Mensa Otabil - God's Word Endures Forever
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We’re continuing our study of the value of the Word of God from Psalm 19, and we are in verse number nine: «The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.» Here, the Word of God is spoken of as the fear of the Lord and the judgment of the Lord. So what’s the relationship between the Word of God and the fear of God? The phrase «fear of God» is used in this passage to talk about the reverence we hold for God and how we see Him respectfully.
When we read the Bible, we often see God portrayed in very awesome ways, and sometimes He does things and says things that make us stop in our tracks for fear. When we see the Red Sea open, we are amazed at the power of God. When we see Him on Mount Sinai, witnessing all the spectacle of thunder and lightning, we marvel at His awesomeness and power. God gives us His Word, but His Word must not be casual to us; it must be received with reverence and respect. It is called the fear of the Lord, which, according to the passage, is clean. In other words, we don’t fear God because He is going to hurt us; we fear God because we have a clean respect for Him, a reverence for Him because of His greatness and power.
This fear of God must endure forever; it cannot be experienced today and lost tomorrow. Sometimes, when we come into God’s presence, we may not sense the reverence and awesomeness we should feel. The fear of the Lord and the Word of God must instill a reverence for Him. One reason people fear God is because of His judgments, as the passage states, «The judgments of the Lord are true.» God is a judge; He is a good and kind God, but He is also a judge. This means He can separate things that do not belong with each other. He does not mix up what is right with what is wrong, nor does He mix up light with darkness. God separates things that don’t belong together.
When we discuss God’s judgment, we refer to His ability to keep apart things that do not belong together. Every time we read the Word of God, we realize that God is trying to keep certain elements out of our lives. There are moments when you read the Bible and you sense that it is judging you. Have you felt that before? It’s almost as if someone is pointing a finger at you, saying, «Remove this from your life» or «Incorporate this into your life.» Don’t let these things remain in your life; this is called the judgment of the Lord. The good news is that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous. His judgments are not capricious; they are based on truth and proper morality because He is a just and holy God.
It is important for God’s children to cultivate a holy reverence for Him. Yes, He gives us access to His presence because of what Christ has done for us, but He is not our buddy. While He is our Father and lives in our hearts, we must remember that our Father is also the King of the universe and the owner of our lives. We are not on the same level with Him; He is far above us. When we enter into God’s presence, as much as we enjoy it, we must also remember He is an awesome God, far more powerful than we can comprehend. We must give Him all the reverence His presence deserves.
So, any time you read the Bible, remember that you are confronting the fear of the Lord and the judgment of the Lord. Let’s share a word of prayer together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, You are the awesome and fearful one. I bow to You as the owner of my life. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Well, I’ll be with you again. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom—peace and life to you.