All the people were discerning the thunderclaps and the torches and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking. And the people saw and roved about and stood afar. They said to Moses: Speak with us that we may hear; but Elohim must not speak with us lest we die. Then Moses said to the people: Do not fear, for in order to probe you the One, Elohim has come, and in order that the fear of Him should come over your faces that you may not sin
Genesis 20: 18-20, Concordant Old Testament
The people of Israel, Gods chosen people, heard the commotion up on the mountain and they wanted no part of it. They understood full well that they were in the presence of their God, yet they were afraid of what it was that they saw in front of them. The fire, the loud thunder and the trumpet blasts. Indeed, God was announcing Himself to His people. So afraid were the Israelites of God in that moment, that they begged His messenger, Moses, to go and speak to the Lord on their behalf. Although Moses attempted to reassure the people that God meant them no harm, the optics were too much to handle. So it was that Moses made that walk alone up the mountain to speak with the Lord. In many ways, that fear of the Lord has somehow survived down through many thousands of years of our history. God is way too fearsome, we need to keep our distance from Him. The Hebrews of old went so far as to create the Holy of Holies in the temple, that place where only the high priest of the Lord was allowed to enter. Once a year, on the day of atonement (Yom Kippur) the designated priest would enter this forbidden sanctuary to offer sacrifices to God for the sins of the people. Even today, Yom Kippur is recognized as one of the Holiest days of the year in Judaism. Many continue to honor the occasion by focusing on atonement and repentance. By the way, this is part of what Jesus gave Himself to accomplish {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. For its part, the mainstream church has also been a part of the "Fear the Lord" theme through the years, although in different ways. Growing up in the mainstream church separation theology, I was always taught to fear what God might do. God might become angry with me if I sinned or behaved in the wrong way. If ever I would be in church on a Sunday morning and speaking to a difficult time in my life, someone might ask me just what I had done to upset the Lord. Why was he punishing me? Knowing what I know today, I know that life is life, and that the Father brings us through many situations through our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}. We have no need to be in fear of God.
Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear, for fear has chastening. Now he who is fearing is not perfected in love
First Epistle of John 4: 18, Concordant New Testament
I recall watching the old Charlton Heston movie The Ten Commandments and being in fear of the God. There Heston stood on that mountain with all the special effects going on all around him. Was this really what being in the presence of God was like? The loud thunder, the smoke and fire? If so, let someone else talk to Him and report back to me what He said. The truth is, it was never the Fathers intention that He should be placed in a box, away from His creation. The Fathers true desire is that His children come to know Him and enjoy His presence. The apostle Johns speaks to the love we find in the Father casting out whatever fears we might have {First Epistle of John 4:18}. He is not a God to be feared, but a Father with love for His creation. In fact, love is the primary identity of God {First Epistle of John 4:8}. Jesus did not die on the cross because we were afraid of Gods sin punishment. No, He gave His life for us out of His love for us {Johns Account 3:16-17}. For some believers entrenched in the theology of the church, it might be a tough pill to swallow that God does everything out of love. Love is what He has chosen to be. The Father does not want us to approach Him out of fear, but out of our love for Him. Yet if we do find ourselves in fear of Him, we can rest assured that He can and will ease our spirits to rest in His love for us.
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment