John Bevere begins a chapter in his book. Drawing Near, by saying, “The fear of the Lord is the foundation of intimacy with God.” He goes on to say that the church has lost the “fear of God” and so has lost the presence of God in much of what we do.
That statement launched an hour of great conversation in my Thursday morning men’s group that meets at 6:00 a.m. every week. It usually takes us 15-20 minutes and at least two cups of coffee for things to get rolling but the idea of the fear of God and what that means seemed to energize us right away.
The truth of Bevere’s statement hinged on the meaning of “fear” for each of us. If we only meant that we shuddered at the voice of God as the Hebrews shuddered at the base of Mt. Sinai, then our fear of the Lord might hinder our intimacy rather than promote it. As you recall, as God settled on the top of Sinai in smoke and fire and spoke with a thundering voice, the Hebrews began to question having a relationship with this God.
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. (Ex. 19:16-19)
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. (Ex. 20:18-20)
In my men’s group we discussed the death of Nadab and Abihu for offering “strange fire” and the death of Uzzah who took hold of the Ark of the Covenant in David’s day. We also got around to Ananias and Saphira who died suddenly in the Jerusalem church for lying to the Holy Spirit. Each of those events were sobering and if left alone would push us away from the presence of God rather than drawing us in for a moment of intimacy.
On the other hand, in scripture, God also called certain men his friends and often went out of his way to meet with them and even share his heart with them. Jesus said that he no longer calls us servants but friends and the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can approach God’s throne of grace with boldness in time of need. We are called children of God and are affectionately called “his saints.” So what do we make of these extreme positions? On one side it seems that coming into the presence of God is a very fearful and risky thing while on the other side we are invited to “sit in his lap,” so to speak.
Bevere had made the point in his statement that the fear of God was foundational to intimacy. Fear of God, then, is the beginning point for an intimate relationship, but it is not the end. More than anything, God relates to us as a Father. Earthly fathers who love their children also seek a balance between respect and familiarity and often have to work to maintain the balance. We never want our children to tremble when we enter the room, but we also want them to obey us when we get serious. If they do not “fear” us or at least fear our discipline, then they will play in the street whenever they feel like it and place their lives at risk.
We have all had the experience of playing with our children and in the midst of that intimacy (playing promotes intimacy), we find our children being disrespectful or ignoring some hard and fast safety rules that still apply even though we are playing. In those moments, we have to call a timeout and remind our children that we are not just a playmate but we are still their father. That seems to be the tension in scripture that calls us to a middle ground between the fear of Sinai and the familiarity of “Abba” father.
To lose an awesome respect for God and the mindset that he his still holy can move us to a place of being cavalier about the commands of God. We can begin to take advantage of his grace and treat him with a bit of disdain. Not only is that offensive to a holy God but it also begins to place us at risk because we become careless with sin. In a sense, we begin to play in the street.
Children initially obey fathers out of the fear of discipline. As they grow, they begin to obey out of love and respect which still stand on a foundation of healthy fear that was laid years earlier. I have often thought that we can’t truly love a person we don’t respect – especially in marriages. When we are mature that respect is built on the qualities of character of the other person, but when we are children it begins with a healthy fear that keeps us out of the street.
If we forget the holiness and the discipline of God, out intimacy will suffer. Unrepented sin will creep in and create separation between us and the Father. We will become careless with his commands, which says something about our hearts for we are told, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.”
As the perfect Father, God seeks a balance between fear (awesome respect for who he is and his authority) and familiarity and comfort in his presence. The Hebrew writer tells us that our God is a consuming fire while at the same time inviting us to approach his throne with absolute confidence. We can do so because of Christ and his blood that washes away our sin. That sacrifice purchases a positional relationship with the Father, but God wants much more than that. He wants intimacy, friendship, and even playfulness.
However, in the midst of that let’s not forget that he is holy and the creator of the universe. That balance keeps us in a place where we can enjoy the presence of God. The more respect we maintain for the Father, the more familiar he can be with us because we will not take advantage of that familiarity or become careless with our lives. It would seem to be a healthy regimen to regularly reflect not only on the love and grace of God but also his power, authority, and holiness. Be blessed today.
