The Fear of the Lord

“The secret [of the wise counsel] of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning. [John 7:17; 15:15] My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will bring my feet out of the net.” Psalms 25:14-15 AMP

sôḏ is the Hebrew word for “secret,” meaning council, company, secret counsel, and intimacy.

The phrase 'those who fear Him' comes from the Hebrew root word yārē', meaning to fear, be afraid, stand in awe, be awed, revere, respect, be dreaded, or inspire reverence, godly fear, or awe. I have heard many teach on this phrase, yet it still seems beyond human grasp, leaving only a taste of its meaning. In all my attempts to search this out, understand it, and grasp what it really means and how I am to respond, I still know that I do not fully get it. I have heard it simplified to simply respecting God and having awe for Him, which means a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder, but how can one produce this? We simply cannot. And to fear Him with dread and terror is also something one cannot produce. Both leave me clueless about what this phrase means and what it is supposed to look and feel like. But two additional words from that Hebrew definition, which I have never heard preached or spoken of, may open the curtain and help us see this a little more clearly. I also want to say that we cannot possibly understand spiritual things that deeply impact and change us by any other means than the Holy Spirit revealing them to us, so I pray that as we look at this, the Spirit of God would teach us and that this would not just be another interpretation, but something that gives us cause to seek the Lord all the more, being hungry for understanding and wisdom.

So, let us look a little closer.

The same Hebrew word, yārē', also means shoot and pour. To shoot evokes movement in a specific direction, aimed at a particular impact. It is targeted and intentional, like an arrow released to pierce. The Fear of God is not anxious, full of dread, or an uncontrolled emotional response. The Fear of God is precisely aimed. It has a targeted direction, intended to pierce the object of its affection and reverence. In addition, the word pour adds another layer of understanding. To pour something creates a flow. It is not stagnant but comes forth from the inner parts of a vessel. It pictures transferring from one vessel to another, with the intention of being offered or poured upon or into it. The fact that it flows reveals that it is not a one-off offering or pouring. So, the fear of God is not a one-off event; it is an ongoing, intentional, purpose-driven flow from our inner man towards God, intended to impact Him and His heart.

Additionally, the same word yārē also means morally to revere; this becomes a little more thought-provoking. To revere something means to hold it in deep respect, to honour it, and to regard it with awe. But to morally revere is to honour something because it is ethically good, righteous, upright and worthy according to moral standards. So this moves us from revering something out there because that is the instruction, to intentionally directing our reverence toward God because He is the standard of moral righteousness, and all His judgments on any matter are good, right, and pure regardless of our understanding.

Therefore, the Fear of God is not an emotional response or a momentary reaction. It is a deliberate, ongoing movement toward the heart of God — a reverence that is both precisely aimed and continually poured out. Like an arrow, it is directed with intention; like a flowing offering, it is sustained from the inner man. The Fear of God reveals a relationship marked by purposeful devotion, steady alignment, and a continual outflow of honour toward the One who is worthy.

There are occasions in the Bible when we see a physical response of dread and fear. When God reveals His power in an outward expression, it produces a physical response from the people as they realise that God is all-powerful and will not be mocked, that His mercy will not be taken for granted, and that His warnings carry consequences.

Let’s look at a few.

Adam in the garden

“He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”  Genesis 3:10 AMP

Judgment upon the Egyptians

“The Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians [lying] dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord [with reverence and awe-filled respect], and they believed in the Lord, and in His servant Moses.” Exodus 14:30-31 AMP

Mount Sinai

“The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:” Deuteronomy 5:2-5 ESV

“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”  Exodus 20:18-19 ESV –

So, we cannot deny that God reveals His power in ways that produce genuine dread and fear in the people. A display of such sovereignty would make any heart race with dread. The nearness of God, and the severity and manifested Glory of His presence would overwhelm even stoics of heart.  

But I want us to look at this account in 2 Chronicles 20, where Jehoshaphat stood before opposition that made his heart fear. He also responded in the fear of the Lord.

