The fear that frees
by Rev Dr Noel Due
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The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility goes before honour (Proverbs 15:33).
Read Proverbs 15:16–33
Today’s focal text contains another of the most important phrases in the Bible. It speaks of the ‘fear of the Lord’ from which all wisdom comes.
Here are two other examples:
- ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!’ (Psalm 111:10 ESV).
- ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction’ (Proverbs 1:7 ESV).
This is not an attitude of terror or slavish fear. It is a gospel invitation to hear the voice of his Servant. It is a divine summons to come under his will. It is to live wisely: recognise his wisdom, desist from our stubbornness, listen to his voice, hear his gospel, and seek to obey his instructions.
‘The fear of the Lord’ is relational. It recognises who God is in relationship to us and who we are in relationship to him. In ‘the fear of the Lord’, we recognise that we are not in control of our own lives but walk humbly before the God who is.
We pray the Lord’s Prayer regularly. That prayer describes what it’s like to live in the fear of the Lord. It’s a humble request for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, for his kingdom to come, and for his name to be holy and exalted. Thankfully, this means our wills might not be done, and our kingdoms might not come. It means names might not be exalted. To live in the fear of the Lord is to submit to his plans and purposes and receive his blessing and presence in them.
Dear Father, thank you for not leaving us to our own devices. Thank you for loving us so much that your will triumphs over our petty plans and schemes. Thank you for your Son, our wisdom. Thank you that, above all other people, he feared you and thus opened the gates of heaven for us. In his name, we give you thanks, Amen.
Noel is currently spending his retirement serving as the Intentional Interim Pastor of the Top End Lutheran Parish. He lives in Darwin with his wife, Kirsten, a medical doctor who mainly works in remote Indigenous communities. He also serves as a professional supervisor for a number of pastors, chaplains and others.
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