Commanded To Fear

“Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?” (Ps 76:7 AV)

It is kind of funny.  We see tragedy and adversity all around us.  Yet, we assume what we see is the full wrath of God.  Not even close!  Since the time of Noah’s flood, the world has not seen the full wrath of God poured out on the Earth.  They will not until the seven years tribulation wherein all who have not trusted in Jesus Christ are destroyed.  Noah’s flood will seem merciful compared to what is coming.  Noah’s flood destroyed all living things in less than two months.  Destruction was by drowning.  That is mild compared to the disease, war, and natural disasters that will rain on mankind for seven years.  Our imaginations cannot even begin to draw a detailed picture of the coming 21 judgments mean for those who hate God.  The above verse, although written in the context of those who hate God and His people, should not be forgotten by the children of God.  We may not have to fear Him in the same way as the enemies of God do, but He is still God and He must be feared by all.

By the Spirit that dwells within me, I noticed the first-person reference to the LORD.  The writer is speaking directly to the LORD and in the process, is reminding his audience we are to do the same.  He is speaking a universal truth as his way of confessing he is to fear God as well.  Even though the context is the rebellion of the enemies of God, he chooses to speak to the Creator and not the enemy.  Why?  It is either a reminder to himself or a confession of his own respect for Almighty God.  Let us be honest.  We love God.  We strive to love Him with all our hearts.  However, how much do we fear Him?  How much do we respect who and what He is?  How much of what we know of God changes who we are and how we live?  Do we see Almighty God with eyes of reverence that refuse to look up?  Do we walk with God in deep seriousness to the point of complete and humble submission?  Do we relate to God as One who made all things and by a mere thought can erase all things?  Do we love God with eternal gratitude no matter the situation or circumstances, or do we murmur and complain over every trouble that comes our way?  Where is our joy?  Is it ill-founded?  Are we filled with joy because God is good to us, or do we continue in that joy when it seems life is impossible to live?

The church’s relationship with God has changed.  There was a time when going to church was something you did because God required it of you.  You went to church regardless of what you thought you might personally get out of it.  Rather, you went because it was an act of obedience.  When you did go to church, it was with an eye toward participating in any way you could.  It was being in your pew with your mind and heart engaged.  It was seen as worship which one offered rather than consuming what was given.  There has been a shift away from genuine fear toward disrespectful familiarity.  True worship is almost judged as mean-spirited, negative, and counter-productive.  We think we have to go to church to laugh and have a good time.  Gone are the days when one went to church for God’s sake and not our own.  What has happened?  God has become too familiar and the fear of God has been lost.

This doesn’t change the truth of the verse above.  God is to be feared whether we are willing to fear Him or not.  He is to be respected and worshiped as the Creator of all things and the determiner of all events.  He is to be approached with fear and trembling.  Our beloved Apostle tells us this.  In our eyes, God has lost His honored and exalted spot and has been replaced by a God we have created in our image. And please, don’t give me that drivel about modern contemporary worship as true worship.  Your heart may be in it, but your actions say something entirely different.  If we really feared God, we would obey His word.  All of it.  All we have done is replace somber and humble worship with an emotionally manipulative musical experience.  It is as fake as the man behind the curtain.  There is no wizard.  It is all smoke and mirrors.  The concerning thing is, that when mankind has lost the fear of God beyond the possibility of recovering, the full anger of God will be poured out.  May man turn to God before that day comes.  And, may the child of God put away the god which he or she has created and worship with fear and trembling the God who holds their soul in the palm of His hand!