In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence

... And His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares of death (Proverbs 14:26, 27). Most commentators suggest that the fear of the Lord is reverent awe, but Paul could speak of the terror of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:11). The Greek word is “phobos,” and it means both fear and terror. Many translations have fear, but I think that Paul is remembering being knocked off his horse on the road to Damascus. He had been murdering Christians, and the Lord was telling Him that it was He, Jesus whom he was persecuting (Acts 9:5). So I have no doubt “terror” is the correct translation. And though reverence and awe are part of phobos, it is not reverential awe that will cause unbelievers to call out to the rocks to fall on them (Revelation 6:16).

All this to say that we in the church, have soft peddled the fear of the Lord. We have failed to understand, and we have been intimidated by the tyranny of Political correctness into silence. The gospel we preach, when we preach it, is come to Jesus to be fulfilled. It is where we find fulfillment, but it was knowing the terror of the Lord that motivated Paul to persuade men (2 Corinthians 5:11 again). So are we intended to stay in this terror? Well the point is, that though our God is a consuming fire, He is also merciful and full of compassion. And Paul in speaking of being subject to governing authorities says “rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil” (Romans 13:1, 3). Likewise once we have received His Mercy and forgiveness and continue to walk in obedience, we no longer need to be in terror of Him. Rather (coming to this morning's proverbs) it gives us strong confidence (to come before the throne of Grace), and we find Him to be a refuge, and a fountain of life.

Part of this is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). And it is wisdom to “turn away from the snares of death.” With wisdom we understand that we reap what we sow, we come out of deception and learn that if we sow to the flesh we will of the flesh reap corruption and ultimately death (Galatians 6:7, 8; James 1:15). And then and only then does “perfect love casts out all fear” (I John 4:18). Paul needed to know the terror of the Lord in order to come out of delusion and be set free. The Lord need to knock him down, before is was appropriate for His love to lift him up, and deliver Him from all his fears (Psalm 34:4). And having had the experience of both terror and the love of God, he could with the latter experience declare that the love of God constrains him to live for Him who died and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).

Father, once again we see the upside down Kingdom. In loosing his life for You, Paul gained it. Knowing the terror of the Lord changed him, as it does us. And when we respond this way to Your grace, we become powerful for the Kingdom. We need a revelation of the fear of the Lord Father, so that we might be changed and so then experience Your perfect love that casts out fear in Jesus Name Amen