Mensa Otabil - God's Fear and Judgements
- Watch
- Donate
We’re looking at Psalm 19, and we’re examining God’s revelation to us both in a general sense and specifically through His Word. Now, we are in verse 9: «The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.» It’s always important for us to approach the Word of God with the right attitude. It’s great to know that God is speaking to us through general revelation; it’s even greater to know that He is speaking to us through His Word. But how do we respond to God’s Word? What is God’s Word to us?
Here, God’s Word is called «the fear of the Lord,» which refers to the weight of God’s Word in our lives and the reverence we give to it. If we do not have reverence for God’s Word, then all that He reveals to us — fantastic and precise as it may be-will be of no benefit to us. The Word of God must be approached with fear, and this is not a fear of running away or avoiding something; rather, it is the fear of carefully observing, taking note of, and respecting what it is. Thus, we do not run from God’s Word; we run to it- with reverence.
When God gives us instruction, we should not treat it casually or disregard it. As our world becomes more and more modernized, as people -and even Christians-become modernized, we become accustomed to multiple voices and expressing our own views. Democracy becomes our practice, and sometimes we forget God. We bring Him into the mix and think, «Well, if God says it, I can also say what I want.» Although God encourages us to speak our minds, we must recognize the authority with which we speak that we must submit to, which is the reverence we have for the Word of God. Do not allow the way you speak to others to become the basis of your relationship with God. «The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.» It is a clean fear- not a morbid fear — a fear we must maintain at all times.
The text also speaks of God’s Word as God’s judgment: «The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.» God’s judgment is how He rules a situation. In the Bible, apart from having the written Word of God, many people would take matters to Him and ask, «Lord, what do You think about this? Should we do this? Should we go to war? Is it the right thing to do or not?» God will pronounce His judgment on the situation. The Word of God also evaluates our actions and communicates the will of God. It indicates that when God gives us His Word, provides direction, and pronounces judgment on our actions, that judgment is true and righteous altogether. Just as in a court of law, after a judgment is made, it is meant to be upheld. God’s judgment, higher than any human judgment, is upheld in our lives in every situation.
God’s Word is the final arbiter, the final judgment, and the final say. When He says it, that’s it; it is righteous altogether, and He is always true. He never lies and never tells us something wrong. Thus, the Word of God is presented to us in many ways, embodying both the fear of the Lord and the judgment of the Lord. I pray that we will apply reverence in our appreciation of God’s Word and accept it as the final determination of everything in our lives.
Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Your judgments are true and righteous. You always do what is right for me. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.