The Fear of God

As I'm joining my church body in reading through the Bible chronologically, I came across these verses in late January:

Exodus 20:18-20 (New American Standard Bible)

 ¹⁸All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

 ¹⁹Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die."

 ²⁰Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."

I began thinking of my own life and the current culture I live in and realized how unsacred our fear or even respect of God is so contrary to these verses above.  The purpose of fearing God in this passage, was so the people of Israel would enable them to not sin.  I then thought of a verse in a song from a famous hymn:

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Amazing Grace Lyrics

John Newton (1725-1807)

It appears to me that the only proper fear is to have fear in God.  Not just awe, but an understanding of who God really is and why we have reason to fear Him.  When we understand the power of someone and what he/she is capable of-there begins a reverence or a tentativeness to be careful in our interaction with that person.  We add caution to our actions. 

As I continue to grow in the Lord and learn more aspects of who He is, I'm often set back and reminded...do I really understand who I'm talking to?  Because of sin, we are unable to have an intimate and close relationship with God.  Yet because of Christ Jesus and His death and resurrection, we are invited to be in relation with the Godhead.  That brought be to the next passage:

Hebrews 4:13-15 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
 
We can have a wonderful relationship with the same God that those in Exodus shook in fear of--for good reason.  They understood the power of this God.  Though Christ has made it possible for us to go before God, I need to be reminded that He is not just a fair weather friend...He is the God of the universe and it would do my heart well to fear Him.  Not because of power He holds over me...but because I know He has that power and I don't.  I didn't earn this relationship with God--He gave it to me.   So even though I am invited into a wonderful communion with the Godhead, I still need to remember who this God is--and respect Him accordingly.  That is what I'm finding the fear of God to be.