't quite say the same thing. Fear (be afraid) becomes 'isn't He awesome'. Having a German wife and also having learned some German I can tell translating from one language to another is so dependent on a contemporary living connection (person) to each language and culture. So I think 'isn't He awesome' is the better rendering because it makes more sense in the context of the entire verse and thought.
Hi Barb,
I looked up the Hebrew word that is used in this Psalm, and to respectfully disagree, I think it is a Hebrew word that can be used in the awe and reverence sense, as well as in other senses, depending upon the context. :)
Here's the link for the word. I really do think that His grace, mercy, forgiveness, etc, is something to "fear" (stand in awe of, reverence, honor, respect, etc). It's a wonderful thing!
what I find amazing is that I always believed that Jesus was the atonement for sins...
and have come to see that there was already forgiveness.
like yom kippur
and old testament scriptures about grace and forgiveness.
Hi Barb,
I understand your uncomfortableness with fearing God. I see it a bit differently however. Again, this is for me and I could be wrong. I see God as so "terribly" good that my amasement mingles with fear. How can He love me? Why does He choose to be this close to me? I look at the world and all the bad stuff happening and I know that "in" this, there is a God who loves and forgives. He is sooo good, and I cannot understand it. I'm like a desert person, looking at the ocean. It's just too much. He loves me. Isn't that wonderfully scary? I fear Him, not because of His anger, but perhaps because of the absence of it. I fear Him, not because of His anger, but because He is so different from me. I fear Him, because the light is too much.
thanks
Barb,
"But my background always painted God as a God to be feared for his judgement and wrath."
Maybe like everything else in NOT knowing beyong what the 'letter' says, the need of having Father unveil-reveal to us the truth by His spirit, (the letter kills) of His judgement and wrath.
I find it amazing how the enemy of our soul delights in trying to keep us crippled through a very distorted view of that which is but for our good, e.g. His judgement and wrath.
Thank you all for adding to this discussion. Wow, so many aspects to it.
Also, check out Abmo's post on it today at his site at http://windblownhope.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/fear/
Good point, though sometimes it's hard to arrive to definite conclusions
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