July 12, 2009 Fear Of The LORD
Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 11,12,13,14; Hebrews 9
Scripture Focus:
Isaiah 11:1–3 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
His delight is in the fear of the LORD . . .
Observation:
These two verses are commonly thought to be a prophecy concerning the Messiah, which was to be a direct descendant of David (whose father was Jesse). According to the New Testament, Jesus came as the Messiah, the Son of God.
It seems fitting that the Spirit of the LORD would rest upon HIm, and the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might and knowledge, but the fear of the LORD?
Then Isaiah repeats it: His delight is in the fear of the LORD . . .
Why would Jesus need to have the fear of the LORD if he was God incarnate? Not only does he have it, he delights in the fear of the LORD.
This phrase, “fear of the LORD,” has been piquing my curiosity for some time now. I’m not sure I totally understand what it means. I would like to do a word study on it.
Application:
I’ve always thought that the fear of the LORD meant to have a healthy respect for God. Whenever God appears to people in the Bible, he has to tell them NOT to be afraid, because he is so awe inspiring. Perhaps it means more to truly understand who God is. That would seem consistent with “delighting” in the fear of the LORD.
Whatever the exact nuances, I want it. Proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Arthur Pink has a short little exposition of this verse regarding the fear of the Lord. It is worth reading.
Prayer:
Father God, may I learn the fear of the LORD and delight in it.
