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Apart from Revelation 14:7 where else in the Bible are we instructed to fear God?

Deuteronomy 6:13 "Thou shalt >fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by His name."

Psalms 89:7 "God is >greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in >reverence of all them that are about Him."

Matthew 10:28 "And >fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather >fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

1 Peter 1:17 "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in >fear:"

1 Peter 2:17 "Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. >Fear God. Honour the king."

Why is God to be feared?

Revelation 15:4 "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for >Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest."

1 Chronicles 16:25,26 (See also Ps. 96: 4,5) "For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD >made the heavens."

Psalms 76:7-11 "Thou, even Thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when >once Thou art angry? Thou didst cause >judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared." 
This passage, like the next three, reveal that there is a healthy fear of judgment. I believe this fear is based on a healthy desire to avoid suffering the punishment that falls on sinners and helps the believer to cry out to God for help in being cleansed from sin and freed from its power. The difference between this and the fear that the wicked may have for God's judgments is that one involves a desire to conform the life with God's commandments while the other involves an attitude of rebellion and defiance. See also Ps. 2: 7-12. Please note that I am not wanting to say that our main motivation in serving God and doing good is to be "fear". Undoubtedly our main motive is to be love -- love for God, love for our neighbour and love for what is right (Deuteronomy 11:1; John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 5: 3 etc.). We are to do what is right out of a love of virtue. Nevertheless the Bible also clearly describes the need to have a healthy fear of God's judgments upon sin.  

Ps. 119:119,120 "Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of >Thy judgments."

Luke 12:4,5 "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed >hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." (See also Matthew 10:28).

1 Peter 1:17 "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons >judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"

Psalms 89:6,7 "For who in the heaven >can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty >can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him." God is to be feared because of who He is -- the Omnipotent, unique, one true God.

What are the dictionary definitions of the main Hebrew and Greek words that are usually translated "fear" in the context of fearing God?

From J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionaries in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible we get the following information: The main Hebrew word used is yare which means: " to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten". The main Greek words used are (1) phobos which is from a primary root phebomai " (to be put in fear) alarm or fright" (2) phobeo which is derived from phobos and means " to frighten, ie. (passive) to be alarmed; by analogy to be in awe of, ie. to revere". 

From this, and the above passages it appears that when the Bible says "fear" God it is an exhortation to reverence. But it also appears plain that it goes deeper than just reverence. The fact that believers are to fear God and at the same time consider Him a  warm, tender, compassionate Father whom we can come boldly to (in Christ, Ps. 103; Heb. 4:16; Mt. 11:28-30, etc.) represents an apparent paradox difficult for Western minds to grasp.

In the Bible there are several apparent paradoxes for Western minds. I understand that these apparent paradoxes are not a problem to the Hebrew/Eastern mind which is not "linear" in its thinking. Such apparent paradoxes include:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and >keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

Deuteronomy 6:2 "That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to >keep all his statutes and His commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged."

Psalms 111:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of >wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments" (See also Proverbs 9:10).

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of >knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is >to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

Proverbs 16:6 "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men >depart from evil."

2 Corinthians 7:1 " Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting >holiness in the fear of God."

Ephesians 5:21 " >Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

Philippians 2:12 " Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out >your own salvation with fear and trembling."

What are some of its other benefits?

Proverbs 10:27 "The fear of the LORD >prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened."

Proverbs 14:27 "The fear of the LORD is a >fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."

Acts 9:31 "Then had the >churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were >multiplied."

How does one obtain "the fear of the LORD."?

Psalms 34:11 "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will >teach you the fear of the LORD."

Proverbs 2:

1 ¶ My son, if thou wilt >receive my words, and >hide my commandments with thee;

2 So that thou >incline thine ear unto wisdom, and >apply thine heart to understanding;

3 Yea, if thou >criest after knowledge, and >liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4 If thou >seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

10 ¶ When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

1 John 5:14, 15 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we >ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."

Matthew 7:11 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that >ask Him?"

How is this healthy fear of God described in Hebrews 12:28?

Hebrews 12:28 "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with >reverence and godly fear"

How does the Bible describe the fear of those who are alienated from God? 

Hebrews 10:26,27 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain >fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." This fear of God obviously is related to a sense of unpardoned guilt. It is a fear of having to face the just consequences of one's sins.

James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: >the devils also believe, and tremble." James makes the point that just believing in God is not enough. We must have a relationship with Him that produces good works. Such a relationship will not involve fear of punishment because of guiltiness. In contrast to this the devils believe in God and tremble because they know they must meet the just reward of all their wickedness. 

Luke 21:25,26 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for >fear, and for >looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the >spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Hebrews 2:15 "And deliver them who through >fear of death were all their lifetime subject to >bondage."

1 John 4:17,18 "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because >fear hath torment." The fear based on guilt is banished from us when we become, through Christ, partakers of God's love.  

David Bird compiled the web site. Copyright © 2000, David Bird. Web site address: http://www.lis.net.au/~dbird/  

Visitors to this web site are most welcome to contact David Bird at dbird@lis.net.au with questions, criticisms or suggestions -- or if you believe you've found a mistake (e.g. in a Bible reference). I am a fellow pilgrim in need of God's grace like anyone else. A reply will be sent as soon as practical, but may take a few days.

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