God’s people at times had a fear of God that bordered on sheer dread or terror (Exodus 3:6; Exodus 20:18), but this was not what God wanted (Exodus 20:20). Rather, he wanted his people to fear him in the sense of having reverential awe or worshipful respect.
1 Many passages connect fearing God with righteous, proper living, to the extent that these concepts seem to be synonyms, as they do here, where the Lord reminds his people that he had called them to fear him and accept correction.2
7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.