The Fear of the Lord - Its Benefits

John Hoole February 8, 2004

Last week our lesson was on "How to obtain the fear of the Lord." I was not able to finish the last point in the time allotted. Let me reiterate the seven points and continue.
1. First, we must choose with our will to possess the fear of God.
We must engage our wills and decide to treat God like He deserves to be treated. Proverbs 1:28-29 tell us we must choose to have the fear of the Lord.
2. Second, we should confess our desperate lack of this fear, and ask God for it.
Psalm 86:11 tells us: "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."
3. Third, recognize that God wants to teach you the fear of the Lord.
Psalm 34:11 (NIV) says, "Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD."
4. Fourth, revere the universal, non-optional principles of God's Word
Deuteronomy 17:19 (NKJV) speaks concerning the Word of God.
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes

5. Fifth, honor God with the first fruit of all your increase
The truth of this is brought out in Deut 14:22-23 NKJV
22 You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.
23 ЕЕthe tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.

6. Sixth, obedience is the fruit of fearing God
When we fear God, we will live holy lives. Proverbs 14:2 (NIV) reads, "He whose walk is upright fears the LORD,Е."
7. Seventh, desire the fear of the Lord with all our heart and strength
Proverbs 2:1-5 (NIV)
1. My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

In this passage we have several keys to understanding and gaining the fear of the Lord. As you read the passages on the fear of the Lord, notice the characteristics of those having the fear of the Lord. There are at least 6 conditions set down in these verses. And, if we observe these condition - that is, doing what they say, - we are promised that we will understand THE FEAR OF THE LORD and know god intimately.
Many of the prerequisites mentioned here serve to reinforce point #4, above, in that the Word of God is of vital importance to gaining the fear of the Lord. Here are the fundamental requirements and conditions for discovering the proper fear of the Lord, as stated in Proverbs 2:1-5.
1. Receive (accept my Words)
We need to come to the conclusion concerning the importance of God's Word, the Truth.

2. Store up my commands within you
For me, this statement speaks of Scripture memorization. We need a reservoir of truth that can be immediately brought into our decision making process.

3. Turn your ear to wisdom
We need to make a choice to listen attentively to what the Lord is saying to us.

4. Apply your heart to understanding
Take the truth of God to its moral and spiritual conclusion. It's called obedience. We have to apply God's truth to our heart.

5. Call out for insight
Let your desires and intentions be known to God as well as others. This includes persistent prayer.

6. Look for it as silver and search for it like a hid treasure
If you want a proper fear of the Lord, and to know Him intimately, be prepared to work for it. This would include a diligent study of His Word.

If you truly desire to stand in awe of God, and fear Him, action is required on your and my part. The fear of the Lord is usually not something which comes about automatically when a person first accepts Christ as their Savior. Just because someone has accepted Jesus Christ because they were afraid of hell, does not guarantee they possess the fear of the Lord.
Also, I should mention that if the fear of the Lord can be taught and learned, then it is possible to have that learning dissipate when not used. Forty years ago, the Unites States Air Force sent me to Syracuse University to learn the Russian language. But I have lost a lot of what I learned, simply because of disuse.
This can happen after learning to fear God. This is something we must desire and exercise every single day. And, not only every day, but all during the day.
Proverbs 23:17 NKJV
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;
All the day is quite a purpose-filled statement.

While we are under a New Covenant, it is important to note one thing: our duty to fear God has not changed. In the New Testament, four things are commanded in 1 Peter 2:17 NIV
17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Three out of the four commands given here have to do with our horizontal relationship, that is, our relationship with others. The only one mentioned concerning our relationship with God is we are to fear Him. Our duty to fear God has not changed.
Benefits of fearing God

Having examined, and now understanding that the fear of the Lord can be learned, what else can we learn about it.
Jeremiah 32:38-40 NKJV
38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God;
39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.

