The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy,
and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. (Pro 8:13)
There are people who do not like the ‘fear of the LORD’ which can
have narrow and negative view. It has sometimes been equated to a God full of
wrath and looking for every opportunity to cause hurt. Yet the Word is full of examples of God’s
wrath only after He has sent prophets, multiple warnings and with long enduring
patience and mercy. The fear of the LORD is not a ‘distressing emotion aroused
by impending danger, evil, pain, etc’, but it calls for moral reverence of He
Who upholds morality and is holy, separated or none in close comparison
to. The truth is the fear of the LORD
tends to life and those who have this live lives that are fulfilled and
contented (Pro 19:23).
Without the fear of the LORD we can end up with an attitude
of constantly doing what is right in our own eyes, in the process condemning
others. The person can end up going around with a judgmental spirit and passing
personal judgment on others, picking the speck out of people’s eyes. The saddest
part is that that person will not be able to see their own true inward
condition. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Proud and
arrogant people rebel against the yoke or cross of Jesus and failed to learn of
Christ meekness and humility.
When confronted with the issue of fearing God, our heart
will be brought to light. What spews out of our mouths will reflect the heart.
It is not a wonder that the proud and arrogant is connected to a forward mouth.
Fearing God is not a bad thing, it keeps us in check by what proceeds from our
speech shows our heart. ‘…..That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment’ (Matt 12:36). The Proverb has provided the
definition of the evil the Lord hates; it is Godly wisdom to take heed.
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