1. Learning to Fear the LORD

2. God is gracious in all He does! Eph. 1:3-14, James 1:12-18, esp. 1:17. God is gracious in all He does! Eph. 1:3-14, James 1:12-18, esp. 1:17. Even “fearing the LORD” is a blessing! Ps. 112, esp. 112:1, Ps. 128, esp. 128:1, 4, Prov. 28:14 & 31:30, Eccl. 7:18. Even “fearing the LORD” is a blessing! Ps. 112, esp. 112:1, Ps. 128, esp. 128:1, 4, Prov. 28:14 & 31:30, Eccl. 7:18. The LORD commanded His people “for their good always” to observe all Moses’ statues and “to fear the LORD our God” as well as to “walk in His ways” and “to love Him and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, 20. The LORD commanded His people “for their good always” to observe all Moses’ statues and “to fear the LORD our God” as well as to “walk in His ways” and “to love Him and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, 20.

3. Learning to Fear the LORD Jesus commands us to fear the LORD as well as to love Him! Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7 & Mt. 22:34-40., esp. 22:37/ /Mk. 12:13-17, esp. 12:30 (= Dt. 6:5 & Lev. 19:18) & Lk. 10:25-37, esp. 10:27-28. Cf. Acts 2:43, 9:31, I Pet. 2:17, II Cor. 4:13-5:10, Phil. 3:23-23, II Thess. 1:5-2:2, Rev. 11:18, 14:7, 15:4, 19:5. Jesus commands us to fear the LORD as well as to love Him! Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7 & Mt. 22:34-40., esp. 22:37/ /Mk. 12:13-17, esp. 12:30 (= Dt. 6:5 & Lev. 19:18) & Lk. 10:25-37, esp. 10:27-28. Cf. Acts 2:43, 9:31, I Pet. 2:17, II Cor. 4:13-5:10, Phil. 3:23-23, II Thess. 1:5-2:2, Rev. 11:18, 14:7, 15:4, 19:5. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary found joyful fear in Jesus’ resurrection! Mt. 28, esp. 28:8. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary found joyful fear in Jesus’ resurrection! Mt. 28, esp. 28:8.

4. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD is a grace that frees us from ignorance and foolishness, and therefore it frees us from unlimited fears of natural creation, of pagan religion, of people, of sin and its consequences, of unforgiven sins, and of death and eternal condemnation.

5. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge and it starts with an open mind.  Fearing the LORD grows as we listen with other believers to His word.  Fearing the LORD grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes.  God’s leaders are such people!  Are you ready to learn?

6. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all- loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  “Fear” is used in American English as a noun for “a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain, dread, terror, fright, apprehension” and therefore used for “respectful dread, awe, reverence” and for “a cause for fear.” “Fear” was used as a transitive verb for “to fill with fear, frighten” and therefore is now used as a verb to be afraid of, dread, to feel reverence or awe for someone or something.” Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition (New York, NY, 1999), p. 518.

7. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  God’s people were commanded to “fear” (Hebrew yare) – to fear or be afraid, as with a person or thing. It was therefore used for holding someone or something in awe and reverence. Adam after his sin separated him from the LORD’s will in the garden in Genesis 3:10. Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13. Cf. Ex. 18:21 for the need that rulers fear the LORD and Psalm 33:8-9 for all the earth fearing Him.

8. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  God’s people were also commanded to “fear” or hold in awe and reverence (1) the LORD in Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, (2) parents in Lev. 19, esp. 19:3, (3) the sanctuary of the LORD in Lev. 19:30 & 26:2.

9. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all- loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  God’ people today are commanded to “fear” (Greek , or  -- “to terrify, frighten” and therefore in passive for “being terrified, frightened, afraid, struck with fear and alarm” by someone or something and therefore “to reverence, venerate, treat with deference and reverential obedience.” The noun (Greek  was used for “fear, dread, terror,” and therefore “awe, reverence, and respect.”

10. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  God’s people today are commanded to fear the LORD since He controls nature, governments and the afterlife, and unfaithful Jews are condemned for having “no fear of God.” Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7, Rom. 11:20, II Cor. 5:10-11, 7:1, Phil. 2:12-13, I Pet. 1:17, 3:2 & 15, Jude 1:23, Rom. 13:1, 3-4, Col. 3:22 vs. Rom. 3:9-18, esp. 3:18/Ps. 36:1. Cf. Lk. 1:50.

11. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  God’s people today are therefore commanded to have a “fear” or awe and reverence for Christ so that we will cooperate under the direction of one another in Eph. 5:1-6:20, esp. 5:21.

12. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge and it starts with an open mind.  The fear of the LORD is wisdom and is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge and instruction but those who hate knowledge do not choose the fear of the LORD. Job 28:28, Ps. 111:10, Prov. 1:7, 9:10, 15:33, Eccl. 12:13-14 vs. Prov. 1:29 & Rom. 1:18-32, Prov. 3:5-9.

13. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge and it starts with an open mind.  The LORD said that having a right “heart” would permit people to fear Him always. Dt. 5:29 & 6:5-9. Cf. Jer. 31:31-34/Heb. 8:8-12 & Jer. 32:39-40.

14. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge and it starts with an open mind.  A right heart is a heart – a consciousness – open to the LORD’s presence and rule over creation and history. Rom. 1:18-20, Mt. 5:45, Acts 14:15-17, 17:124-27, 30-31, 10:34-43, 48, Rom. 1, esp. 10:17. Cf. Mt. 6:25-34, esp. 6:33-34/Lk. 12:22-31, esp. 12:31-34, Acts 14, 17.

15. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge and it starts with an open mind.  The LORD created nature and He “cursed” it with death, illness and decay in response to human sin. Gen. 1-3, esp. 1:1, 4, 10b, 12b, 18b, 1:21b, 25b, 31 vs. 2:16-17, 3:4-7, 8, 10, 14-15, 16, 17-19, 22-24.

16. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we listen with other believers to His word.  The LORD said that having all the people – men, women and children – hear the reading of His Law would help them to “learn to fear” Him. Dt. 4:9-10 & 31:12-13, Prov. 2, esp. 2:1-5.

17. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we listen with other believers to His word.  We are saved when we are taught of God so that we recognize Jesus as God’s Son and Messiah. Jn. 3:16-21 & 6:44-47, 20:30-31.

18. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we listen with other believers to His word.  We are saved when we believe and are baptized after listening to the gospel with an open mind. Mk. 16:15-16, Mt. 28:18-20, I Thess. 2:13, James 1:17-18. Cf. II Tim. 2:2, 15, 24-26, 3:16-17 & Rom. 10:17.

19. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we listen with other believers to His word.  Joshua said that the LORD’s past miracle of drying up the Jordan in front of Canaanite witnesses was “so that you may fear the LORD your God.” Likewise, we can read of Jesus’ miracles and those He authorized and grow faith! Josh. 4:23-24, Jn. 20:30-31, Mk. 16:14-20, esp. 16:17-20.

20. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes.  The LORD said that obeying His commandments to “tithe” – to return to the LORD a portion of His providence as commanded in Moses’ Law – would help them “learn to fear” Him. These “tithes” were used to support the Levites and the temple as well as some other specified things. Dt. 14:22-29, esp. 14:23, Lev. 27:30-33, Num. 18:21-29, Dt. 12:6-18, 26:12.

21. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes.  God teaches Christians to give as we have been prospered to support our families and those activities that He has authorized for congregations to do, including preaching, teaching, and taking care of the needs of Christians. Acts 20:35, Eph. 4:28, I Cor. 16:1-2 & II Cor. 8-9, esp. 8:1-5, 9, 12, 9:6-11, I Tim. 6:17-19 & 5:3, 5, 9-10 (for individual’s taking care of his/her own family, see I Tim. 5:4, 8, 16). Cf. Acts 2:38-47 & 4:32-5:11.

22. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes.  Christian congregations gathered such contributions on the “first day of every week” when they were assembled to take the Lord’s Supper. I Cor. 10-16, esp. 16:1-2 (& 11:17-34), Acts 4:34-35, I Tim. 5:3, 5, 9-10.

23. Learning to Fear the LORD  God’s leaders are such people!  The LORD said that the king would need to read the LORD’s law daily in order to keep His laws so that “he may learn to fear” the LORD. Dt. 17:19, II Sam. 23, esp. 23:3. Cf. Dt. 6:1-2 for all God’s people being able to fear the LORD if they would learn and practice Moses’ Law and I Sam. 12:14 for the promise to David and his descendants for blessings if/when they obeyed this commandment.

24. Learning to Fear the LORD  God’s leaders are such people!  Christians who are spiritual are to know God’s will and hold one another accountable for His standards. Gal. 5:13-6:10, esp. 5:16, 22 & 6:1-2, Lk. 17:3-4/Mt. 18:15-18. Cf. II Tim. 2:2, 15, 24-26, 3:16-17 & 4:2.

25. Learning to Fear the LORD  God’s leaders are such people!  The LORD requires His leaders – Overseers/Elders/Shepherds, Special Servants, and “Evangelists” – to have this God-serving, good-loving devout commitment to His word’s healthy teaching. Titus 1:5-10, esp. 1:7-9, I Tim. 3:3:1-7, esp. 3:2, Acts 20:28-32, I Pet. 5:1-4, esp. 5:2, I Tim. 3:8-13, esp. 3:9, II Tim. 4:1-5 & I Tim. 4:11-16. Cf. Heb. 13:7 & 17.

26. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us.  Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge and it starts with an open mind.  Fearing the LORD grows as we listen with other believers to His word.  Fearing the LORD grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes.  God’s leaders are such people!

27. Learning to Fear the LORD  Fearing the LORD grows in hearts turned toward Him, ears listening to Him, hands serving Him.  Are you ready to learn?