The term “fear of God” or “fear of the Lord” features heavily throughout the Bible. In both the Old and the New Testaments, it is a fundamental virtue to fear God. Many key figures in the Bible are praised for having such fear, and the Scriptures repeatedly tell us that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom, (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Job 28:28, etc.). Paul even says that fearing the Lord was a fundamental motivation for his gospel ministry, (2 Corinthians 5:11).  Thus, it is inescapably true that we ought to fear God. But what exactly does it mean to fear Him?

The fear of God is actual fear

The most important thing to clarify upfront is that the word “fear” is not figurative, misleading, or overstated. People today too often hold such a low view of God that they can’t understand trembling in terror at His might and holiness. But that is exactly what the biblical authors had in mind! Perhaps the best example of this is in Deuteronomy, when Moses recounts what happened at Mount Sinai. God covered the mountain with flame and smoke and then spoke to all the people in an audible voice from the fire. Afterward, we read of the crowd’s reaction:

“Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, then we will die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? Go near and hear all that the Lord our God says; then speak to us all that the Lord our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it,’” (Deuteronomy 5:24-27)

These are not words of cool and lofty respect, but rather of genuine shaken-to-the-core fear! The people were literally afraid of God. And, as we read on, God commends them for it!

“The Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:28-29)

If only they could have maintained such fear, they would have remained faithful to God. This is the fear God wants from us!

Fearing God for who He is

It is also worth noting that, in the passage above, the Israelites were not afraid of anything that God Himself had threatened to do. Confronted with the undeniable presence of God, they trembled at the mere fact of hearing His voice! God is to be feared, not just because of what He might do (though His might and His holy judgments certainly ought to make us tremble), but, on an even more fundamental level, we ought to fear God because of who He is. The reality of the holy, almighty, eternal, transcendent one ought to strike us with terror as it did Israel. When we really grasp who God is, who among us could so much as hear the sound of His words and not cry out with Isaiah, “Woe to me, for I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). As God said through Jeremiah:

“‘Do you not fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it,” (Jeremiah 5:22).

And even Nebuchadnezzar was made to confess:

“I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever,” (Daniel 6:26).

When we truly understand who we mean by “God,” His very nature ought to bring us fearfully to our knees!

The fear of God and His wrath and judgment

Solomon, the wisest merely human king who ever lived, once wrote:

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil,” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

There is much we could say about this. Fearing God is literally essential to what it is to be human; it is the fundamental duty of every person! But the reason that Solomon offers for this fear is also telling. We fear the Lord because He will judge every deed. This sentiment is likewise echoed elsewhere, such as:

“My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments,” (Psalm 119:120).

This, too, is right and good. Even as a Christian who knows my ultimate eternity is secure, I still fear the correcting rod of my heavenly Father and King just as I feared the proper discipline of my earthly father when I was a child. I never once thought that my dad would disown me and cast me out of His house forever. I had assurance that I was his son and that he would always love me. But in that love, he would set me straight when I did wrong, and the correction was often swift and stern (justly and rightly so!). Fearing his discipline kept me on the right path, and I am grateful for it! How much more ought we to fear the just chastizement of the one who sees all and judges every deed!

Fear and courage

Lastly, we should see no conflict between the centrality of always fearing God in trembling terror on the one hand, and yet the presence of biblical commands to maintain bold courage on the other. Indeed, we cannot do one without the other! When we rightly fear God, we need not fear anyone else! Recognizing the dreadful, holy might of the Lord drives out fear of any meager thing that might oppose Him.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Faced with powerful enemies and natural barriers to entering the promised land, Joshua was assured:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,” (Joshua 1:9).

Yet, as he led the people in, Joshua said without contradiction:

“For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever,” (Joshua 4:23-34).

They were to fear God, not just then, but forever. Not just that one generation, but all generations after them. Yet, fearing God, they need not fear the waters of the Jordan nor the weapons and walls of the Canaanites. Having an abiding fear of God, we are free to face everything else with boldness and strength. The fear of the Lord really is the foundation for wisdom, virtue, and valor. If you have a view of God so vast that He scares you, everything else falls into place!