Why do we fear to talk about the Fear of the Lord?

Why do people fear to talk about the fear of the LORD? There is actually a huge amount of talk about fear in Christian culture, but in my observation, fear is one of the top words that has replaced sin. Phrases like “Fear has no power over me”,  “I’m no longer a slave to fear”, etc. Some of it is biblical just over emphasized, some of it really is just trying to downplay our sin and use a word that anyone can embrace. The list goes on an on… Faith over Fear, Fear is a liar, etc. Such a strange obsession going on in our Christian culture, a lot of apparent insecurities that cause people to buy albums about fear, instead of emphasizing what scripture teaches about fear. 

So what does Scripture actually say, from cover to cover? Here are just a few of the hundreds of references in scripture. 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” Proverbs 1:7

“It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over…”
Isaiah 8: 13-14

Fear of the Lord is what separates the wicked from the believer. Look at Moses' words to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:30. 

“But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.”

Fear of the Lord keeps us from doing wrong by each other. 

“You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 25:17

Fear of the Lord is what keeps us in obedience.
“Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” Exodus 20:20

And finally, how does the Word reveal the Word, and explain the fear of Himself? 

Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Jesus emphasizes that people fear the wrong things, and the wrong being. The same holds true today, and is  exaggerated both by our misemphasis, and ignoring the fear of the Lord. Some fear the IRS, some social disgrace and rejection, some fear running out of money. Some fear being alone, some fear the Enemy. Even when the church addresses these things, they are addressed as we don’t have to be afraid because of the cross, which is true (for those who are found in Christ, though it is often dangerously broadcasted as applicable to everyone, even the unrepentant). And yet we don’t bring it to the fundamental truth that Jesus did in Matthew 10. Don’t fear anything or anyone, but do fear God. 

Even if we live in the shadow of the cross, we still must live in a holy, reverent, awesome fear of the Lord, for our God is an awesome God. I don’t dare make choices about my life without submitting to Him, because my life is not mine, but one thing I do possess, is a Fear of Him. I don’t dare sin against my brother or cause any little one to stumble, because I fear the millstone tied around my neck. I don’t dare be ashamed of Him before man, lest He be ashamed of me on judgement day. I have the fear of Him, it dwells in me as a possession, a reverent radar for all decision making. As much as I love him as my Father, He is not my buddy, He is not my homeboy. He is Yahweh, and woe is me should I forget it. 

Even if we don’t verbalize it, the reason most won’t speak on the fear of the Lord is because to some degree we think that fearing God means somehow that He is mean, or that His wrath abides on us still, or His wrath is somehow wrong. And this wrong thinking is why we can’t dwell with Him in this truth. In Isaiah 8, the passage about Christ being the cornerstone that people trip over and that crushes people, it says “He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary”. We must dread Him to take refuge in Him. We must run to, and hide in the one we fear. This seems contradictory, but it’s not. Salvation comes to the repentant who realize their offense towards Him, His greatness, and their inability to escape His wrath on their own merit. They run to Him whom they cannot run from. They run straight to the consuming fire and throw themselves at His nail-pierced feet for mercy, knowing they cannot run from Him. We begin to live once we learn to Fear Him. 

If you have Fear of the LORD you have nothing to fear. If you don’t have the Fear of the LORD, you will.