The Fear of the Lord

What did the prophets and seers of the Lord do when their nation was transgressing against the Lord? The answer…

“The Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, ‘Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.’” [1]

How did the people respond to the Lord’s overtures of love to draw them back to Himself?

“They would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them.” [2]

“They caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” [3]

So, what did the Lord do? Did He endure this abusive relationship? No, He rejected it. He allowed the perpetrators to experience the consequence of their bad choices.

“The Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. The Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So, Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.” [4]

A foreign nation forced them to receive peoples from other nations who did not respect their faith in God…

“Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore, the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, ‘Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.’ Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord.” [5]

They tried to serve two masters…

“They feared the Lord yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.” Jesus taught, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” [6]

The Lord advised them who to fear: “The Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” [7]

What is the fear of the Lord? “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” [8]

The Holy Spirit worked in the Apostle Paul and in his fellow servant Titus such a fear that they would not take advantage of those to whom they preached and taught God’s Word…

“I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? …Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?” [9]

Paul urged his listeners: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” [10]

[1] 2 Kings 17:13
[2] 2 Kings 17:14-15
[3] 2 Kings 17:17
[4] 2 Kings 17:20, 23
[5] 2 Kings 17:24-25, 27-28
[6] 2 Kings 17:33; Matthew 6:24
[7] 2 Kings 17:36-38
[8] Proverbs 8:13
[9] 2 Corinthians 12:14, 17-18
[10] 2 Corinthians 13:5