THE FEAR OF THE LORD

2 Chronicles 19:5-9 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities
of Judah, city by city, And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for
man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of
the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our
God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat
set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the
judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem. And he
charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear [reverence] of the LORD, faithfully,
and with a perfect heart.

In this particular passage of scripture it is telling about Jehoshaphat setting judges and
him telling them about doing what they were appointed to do in the fear of the Lord,
faithfully, and with a perfect heart. For those who are appointed to work for the Lord, in
this present time, should also do it in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect
heart.

Proverbs 10:27, The fear [reverence] of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years
of the wicked shall be shortened.

How could this be any clearer? The fear of the Lord will prolong your life! That should
be enough for people to fear the Lord. There are those who say that we don’t have to fear
God but I find it many times in the scripture. It says the days of he wicked [those who
don’t reverence him] will be shortened. They won’t be around as long as those who show
reverence to Him.

Proverbs 19:23, The fear [reverence] of the LORD tendeth [is maintenance] to
life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Oh what a promise we have if we have reverence for God. We will not be visited with
evil! I guess that means if we don’t have reverence for God that we will be visited with
evil. That could very well be a clue to us to let us know that we are not showing
reverence to our God.

Proverbs 14:26-27, In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall
have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the
snares of death.

More promises!

Proverbs 15:16, Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble
therewith.
It is better to have little and fear our God than to have it all with all the trouble that goes
along with it.

Proverbs 16:6, By mercy and truth iniquity [sin] is purged:[put off] and by the
fear [reverence] of the LORD men depart [withdraw] from evil.

If you have the fear of the lord…….the real fear [reverence] then you are going to turn
away from evil. I see so many people who do not fear God. I know that they don’t
because if they did they would not be doing what they are doing. They are living in
fornication, adultery, drunkenness, and so many other things that are going on with those
who say that they know God. If they knew Him they would fear Him. They WOULD
depart from evil.

Proverbs 23:17-26, Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the
LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut
off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among
winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come
to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Hearken unto thy father that
begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also
wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly
rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy
mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart,
and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Here is some very good advice for all of the sons out there. Someone told me once that
the best thing that I could do was to have my sons read and study the book of Proverbs, I
probably did not do enough studying of the Proverbs with them as I should have but I
guess I didn’t have a full revelation of the wisdom that is held there.

Isaiah 2:17-21, And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the
haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and
into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when
he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and
his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to
the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear
of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

What will come to those who have no fear of the Lord? What is revealed in these
scriptures doesn’t sound good. Will it be too late to throw the idols away when He begins
the shaking?

There are so many scriptures about the fear of the Lord but maybe you get the
picture from these I have given to you, if not, read them for yourself and let God reveal to
you ‘the fear of the Lord’. The fear of the Lord…..the beginning of wisdom.