Having a righteous fear of God can keep us from going down many wrong paths in our life. Scripture gives us insight into what fear of the Lord is all about. Psalm 111:10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! [1]
Fear of the Lord is a deep and solemn respect and amazement of His holiness. The Psalmist says that deep respect for the Lord is our spiritual foundation of true wisdom. The Lord wants us to be wise spiritually.
Religious Leaders in the Days of Jesus Feared the People
The religious leaders often clashed with Jesus, demonstrating what was in their hearts. They may have been knowledgeable about the Scriptures, but they did not let those same Scriptures transform them. Mark 14:1It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.” [2]
Instead of having a righteous fear of God that would have led them to faith, these religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. Proverbs 9:10Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. [3] From their actions, the religious leaders had impaired judgment. The kind of wisdom they needed only came from the Lord.
How Does the Fear of the Lord Lead a Person to Knowledge?
Knowledge is the skills and facts a person learns through life experience or education. A grade schoolteacher knows about teaching young students. As believers in Jesus, we need knowledge about the Lord. To gain knowledge about the Lord, we must be self-taught or instructed by a teacher through the word and the work of the Holy Spirit.
When we have a righteous fear of the Lord, it makes us think before we act or say something. I may want to do something, but Holy Spirit tells me, “Don’t do that.” A righteous fear of the Lord gives me a desire to please the Lord. As we spend time with the Lord, we learn what pleases Him and what does not.
To fear the Lord is like Moses, who removed his shoes because he was standing on Holy ground. Exodus 3:5Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.[4] Moses took off his sandals out of respect and honor for the Lord.
To learn more about having a righteous fear of God, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-jesus-anointed-at-bethany
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.