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 your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned.” Soldiers once proud and fearless are reduced to nothing by a single rebuke from God. No clash of armies, no drawn-out struggle—just the word of the Almighty, and the enemy collapses in helplessness.

Here, the psalmist pauses and draws out the central truth: “But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?” God is close enough to be called our Father, yet He is never casual. Familiarity must never breed contempt. The danger in our age—when sacred things are often trivialized—is to forget that the God who draws near in love is the same God before whom angels veil their faces.

The book of Job echoes this reality. When God describes Leviathan, the great sea creature, He asks: “No one is fierce enough to stir him up. Who then is able to stand against me?” If no one dares face Leviathan, how much more should we tremble before the One who created it? The psalmist’s cry is right: God is to be feared.

King Jehoshaphat understood this when he faced a coalition of armies stronger than Judah. In his prayer, he confessed: “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.” He knew that victory depended not on military skill but on the sovereign power of God.

Psalm 76 continues: “From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth.” God’s judgment is never arbitrary. It is purposeful, aimed at saving the humble and the oppressed. His might is not for tyranny but for deliverance. He brings down the proud so the lowly may be lifted up. Even the wrath of man, says the psalmist, is turned into praise for Him. Nothing is wasted in His rule.

The psalm ends with a call to action: “Make vows to the Lord your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared, who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.” Kings and princes may imagine themselves powerful, but they too are subject to His hand. He alone is to be feared, and those who live in reverent awe will know the richness of His presence.

This leads to the question: what does it mean today to fear the Lord? Many dismiss it as a negative idea, but Scripture teaches it as the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 8:13 says: “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.” To fear God means to love what He loves and reject what He hates. Proverbs 1:7 adds: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Reverence for God opens the door to true understanding.

Fearing God also reshapes our choices. Proverbs 3:7 warns: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” A healthy fear of God keeps us from sin. It teaches us to walk in integrity, knowing that nothing is hidden from His sight.

And far from driving us away, fear draws us closer to His love. Psalm 103:17 says: “From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.” Fear leads us deeper into the security of His steadfast love. Psalm 34 adds: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Fear and deliverance go hand in hand.

Reverence also brings peace. Proverbs 19:23 declares: “The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” While the world trembles with uncertainty, those who stand in awe of God find rest. They know He is sovereign and His purposes cannot fail.

Fear of the Lord also transforms worship. Hebrews 12:28-29 urges: “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Without reverence, worship becomes shallow. With it, worship becomes rich and sincere.

Paul ties the fear of God directly to holiness. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 he writes: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” The more we stand in awe of Him, the more we long to be holy as He is holy. Fear purifies, strengthens, and keeps us close.

The prophet Malachi described Levi the priest: “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.” This shows what a life shaped by fear of the Lord looks like: integrity, peace, holiness, and fruitfulness.

But what about us? We live in a culture that treats God casually, even among believers. We call Him friend—and He is—but do we tremble before His majesty? Do our choices, our worship, and our daily lives reflect reverence? To fear God is not to run from Him, but to stand in awe of Him, to walk humbly before Him, and to obey Him wholeheartedly.

When we cultivate fear of the Lord, we find wisdom for life, protection in trouble, peace in uncertainty, mercy in failure, direction in decision-making, depth in worship, and growth in holiness. Those who fear Him lack nothing.

Let us then learn to stand in awe of His name. Let us walk with Him in peace and uprightness. And as we do, may our lives turn many away from sin and toward the living God. For the One who is our refuge is also the One to be feared. God bless.