Breaking Dawn | Part 20 - Be Afraid | Dr. Stephen G. Tan

Isaiah places the question right in front of God’s people: “Who among you fears the Lord?” Fear of God is not merely saying that God is respected or honored. Fear of God shows up in obedience to his Word and trust in his will, especially when life feels dark and there seems to be no light ahead. The servant Messiah provides the pattern, because Jesus obeyed the Father even when obedience brought suffering, and God ultimately vindicated him.

Isaiah contrasts the person who trusts the Lord with the person who kindles his own fire. Self-reliance looks like making a path in the dark with one’s own sparks, one’s own wisdom, desires, and plans. That path may feel independent, but it leads to torment because it tells God, “I know what is best for me. You do not have control of my life.” The fear of God acknowledges that his ways, purpose, and will are best, even when obedience is costly.

Isaiah then tells those who seek righteousness to look back to the rock from which they were hewn. Abraham and Sarah remind God’s people that God can take one man, one barren wife, and an impossible situation, then build a people through his sovereign grace. God’s past actions matter because remembering how he blesses, disciplines, shows patience, and extends mercy gives his people a healthy fear of him. God is kind and gracious, but his patience must never become a license to ignore him.

Isaiah also calls God’s people to look up at the heavens and down at the earth. Heaven and earth will vanish like smoke and grow old like a garment, but God’s salvation will be forever and his righteousness will not be abolished. God’s unmatched power should humble every proud heart. Earthly empires, wealth, strength, and human plans cannot stand when God wills otherwise. His hand can bless, sustain, withhold, or discipline, and his people must take his lordship seriously.

Isaiah finally warns against fearing the reproach of people. Human criticism, insults, and approval are temporary, like garments eaten by moths and wool consumed by worms. God’s righteousness and salvation endure from generation to generation. The choice of whom to fear becomes the question of whom to live for. Rightful fear and awe focused on God bring clarity for how life should be lived, while fear of people makes God’s commands seem optional.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Obedience reveals genuine fear of God [08:53] The fear of God is not proven by religious language or sincere intentions alone. Obedience reveals whether God’s authority is actually being honored when his commands press against personal desires. Trusting God in darkness means refusing to create a self-made path simply because his path feels costly or unclear. [08:53]
• 2. Remember God’s past actions carefully [18:50] God’s work in the lives of Abraham, Sarah, and his people teaches that no present situation is beyond his power. God’s patience and mercy should produce gratitude, but his discipline should produce sobriety. Memory becomes a spiritual safeguard when it keeps both God’s kindness and God’s holiness in view. [18:50]
• 3. God’s power puts life in perspective [25:18] The heavens and earth appear permanent, yet Isaiah says they will pass away. God’s salvation, righteousness, and purposes alone will remain. Pride loses its footing when human strength is measured against the One whose will cannot be resisted. [25:18]
• 4. Fear God more than human opinion [32:31] Human approval is always temporary and often demands compromise. God’s approval calls for obedience that may bring criticism, rejection, or misunderstanding. The heart cannot ultimately live for two competing authorities, so it must decide whose voice carries greater weight.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:41] - Seat Belts and the Reality of Fear
• [02:52] - Isaiah’s Servant Messiah
• [05:13] - Fear God by Trusting and Obeying
• [07:18] - The Danger of Lighting Your Own Fire
• [08:53] - Obedience Shows Whom You Fear
• [12:19] - Look Back to Abraham and Sarah
• [18:50] - Recall God’s Past Actions
• [22:16] - God’s Salvation Will Last Forever
• [25:18] - Acknowledge God’s Awesome Power
• [30:08] - Do Not Fear People
• [35:36] - Trusting the One Who Holds Life
• [39:00] - Four Ways to Fear God

1. In Isaiah 50:10–11, what two different responses are described for a person walking in darkness?
2. What connection does Isaiah 50 make between fearing the Lord, obeying the Servant’s voice, and trusting God when there is no clear light ahead? [06:03]
3. In Isaiah 51:1–3, whom are God’s people told to remember, and what does their story reveal about God’s ability to restore his people? [13:20]
4. According to Isaiah 51:6, what things will pass away, and what things belonging to God will last forever? [24:19]

1. Why does Isaiah describe self-reliance as lighting one’s own fire? What does this picture reveal about the temptation to choose personal wisdom and plans rather than God’s will? [07:32]
2. How does the obedient suffering of the Servant Messiah help explain why obedience to God may sometimes be costly but is still the path of trust? [06:47]
3. Why would remembering God’s work through Abraham and Sarah strengthen people who felt weak, discouraged, or trapped in an impossible situation? [14:10]
4. Isaiah tells God’s people not to fear human reproach because human opposition is temporary. How does God’s lasting righteousness change the weight that should be given to criticism, insults, or approval from others? [31:40]

1. Where does life currently feel dark or uncertain? What would trusting God in that situation look like in one specific act of obedience this week? [06:38]
2. In what area is there a temptation to “light your own fire”—to force an outcome, rely on personal wisdom, or ignore God’s direction because waiting or obeying feels costly? [08:12]
3. What past moment of God’s provision, patience, correction, or mercy should be remembered right now? How could remembering it help shape a healthier fear of God? [20:04]
4. Is there a blessing from God that has become so familiar that it is being taken for granted? How can gratitude lead to obedience rather than treating God’s patience as permission to ignore him? [20:18]
5. What source of security—such as money, success, health, influence, or personal ability—can begin to feel more permanent than it really is? How does Isaiah 51:6 put that source of security in perspective? [25:01]
6. Whose opinion has been carrying too much weight recently: friends, family, coworkers, online voices, or another group? Is that fear making any command of God seem optional? [32:44]