Whether you grew up Christian or joined the faith later in life, odds are you’ve heard about how important it is to fear God. In today’s post, we want to dive deeper into the topic. So keep reading to learn about what God’s word says about the fear of God.
What is the fear of God in the Bible?
When the bible talks about the fear of God, it doesn’t mean the normal paralyzing type of fear that is related to dangerous and dreadful experiences.
Instead, it means that we should be in reverence and awe of God, submitting to His will always. Ultimately, the fear of God is rooted in a good understanding of His sovereignty and loving Him.
Moreover, the fear of God is associated with trusting His intentions for us. At the end of the day, it is this fear that makes us not want to displease God and be willing to stick with Him even when it isn’t convenient for us.
Which Bible verse says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom?
Proverbs 9:10 is the bible verse that talks about how the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It reminds us that to fear God and follow his guidance is the ultimate way to build wisdom. After all, God is the source of all wisdom.
Even King Solomon, the wisest King of Israel, only got his wisdom after asking God for it. But you have to keep in mind that God’s wisdom isn’t like man’s wisdom.
There are some things that God will ask you to do that may seem stupid to other people – however, they will help you in the long run.
How do we fear the Lord?
There are many ways to express your fear of God. While the most common way is to follow His instructions, this isn’t the only way. In fact, it is only the most noticeable expression of the fear of God.
Underlying expressions include trusting God and constantly hoping in His perfect love. Also, you can show your fear of God through your praise and worship.
You can even take things further by taking time to reconcile others and even opposing hate and arrogance.
How many times is fear God mentioned in the bible?
The term “fear God” is mentioned 134 times in the Holy Bible. On the other hand, the biblical phrase “fear of God” has been mentioned 86 times.
Interestingly, there’s a variation of this term that has been mentioned a whopping 186 times – fear the Lord.
Ultimately, the concept of fearing God has been mentioned at least 490 times in God’s word. Clearly, it’s an important tenet of Christianity.
Examples of those who feared God in the bible
The Holy Bible is full of people who feared God. One example is Abraham – he feared God so much that he followed His instructions hastily, even when they inconvenienced him.
Even when he was asked to sacrifice his only son, he was willing to trust God.
Another Bible character who fully embodied the fear of God is Joseph. In fact, he feared God so much that he ran away when tempted by Pharaoh’s wife.
He even took care of his brothers after they had betrayed and abandoned him – something that is difficult for most believers to do.
Bible Verses About the Fear of God
Some of the most powerful bible verses about the fear of God include:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction – Proverbs 1:7 NIV
This bible verse reminds us that fearing God is the basis of building knowledge. This is because God’s guidance is what makes us more knowledgeable.
Remember, He knows more than we know and can see things that we can’t.
As Matthew 6:33 reminds us, when you first seek the Kingdom of God, you get everything else. Also, the more knowledgeable you become, the more you understand how important it is to fear God.
As such, true knowledge leads us to God as well – these two feed each other.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell – Matthew 10:28 NIV
In this bible verse, Matthew reminds us that our fear of God should be bigger than our fear of man. After all, men can’t kill your eternal soul – they can only harm your body.
In the scripture quotations before and after this one, he particularly delves deep into how much we need God to survive and thrive.
He reminds us that even when we are persecuted by our enemies, God will take care of us. Just like Romans 8:38-39 tells us, God’s love is sufficient and it goes with us everywhere, even to the grave.
Ultimately, this verse reminds us not to live in fear, even in the midst of chaos.
And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding” – Job 28:28 NIV
If there’s anything to be learned from the book of Job, it’s that fearing God is particularly important when things aren’t going our way.
Throughout the book, we see Job struggle with profound loss yet refuse to mock or turn his back on God. In chapter 28, he particularly delves deep into how God is the source of wisdom and understanding.
He even talks about how valuable these two gifts are. So by the time we read verse 28, it’s easy for us to see how fearing God is beneficial to our growth.
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” – Exodus 20:20 NIV
Written by Moses, Exodus chapter 20 is one of the most famous bible chapters. It contains the 10 commandments and talks about how the Israelites received them from God through a loud voice.
It particularly talks about how afraid they were to interact with God and preferred if Moses was a mediator.
However, Moses wanted them to take charge of their own faith and not be afraid, citing that the experience will instill a necessary fear of God in them.
Ultimately, he reminds us that a healthy fear of God can help keep us from sinning. In turn, this can accelerate our purification and make us more like Christ Jesus.
The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them – Psalms 25:14 NIV
Written by King David, this chapter in the book of Psalms talks about the benefits of fearing God. It particularly talks about how God blesses, guides, and even confides in those who fear him.
Ultimately, it emphasizes that such people will be prosperous and their children will inherit this prosperity.
