What Does It Mean to "Fear the Lord"?

“Razzle dazzle!” This is a phrase used by my church basketball coach in High School that meant, “do something fun with the ball” (e.g., a behind the back pass, or a no-look pass.)

“Kah-Kah” is a call I use with my kids to get their attention in public places. Though these expressions may mean nothing to you, they have meaning to me.

“May your greatest desire be to serve the Lord” another phrase from my memory, one my mother has said to me my whole life.

Repeated phrases stick with us, they form us, but only if we know what they mean.  

When it comes to some of Scripture’s repeated phrases a common one is “the fear of the Lord.” In Scripture the phrase “the fear of the Lord” is used over 300 times. Surely, God’s people were familiar with this phrase. Given its frequency we ought to contemplate what it means to “fear the Lord”so we can live it out and explain it well to our kids.  

Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” 

But what is the fear of the Lord? Is it terror?

Dr. Mark Futato, Robert L. MacLellan Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, describes the fear of the Lord as “Awe coupled with trust.” The more you know God, the more you stand in awe of him, and the more you trust him. The fear of the Lord is all encompassing; it involves our thoughts, our emotions, and our will.  

Consider the following translations of the passage in Exodus when God parted the Red Sea for His people to cross, and then closed the waters on the Egyptians as they followed the Israelites. Notice how the fear of God is coupled with trust in Him. 

ESV - Exodus 14:31 “Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”

NLT – Exodus 14:31 “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.” 

If you see a bad guy walking toward you, you turn the other way because you don’t trust a shady character. But the fear of the Lord drove the Israelites to trust (believe, put their faith in) God. The Israelites did not view God as a “bad” guy or fear him in ways that we fear “shady” characters, the fear of God is a type of awe that caused them to place their trust in God. 1 

Or consider these passages from the Psalms that show the effect the fear of the Lord has on us. When we place our trust in God and His promises (fear the Lord), we fear created things less.  

Psalm 112:7-8 “They do not fear bad news;
    they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. 
They are confident and fearless 
    and can face their foes triumphantly.”

Psalm 56:4 “I praise God for what he has promised. 
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? 
    What can mere mortals do to me?”

Not only will my fear of God keep me from fearing man, but it will also be the cause of others fearing God as well.  

Psalm 40:3 “He has given me a new song to sing, 
    a hymn of praise to our God. 
Many will see what he has done and be amazed. 
    They will put their trust in the Lord.“

The more you know God, the more you will be in awe of Him, and the more you are in awe of Him the more you will place your trust in Him. But the fear of the Lord is not just an emotional response; it is a gift of God to those who seek the Lord. Therefore, the fear of the Lord also involves our thoughts.  

Proverbs 2:5 states that those who seek wisdom from God in this life will find it and…  

“Then you will understand the fear of the Lord 

And find the knowledge of God.” (You gotta use your brain)  

In addition to our thoughts, the fear of the Lord also involves our will.  

Proverbs 3:7 “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. 
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

To turn away from evil is to fear the Lord and be humble.  

Job 28:28 “And this is what he (God) says to all humanity: 
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; 
    to forsake evil is real understanding.’” 

What does it mean to fear the Lord?  

To fear the Lord is to be in awe of Him and trust Him.   

To fear the Lord is to seek wisdom from God. 

To fear the Lord is to forsake and turn away from evil.  

Repeated phrases stick with us, they form us, given we understand what they mean. May we continue to grow in the fear of the Lord and teach the fear of the Lord to our kids.  

1 Rejoice and Tremble: the Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord by Michael Reeves 

Persevere, Joey Turner Pastor of Student Ministries