Sep-10-0509-God is to be feared
509_God is to be feared Psalm 76 In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. 2 His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. 3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah 4 Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey. 5 The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. 6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. 7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? 8 From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, 9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. 11 Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared, 12 who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth. Imagine standing at the foot of a great mountain. The air is sharp, the peak towers above, and its vastness makes you feel small, even fragile. A man once visited the Himalayas for the first time. He had seen pictures, read books, and watched documentaries, but none of that prepared him for the immensity of standing there in person. He said he felt overwhelmed, almost trembling—not because the mountains were threatening, but because their sheer grandeur dwarfed his existence. That sense of awe, that trembling recognition of something far greater than ourselves, is a faint reflection of what Scripture calls the fear of the Lord. It is not the cringing fear of a tyrant, but the deep reverence and trembling awe before the majesty of Almighty God. Psalm 76 captures this awe. It celebrates God’s greatness and His mighty acts on behalf of His people. The psalmist recalls a victory where God Himself intervened, stripping enemies of their strength and leaving them helpless. It is both a song of triumph and a solemn reminder: this God is not to be trifled with. He is near to His people, but His holiness demands reverence. The psalm begins on a note of celebration: “In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel. His abode has been established in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion.” God is not far away or hidden. He has revealed Himself. His people know His name and His character, and His presence dwells among them. Yet this nearness does not make Him ordinary. It magnifies His greatness. The God who dwells in Zion is the same God who shatters weapons of war and silences the proud. The psalmist paints a vivid picture of that victory: “The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war could not use their hands. At