“After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 20:1-4 ESV

So, he set his face to seek the Lord, and from that posture he starts declaring who God is and proclaiming His sovereignty and the vastness of His rule, stating that God rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. He then remembers the mighty acts God has performed and declares that God will save them.

“And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 2 Chronicles 20:5-9 ESV

Then he makes a petition. He brings the reality of the threat before His God. The very ones whom the Lord had not let Israel overcome were now coming to drive God’s people out of the very place the Lord had given them. I love the humility and recognition that “we are powerless”. This was not a battle they could win in their own strength or might. This would require divine intervention. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you”.

“And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:10-12 ESV

Not only did Jehoshaphat seek the Lord, but all Judah did as well, and this is what happened

“Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:13-17 ESV

Jehoshaphat’s exhortation to the people

“And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” ”2 Chronicles 20:20 ESV

The outcome

“When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. ” 2 Chronicles 20:24 ESV

Jehoshaphat did not have a ground-shaking, terror-inducing encounter with God. He simply humbled himself, turned his heart toward God, acknowledged that he could not lead the people to victory over the horde standing against them, and chose to trust God.

I believe this passage of scripture outlines for us the very way to walk in the Fear of the Lord.

“And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord that I am giving you this day for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13 BSB

We are called to walk in His ways, to love Him and serve Him. His ways are His final judgment in any matter.  He has given us His full counsel and instructed us how to live, and through His written Word we can understand what pleases and displeases Him.

I don’t believe we would survive if we lived in a constant state of fear and dread of God. And scripturally, we do not see His people experiencing this on a daily basis. We see accounts where God would unveil His sovereignty in such a terrifying display that it would have a deep effect on everyone who was there, whether they were His enemies or His people. We often hear Isaiah 6 quoted, where he had a divine encounter and saw the Lord seated on His throne, high and exalted, and the seraphim crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts." His response was “Woe is me”, a passionate cry of grief and despair. It was the shattering unveiling of man before a Holy God. It brought awareness of the uncleanliness and impurity of the human form, nature, intention and perception of the created before that which is perfect, with nothing unclean within Himself. It shattered the ego; it dismantled the delusion of any form of self-righteousness, not only his own but those around him. The interesting and beautiful thing was his recognition and revelation through this encounter that his lips needed purifying. Just as beautiful, God brought the means to purify them. This is not an encounter or a response we can invoke.  It is God-given.

Let’s reiterate that the Fear of God is not an emotional response or a momentary reaction. It is a deliberate, ongoing movement toward the heart of God — a reverence that is both precisely aimed and continually poured out. Like an arrow, it is directed with intention; like a flowing offering, it is sustained from the inner man. The Fear of God reveals a relationship marked by purposeful devotion, steady alignment, and a continual outflow of honour toward the One who is worthy.

From this place, God’s promise to us is: And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning. What a beautiful promise.

I’ve been in environments where divine encounters—sovereignly permitted and initiated by God—were treated in a way that made others feel lesser if they hadn’t experienced them too. Their sincerity of faith in Jesus and devotion to Him was questioned if they hadn’t seen the Lord in those ways. But when I read Scripture, I see that man does not have the power to produce such a moment with God, and even more so, that an encounter like that is not a determining factor of anyone’s true salvation and devotion to Jesus. We are saved by faith in Jesus, not by faith in any work He performs or miraculous encounter He can produce. He is the very object of our affection and devotion. Momentary external expressions of the divine that He may choose to unveil to us are not the promise of His sanctifying, truth-revealing, transforming work. That work is carried out by the Spirit of God who dwells within us.

So, in closing, I want to encourage you: each time you choose to obey God and walk in a way you know will please Him, turning from sin and doing what is right intentionally because you love Him, you are walking in the fear of the Lord. Those choices flow from your love for Him and are offered to Him, and that is a pleasing aroma.