Does God want us to be afraid of Him? Let’s talk about it!
I remember what it was like to want to know God and at the same time be afraid of Him. Honestly, I had many nights when I would be afraid to go to sleep because I thought God would send me to hell.
It wasn’t until I was honest with God about my fear that things started to get better between us. I know I’m not the only one who has been afraid of God because even the children of Israel preferred that Moses spoke to them rather than God.
This is what we will get into today, but what about you? Where are you in your journey with God? Are you afraid of His presence?
Do you sometimes think that God is waiting for you to mess up so that He can exile you? There are many nuances to fear, but believe it or not fear can be healthy.
Today we’re going to have a little bible study and talk about why a loving God would ask us to fear Him and more.
This post is all about does God want us to be afraid of Him.
Are you ready? Let’s geaux!
Why Would A Loving God Ask Us To Fear Him
God is a person who is very orderly. He doesn’t create without there being a purpose and He doesn’t make anything without intricate detail.
If you were to look at anything in this life, you will find that everything was created with order and structure.
For example, there is a family structure typically consisting of a father, mother, and a few children.
The children are under the parent’s authority because they are being trained up to function in society.
Fear is within this dynamic masked as respect and reverence for said authority.
We also see this when we’re on a job. There is “fear” for the person who is in charge because of there authoritative power.
You respect their position and have an understanding of your own position within the company. When it comes to God, the concepts are similar.
God isn’t asking you to be afraid of Him. He is saying to revere Him as God; the one who holds your life in His hands.
You are God’s child and He supplies everything. The one thing He wants is for us all to get to know Him like we always were meant to.
Did you know that Blissful-Faith has a podcast? Yes! We just relaunched our podcast! OGs know that we had a podcast back in 2020, but we’re back and better OKAY. Our podcast is exclusively on Spotify for now, but later we will be on other platforms. Click the image below to listen!
What Does Fearing God Mean In The Bible
There are many scriptures about fear of the Lord in the Bible.
Here are a few:
Proverbs 9:10-The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-The end of the matter all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.
Psalm 111:10-The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding his praise endure forever!
Proverbs 19:23-The fear of the Lord leads to life and whoever has it rests satisfied, he will not be visited by harm.
Isaiah 11:2-3-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.
The fear of the Lord looks like having an attitude of respect and submission. Knowing our position and that those around us are equally important in worth and value.
Taking our rightful place as God’s offspring and responding to His obligations for our lives. Loving Him with all that we have internally and externally recognizing that it all belongs to Him.
Being dependent knowing that He is a Father to us first.
The fear of the Lord comes down to us having allegiance to God and allowing that allegiance to affect our value, convictions, and behaviors. It’s loving Him so much that we never want to disappoint Him.
Did you know that Blissful-Faith has a podcast? Yes! We just relaunched our podcast! OGs know that we had a podcast back in 2020, but we’re back and better OKAY. Our podcast is exclusively on Spotify for now, but later we will be on other platforms. Click the image below to listen!
Bible Study On The Children Of Israel
Exodus 19:9-10 NIV-The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”
God wanted the people of Israel to know that He was actually speaking to Moses. He wanted them to always put their trust in the fact that Moses was hearing from Him. It was important for the people to set themselves apart for the Lord’s coming. It’s similar to what He asks of us today. When we are going to the Lord, we want to come to Him with our best (not faking it, but giving Him the best of what we have). We also want to reverence Him because He isn’t as common as we make Him out to be.
Reflection Question: What is something you do to consecrate yourself when going to God?
Exodus 19:16-19 NIV-On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
I just imagine that the Lord was prepping them for what was to come. God showing himself in any way is a miracle, but honestly I could imagine this being a little scary. But then I think of how they were led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. We must remind ourselves of how God has already been there for us. His character will never change, but His methods always do.
Exodus 20:18-21 NIV-When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
The children of Israel were so afraid of God partly because of what they sensed with their eyes and ears. A major question I would’ve asked them is why do they think that God would call them to Him just to hurt them? I can’t just point the finger at them as if I haven’t been in similar situations. There have been moments in my life where I’ve doubted God and been afraid that He was trying to set me up for the worst instead of His best.
Reflection Question: What about you? Have you ever been afraid that God didn’t have your best in mind?
Moses was the only one who chose to be close to God, but God gave everyone the opportunity. This is the prime example of the scripture that says many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14 KJV).
In other words, many people were called, but Moses chose to answer the call. It makes me wonder: What made Moses so different? Why did he believe God differently than the others? What experiences did Moses have with God that the children of Israel didn’t?
Reflection Question: What can we learn from the children of Israel and Moses about being with God? What are some major differences between the two?
If You Enjoyed This Post, You’ll Love These:
Finding True Wisdom: What Does It Mean To Fear The Lord
Practicing God’s Will: Giving Thanks In All Circumstances
How To Walk In Obedience To God
How To Trust God’s Promises In Your Life
Before You Go…Let’s Recap
A quick recap of what the fear of the Lord looks like :
- Having an attitude of respect and submission.
- Knowing our position and that those around us are equally important in worth and value.
- Taking our rightful place as God’s offspring and responding to His obligations for our lives.
- Loving God with all that we have internally and externally recognizing that it all belongs to Him.
- Being dependent on Him knowing that He is a Father to us first.
- Having allegiance to God and allowing that allegiance to affect our values, convictions, and behaviors.
- It’s loving Him so much that we never want to disappoint Him.
Let’s talk about it in the comments down below.
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-Devyn Janae
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