Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack!
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me!
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
It's nice how the responsory today sings the faith of the Scripture readings. Lest we forget God and His merciful goodness, it reminds us that we have no lack because He has given to us all the physical blessings we have (Deuteronomy 8). You have no lack because the Father who numbers the hairs on your head values you more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:30ff). You have no lack because He has sent out His light and truth through those who acknowledged Him before men - before YOU - and you have received Christ through them. You have no lack, because though your skin will be destroyed, yet in your flesh you will see God - as the Righteous One, Jesus Christ was destroyed in both body and soul on the Cross and rose again so that you could be led to receive the Righteous One's reward at the Last Day's resurrection.
I love the Lord, and friends always ask me, "Why is it we should fear the Lord?", so now i ask you, why is it we should fear the Lord? is it out of respect or because he is all powerful?
ReplyDeleteshort answer - yes. Not either/or. I should think the One who is Almighty, who created us and provides for us richly and daily deserves respect.
ReplyDeleteTo fear God is not so much the trembling in fear idea (with You there is forgiveness, therefore You are feared... doesn't sound like trembling there, does it?)
fear = respect, honor, trust. Check out the synodical explanation to the Small Catechism. One of the questions under the first commandment defines what fear means in "fear, love, and trust..."
Also, page 1001 of The Lutheran Study Bible has a whole article about the fear of God. (and of course, both these books of mine are now at church and not here at home.)