Why do you think God wants us to fear Him? Perhaps part of the reason is because there are benefits for fearing Him. He likes to bless His people. Just look at the verses we just read. Here we see that God wants to do us good, and promises He will not turn away from us. But He also does not want us to turn away from Him.
Let's look at the various blessings that are attached to fearing the Lord. I believe we will understand that there are many blessings for those that honor the fear of the Lord. Let's look at these blessings.
1. There will be benefits for your family
Х Security for you and your family
Proverbs 14:26 NIV
26 He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.
Being brought up in a godly home is more beneficial than in an affluent home. Godly parents pass on to their children something no money can buy.

Х Mercy from generation to generation
Luke 1:50 NIV
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
Deuteronomy 5:29 NIV
29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
When you fear God and keep his commandments, it will go well with you and your family.

2. There will be honor for the woman and man who fear God
Proverbs 31:30 NIV
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Being wise and fearing God is far more virtuous than possessing physical beauty.

Proverbs 22:4 NIV
4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.

3. There will be an avoidance of evil
Proverbs 16:6 NIV
6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
This is true because Proverbs 8:13 says "To fear the Lord is to hate evil." There is no stronger motivation to avoid sin than the fear of the Lord.

4. There will be true life and contentment
Proverbs 19:23 NIV
23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
The fear of the Lord helps us avoid trouble. Real fear of God means that you can rest satisfied.

5. There will be long life
Proverbs 10:27 NIV
27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
Solomon states a general rule here that is not without exceptions. In this wicked world, godly people may die young. But those who fear the Lord have a better quality of life and quite often a longer span of life.

6. There will be no lack of anything
Psalms 34:9 NIV
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
True fear of the Lord means living in reverence of and dependence upon God. Those who fear the Lord will live in the all-sufficiency of God.

7. The Lord will have compassion on those who fear Him
Psalms 103:13 NIV
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Like a good father, the Lord has compassion on, and feels for, His children. We serve a living God who is tender towards those who fear Him.

8. There will be fulfilled desires
Psalms 145:19 NIV
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
To the extent that we fear him and have respect unto God's wishes, God will have respect unto our wishes.

9. It will give pleasure to God
Psalms 147:10-11 NIV
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Instead of physical powers, God loves to see spiritual power in the life of his people. Do you want to please God? Then put your fear and hope in Him.

10. It will be a great treasure to us
Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
Do you want a strong foundation for your life during these times? Do you want God to release His rich store of abundance, with things like salvation, wisdom and knowledge? Those who fear the Lord will have them.

11. We will be blessed by God
Psalms 112:1 NIV
1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.
Once again, fearing the Lord and obedience to His commands are connected in the same verse.

Psalms 115:13 NIV
13 He will bless those who fear the LORD - small and great alike.
God is no respecter of person. He require obedience and trust from all people, small and great. And He will bless those that fear Him, small and great.

Psalms 128:1 NIV
1. Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
Before we can expect the blessings of God, we must fear him and walk where He directs.

12. We will have the companionship of others
Psalms 119:63 NIV
63 I am (David is) a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.
There is a common bond between all peoples who love God.

13. There will be guidance for us
Psalms 25:12 NIV
12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He (God) will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
Do you want God's direction for your life? The prerequisite is having the fear of the Lord. Do you need to know which way to go? Fear the Lord, and He will show you the way.

14. There will be healing
Malachi 4:2 NKJV
2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.

15. The goodness of God will be ours
Psalms 31:19 NIV
19 How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

God has so much goodness to give, that the Psalmist categorizes them into two parts or groups.
o Those which He has stored up for you who fear the Lord
o Those which are now being bestowed.

He has a reserve supply beyond counting. In the storehouse of Heaven, God has provided for all the needs that can possibly occur among his chosen one.

16. We will have deliverance from our enemies
2 Kings 17:39 NKJV
39 But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."
God wants to act on our behalf. But often there is the prerequisite of fearing Him.

