(inspired by readings in The Awe of God by John Bevere, 2023)
And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” Exodus 20:20
Being afraid of God and fearing Him sound like the same thing, but they are not. It is a distinction with a big difference.
First, being afraid of God is akin to being scared of Him. Someone who is scared of God has something to hide. After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid as did others in Scripture who, by their sin, stepped out of the light and into darkness. When you are scared of something, you run away from it.
Second, the person who fears God has nothing to hide. He or she is terrified of being away from God. This is illustrated by the fact that while the Hebrews drew back, Moses at the same time drew nearer to God. The person who fears God doesn’t say, “How close can I get to the line of sin and cross it?” No, he or she says, “I want to be so close to God and so far away from the ‘sin line’ that I can’t even see it.”
Think of any dangerous occupation. If the worker is scared, he/she cannot do the job. Their training, however, has taught them to respect the source of the danger (powerlines!) and to be extremely cautious.
We should live our lives in such a way that fears God but is not scared of God. We should fear offending Him because we fear anything coming between us (that offends or disappoints Him) and we fear the potential chastening and correcting He will do if we choose to commit willful sin. I was never scared of my dad, but I did fear offending or disappointing him and his consequences when I misbehaved.Love God. Fear (respect) God. Do not be scared of God. Run to Him, not away from Him.
FLM