The fear of the Lord is a central and characteristic expression in the Old Testament, but what exactly does it mean?

We search in vain for a description or definition in the Bible. We encounter this concise description of true piety in practice, in all kinds of contexts. From this we can deduce what it expresses. The word “fear” is an old spelling, but it is recommended to retain it, because it does not refer to fear in the sense of being afraid, but to loving reverence for the Lord, who dwells as the Holy One among his people. In Exodus 14, Israel comes to know the Lord in his redeeming power, after which it says that they fear him and trust in him. This clearly shows that “fear” is not anxiety, but loving reverence. In various places in Deuteronomy, where it talks about fearing the LORD, it is clear that “fear” is connected with loving him, listening to his words, and walking in his ways. Psalm 25 says that the LORD is intimate with those who fear him.

Piety⤒🔗

Fear of the LORD is therefore a term used to describe Old Testament piety, in the sense of religious conduct. Does this mainly concern our “inner self”? Well, certainly! From a biblical perspective, it concerns living a life of faith with the Lord. But fear of the Lord is not the same as what we today call spirituality. Spirituality can exist without a God with whom we interact; spirituality draws from a supposed source within ourselves.

The fear of the LORD is radically and completely different. It is certainly “inward,” but it is a movement of the heart that is focused on the LORD. And the LORD is the God who revealed himself to Abraham and made a covenant with him. He is the living God: He does not merely have a name, he is his Name. “Unite my heart to fear your name,” the psalmist of Psalm 86 can pray.

The fear of the LORD is therefore not a human quest that has found its way to God; it began and always begins again only with the LORD, who in His holy love pursues sinners. Without the name of the LORD, the expression “fear of the Lord ” loses its meaning. That is why we cannot exchange it for spirituality. No, let us rather use the word “piety,” because in our language that word originally refers not only to our “inner self,” but also to courageously walking our path with God. “That I remain pious,” sings the “Wilhelmus” (the Dutch anthem), and then continues: “Your servant at all times.” Here, “pious” refers to, as Prince of the Netherlands, courageously serving the LORD.

New Testament←⤒🔗

In the New Testament, the expression “fear of the LORD” recedes into the background and the word faith—in Christ! —comes to the foreground. Why is that? Well, it is not that speaking of “fear of the LORD” has become obsolete with the coming of Christ. The expression still appears in various places in the Gospels and the Epistles. Nor is it the case that we are moving from a faith experience that is strongly focused on human attitudes—fear of the Lord—to a faith in which only the content—faith in Christ—matters. Why, then, does the New Testament speak mainly about faith?

Perhaps Acts 19 is a good illustration. In Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of disciples of John the Baptist who were unaware of the coming of Christ. They had been baptized in the baptism of John, that is, a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John called on people to repent in light of the approaching coming of God’s kingdom and the judgment associated with it, as a sincere prayer for forgiveness of sins. So he called people—without mentioning it here—to the fear of the LORD. But they had not been told how and by whom God would bring about the forgiveness they needed to be saved. Then Paul comes along and fills in the name of Christ in the “blanks” that were in John’s baptism. Then they believe that Christ is their righteousness and their life, and this “pond” in Ephesus is also connected to the life stream of the Holy Spirit! For they now know him to whom they may entrust themselves: Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a perfect atonement for all our sins.

Is Jesus our friend, close to us, that we may be familiar rather than formal with him? Do we therefore no longer need to fear the LORD? No, we do not need to fear in the sense of being afraid, says the Belgic Confession in Article 26, when we look to Christ, because there is no one among the creatures in heaven or on earth who loves us more than Jesus Christ. But “fear” in the sense of holy reverence for God, yes, that is also what the entire New Testament speaks of. We must not in any way play off the fear of the LORD against faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. On the contrary, we would do well to let both terms explain each other. The fear of the LORD was never an indication of a subjective experience of faith. It stands and falls with the saving content of the name LORD! And faith in Christ is not a list of doctrines, but following and trusting him, in holy awe of who he is.

Where Wisdom Begins←⤒🔗

In Job, Proverbs, and the Psalms, we encounter several references to the “fear of the LORD” being called the beginning of wisdom. It is the first characteristic of wisdom, and everything stands or falls with it. When we read the “wisdom books” of the Old Testament—Ecclesiastes is also included—we notice that wisdom is about how you stand in the world and how you go your way. Psalm 111, a didactic poem, ends with the “fear of the Lord” being the beginning of wisdom. This Psalm is about examining God’s deeds and praising him, extolling his righteousness, and giving thanks for his faithfulness in sustaining our lives. The Psalm concludes: “Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who act upon it have good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Examining God’s works in creation and redemption thus brings the people who sing this Psalm to the fear of the LORD. That is not self-evident, as we know all too well today. People today experience all kinds of things, we know a lot about the world, all kinds of scientific research provide new insights, but it does not lead to the fear of the Lord. Why is that? Well, the greatness of God and the reality of his existence is not a mathematical equation. God holds up a “book” to us in his creation, says the Belgic Confession, but are we willing to recognize Who gives it to us to read?

In biblical times, science as we know it today did not yet exist. People did reflect and investigate, but they did not do so in a secular way, based on “methodological atheism,” but with the goal of living sincerely before God and among people. It is significant that reverence for and trust in the LORD come first. No, the Bible does not recognize anything like Christian science, which builds entire theories based on Bible texts. People have tried that, and still do, but those structures collapse like a house of cards over time. It cannot be otherwise, because you then have to repeatedly deny new scientific data because it does not fit in with your idea of Christian science.

The fear of the LORD shows us a different path—not that of wanting to know every little detail. In the “books of wisdom”—especially Job—the question is asked whether we were there when God created the earth, and whether we provided him with valuable advice, so that we now have the right to speak. If God asks us that, we would do well to cover our mouths and remain silent. If the fear of the LORD is the beginning of true wisdom, then that means that we realize that we should not think and act as if everything begins with us, as if we can unravel the ultimate mysteries with our minds. It is about walking in awe and trust in the LORD. Then we do not need to have everything figured out. We can then relax and deal with what science puts on the table. Fearing the LORD means that we realize what is important. It keeps us from blindly following “the results of science” and expecting all good from it. And when science presents us with difficult questions, we pray that the LORD will keep us in the fear of his name.

What would society, the economy, science—in short: life itself—look like if we were all like these people, who fear the LORD and praise and serve him? It is good to imagine this. Then unbridled lust for power, ambition, desire, and so on would be curbed and make way for loving service. What would the face of this world look like then?! Wouldn’t it be good? Yes, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom! Thinking then becomes... serving.

Ethical Character←⤒🔗

In the previous section, I already mentioned that the fear of the LORD cannot be conceived without actually walking in God’s ways. It is striking to compare Psalms 111 and 112 here. Psalm 111, as we saw, ends with praise to God's name and with the declaration that it is good to walk in the fear of the LORD. Psalm 112 is a new Psalm, but it is completely interwoven with Psalm 111. He begins by praising the person who walks in the fear of the LORD as blessed. This is followed by a wonderful testimony about that person. Honest is this person, gracious, loving, and compassionate towards others. This person is generous, honest, and kind to the poor. They are two psalms, but they are inextricably linked. And that has something to say to us: seeing the Lord in the majesty and greatness of his deeds is the beginning of the fear of the LORD. That comes first. But it leads us to take our place among people in the fear of the Lord. Knowing the Lord comes first, and the new way of life flows from it!

This is very clear in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, the fear of the Lord is mainly mentioned in relation to one’s way of life. I am thinking of 2 Corinthians 7:1, where Paul calls on the church to cleanse itself of all defilement of body and spirit and to bring sanctification to its goal in the fear of God. And Peter writes his first letter to churches that are facing external pressure and slander. In chapter 3:2, he urges the churches to live in such a way that others are won over without words when they notice their pure walk in the fear of the Lord.

It shows that the fear of the Lord—that is, taking the grace of Christ seriously in the practice of our walk—is not only our calling in Christ, but can also mean a lot in terms of mission. Those who live in the fear of the Lord are not concerned with what they “are not allowed to do because of their faith,” but know the joy of walking in the ways of God’s Word, in loving reverence for him who is our life!