Also, this chapter includes a cry for help in the face of obstacles. This tells us that a good part of fearing God is trusting that He will come to our aid during conflict and adversity.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation – Luke 1:50 NIV
In this verse, Luke shares his account of the song Mary the mother of Jesus Christ sang after meeting with Elizabeth. In this song, she praises God and rejoices in them, citing that he has blessed her immensely.
Moreover, she talks about the mercy He has shown her, because of her fear of him.
Interestingly, she even mentions that God’s mercy and blessings will extend to her descendants. This tells us that fearing God doesn’t only benefit you – it benefits your family and generations to come.
Just like Abraham and his descendants were blessed because of his obedience, your people will be blessed because of yours.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech – Proverbs 8:13 NIV
If there’s one thing that the book of Proverbs does well, especially chapter 8, it’s talking about wisdom. It talks about how powerful wisdom is and how it keeps you from lying, accepting corrupt counsel, and doing bad things.
Beyond that, it emphasizes how wisdom and the fear of God go hand in hand.
The above-mentioned verse particularly points out how fearing God makes you hate all evil. Ultimately, this births in you fruits of the holy spirit such as joy, kindness, self-control, and generosity.
This way, no matter who you meet along the way, your life can inspire them to shun any evil way.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death – Proverbs 14:27 NIV
In this verse and chapter of the book of Proverbs, David talks about how an evil way can lead one to death yet the fear of the Lord can produce life and security.
He likens the security provided by fearing and obeying God to that provided by a fortress where you and your children can dwell. Ultimately, he reminds us that doing the right thing is wise, and it protects us from a lot of negative consequences.
This emphasizes the concept that God’s commandments are not meant to deny us things but rather to protect us. In many ways, every commandment of the Lord is like a boundary that keeps us on the path to our destiny.
The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise – 2 Samuel 23:3-4 NIV
These are part of King David’s last words as written by Samuel. In them, he attributes his success as a leader to his fear of God and his willingness to follow His instructions.
He even goes as far as saying that God wouldn’t have allowed him to be as fruitful if he hadn’t submitted himself to this ideology.
Ultimately, David’s words remind us that good leadership requires more than just being bold. You need to fear the Lord thy God as well and do your best to rule righteously.
As Luke 12:48 reminds us, to whom much is given, much is required.
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil – Proverbs 15:16 NIV
Here, Solomon reminds us that having God in our lives and fearing him is more important than worldly possessions. In fact, the whole chapter is dedicated to talking about how living a Godless life can lead to pain, turmoil, destruction, and even death.
It also encourages us to continue living a Godly life by promising that it births love and prosperity.
This chapter even has a verse that states that it’s better to eat a small portion of vegetables with steadfast love than to have a huge chunk of meat with hatred.
As such, its major lesson to us is to learn to see beneath the surface and have an understanding of our innermost values. This way, we won’t be easily swayed by meaningless things that glitter.
The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. – Deuteronomy 6:24 NIV
While this verse was written as an instruction to God’s people (Israelites) after their own salvation from Egypt, it holds as true today as it did then.
There are particularly two interesting points that this verse makes. One is that God requires us to fear Him and the other is that He’s made it the path to prosperity.
Ultimately, it teaches us that all that God wants us to do is supposed to benefit us. That’s why we should obey joyfully and always trust in Him.
As Romans 8:28 reminds us, He is always working things for our good as long as we love Him.
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure – Isaiah 33:6 NIV
In this verse, Isaiah likens fearing God to a key to a great treasure that God has for us. As such, it encourages us to keep the faith, even when things are difficult. In fact, it reminds us that the Fear of the Lord should be the foundation of our lives as Christians.
It’s therefore not surprising that scripture quotations after this one talk about how dwelling in the things of God and keeping his decrees can put you in high places.
Ultimately, seeking God should be the most important thing in your life, and with it will come many other blessings.
Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. – Ecclesiastes 8:12 NIV
If there’s one thing that this bible verse does well, it’s teaching us not to compare ourselves with others, especially those who don’t fear God the way we do.
This keeps resentment at bay and reminds us to trust God and our own path. With this comes an ease to life – we learn to enjoy life when we can and take refuge when things go south.
Remember, the sun shines on both the righteous and wicked inhabitants of the world (Matthew 5:45). And we may never even understand why things happen the way they do.
Ultimately, this verse teaches us that while our fear of God may not ensure that we won’t die or suffer, it does make our life more peaceful.
Final thoughts
Based on the sheer number of times that fearing God is mentioned in the bible, it’s clearly something that God wants us to do.
Not only is it the foundation of wisdom but it’s also the key to a lot of blessings. So if you’ve not been concentrating on this aspect of your faith, today’s a great place to start!