17. God keeps his eye on you
Psalms 33:18 NKJV
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,
God is looking at you and me, not to see if we blow it, but is watching to see if those who fear him need his protection. Nothing can happen to us that He is not aware of and ready to act.

18. We will experience the protection of God
Psalm 34:7-9NKJV
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
24-hours per day, on every side, the watch is kept by sleepless angels. And their Commander is always aware of the enemy's designs upon His people. We will not know until we reach heaven, the countless times these unseen hands have delivered us from the wiles of the enemy.

Psalms 115:11 NKJV
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
He will protect you by putting a shield around you.

19. God hears those who fear Him
Malachi 3:16 NIV
16 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
17 "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.
Are you aware that God is listening to your conversations? Does that bother you? If you fear the Lord, it shouldn't bother us. The world may not want to listen to our conversation, But our God does, and He is proud of His children. The Lord says with pride, "Those kids are mine."

20. You will live a life of purity
Psalms 19:9 NIV
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

21. It will affect our marriages
Ephesians 5:21 NKJV
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

22. We will experience true worship
Psalms 5:7 NKJV
7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Joshua said, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Here David says, "but as for me, I will come to your house." I was raised to be in the house of God anytime its doors were opened. It is there, though not only there, where we, in reverence, worship our God. But wherever we are, whether in a car, the marketplace, in school, we can worship toward His holy temple in heaven.

23. We will receive daily provisions
Psalms 111:5 NIV
5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.

24. He is standing close by to help
Psalms 85:9 NIV
9 Surely his salvation (help) is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

So what have we learned about the benefits which accompany fearing God?
o Family benefits.
o honor
o avoidance of evil
o contentment
o no lack for anything
o fulfilled desires
o blessings of God
o guidance for our lives
o healings
o God's goodness
o deliverance from our enemies
o protection by God
o purity
o daily provisions

When we fear God,...
o we bring pleasure to Him
o and his compassion will be upon you
o and He will keep his eye on you
o and He hears you
o and He will be close by to help you

And in it all, we will experience true worship. I don't know about you, but that's where I want to be.
Conclusion

Today, and over the past several weeks, we have seen from a thorough study of the Bible a single concept of fearing God. It is not merely reverence and respect. Neither is it terror, where there is constant cowering before a damning judge. Nevertheless, it is fear. A fear mixed with a reverential awe. A fear that keeps us pure from sin. A fear that encourages us to live a life of obedience to God. And live a life of worship, with love toward God and the desire to bear fruit for Him.
I want to say something more about "the fear of the Lord." 98% of the time when the Bible speaks of our fearing God, it does not mean servile, cowering terror. It means awe, reverence, respect, veneration, obeisance, adoration and worship. Scripture makes it plain that God loves us and wants us to love Him. Servile, cowering, terror alone would only mean that God was monstrous and could not be loved. Scripture, however, is also aware that you and I are prone to trade on God's goodness, prone to become presumptuous, prone to regard his mercy as indulgence and his patience as tolerance.
For this reason 2% of the time when scripture speaks of fearing God, it doesn't mean awe or respect or reverence. It means plain, simple, ordinary fear.
We are to fear God. Inasmuch as we rightly fear him we will not be afraid of Him in the sense of sheer terror. To the extent that we have holy fear toward God, we will not fear anything else or anyone else.
The believer can fear the Lord or - fear man.
The believer can fear the Lord or - fear circumstances.
The believer can fear the Lord or - fear the devil.

This is no fear of miserable anxiety and debilitating intimidation. This is the awestruck reverence and overwhelming affection for the blessed and glorious God that fills the soul with confident joy!
It leads to angry hatred for sin and a passionate craving for holiness.
It causes sober trembling before His blessed Word and an eager desire to learn more.
It leads to a life of Godliness and love with fruit which the world can never grow, but to which they will be attracted.

Questions, comments & suggestions to John Hoole