Summary

Respect for God is fitting for a child of man. Awe for the Creator is good and oh so beautiful. It provides stability in life. It also provides a future that is sure and glorious (Proverbs 12:7). In the Psalms, we are often encouraged to have awe for the Lord. Then the word fear is frequently used (see Psalm 22:23, Psalm 33:18). That does not have the meaning of being afraid of, but it emphasizes that it is fitting to show our deep respect for the almighty God. This goes together with a great trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:4). In the book of Proverbs, fear of the Lord is the key to true wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a). Proverbs 2:5 is significant here: “then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

Indicative of the great descendent of Isaac, Isaiah prophesies, “and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:2). Jesus’ delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. That becomes clearly visible in the fact that he does the will of his Father in everything. For him it completely holds what is said in Psalm 40:8, I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. What a beautiful message this is for us (read Romans 5:1–5).

Awe for the Lord means that we bow for the laws of the Lord. After all, those laws are entirely true and therefore just. We can really rely on them. It is beautiful to be convinced of that. Whoever finds joy in God’s commandment finds his/her deepest purpose. Such a person is blessed (Psalm 1:1–2).