The Fear of The Lord

Jeremiah confronts a nation that has lost its reverence for God, and the text asks a blunt question: do people fear the Lord? The passage links lost provision and national disaster to a people whose hearts revolted and who failed to tremble at God’s presence. Scripture insists that fearing God begins with recognizing His power—the One who sets bounds on the sea—and His provision—the One who gives rain and harvest. Yet fear can take two shapes: a holy, obedience-producing reverence, or a crippling dread that drives people away.

Exodus 19–20 dramatizes both kinds of fear. Sinai erupts with thunder, lightning, smoke, and trumpet blasts so the nation will know God’s authority. The people respond by removing themselves and standing afar off—an instinctive recoil that treats God as a threat to avoid. Moses corrects that mistake: God’s terrifying display intends to provoke godly fear that prevents sin, not to push people into exile from His presence. The wrong fear produces instability (wavering and double-mindedness), inactivity (standing still instead of moving forward by faith), and long-term distance that looks indistinguishable from not fearing God at all.

Correction comes with clarity about God’s character and purpose. The proper fear recognizes God’s discipline as fatherly correction aimed at holiness rather than vindictive punishment. Chastening functions to heal and train; it yields peaceable fruit and draws the repentant closer. Thus the right fear propels obedience and intimacy: it makes people run toward God in humility and trust, not flee from Him in terror.

The call is practical: stop the fear that removes, and adopt the fear that reforms. Repentant approach, honest seeking, and faith-driven steps allow God to redirect imperfect efforts without turning them into permanent exile. God’s authority remains awe-inspiring, but that awe should settle into obedient closeness rather than paralyzing estrangement.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Right fear versus wrong fear Fear splits into two paths: one leads toward obedience, the other away from God. Recognizing which fear governs the heart alters behavior—either producing steady growth or chronic flight. Discernment requires honest self-questioning about whether reverence results in humility and action or in hiding and paralysis. [00:17]
• 2. Fear because of power and provision Reverence springs from the reality that God bounds the seas and provides rain and harvest. That awareness moves the heart to respect authority and acknowledge dependence, not to bargain or manipulate. When God’s power and provision shape perspective, decisions grow sober and thankful rather than fearful and frantic. [05:30]
• 3. Wrong fear breeds distance and paralysis A fear that treats God as a hazard causes removal, standing still, and long-term estrangement. Wavering, double-mindedness, and refusal to advance result when people assume proximity equals danger rather than healing. Recognize the signs—instability, inactivity, incongruity—and refuse the exile that wrong fear institutes. [27:05]
• 4. Right fear draws into obedient closeness True reverence aims to curb sin and to pull people nearer in humility and obedience. God’s displays and corrections intend reformation, not rejection; discipline functions to foster holiness and restore fellowship. Embrace chastening as a father’s remedy that heals, trains, and produces the fruit of righteousness. [38:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:17] - Introduction: Two Kinds of Fear
• [01:52] - Self-Examination: Do You Fear?
• [04:43] - God’s Power Declared
• [05:30] - God’s Provision Explained
• [07:22] - Love, Fear, and Torment
• [10:01] - Sinai: The Fearful Scene
• [12:19] - Sights and Sounds at Sinai
• [14:06] - The People Remove Themselves
• [17:57] - Instability From Wrong Fear
• [27:05] - Inactivity: Standing Afar Off
• [29:34] - Wrong Fear Equals Being Far Off
• [37:02] - Moses’ Counsel: Fear Not
• [38:59] - Purpose of Fear: Obedience
• [42:32] - Chastening as Fatherly Love
• [45:56] - Invitation to Come Near

1. In Jeremiah 5:22-24, what two specific reasons does God give for why His people should fear and tremble before Him?
2. According to Exodus 20:18, what was the immediate, physical reaction of the people to the thunder, lightning, trumpet blast, and smoking mountain?
3. What did Moses immediately tell the people to do in Exodus 20:20, and what was his stated purpose for why God had come in such a powerful way?
4. The sermon described a type of fear that leads to "instability," using the Hebrew word nuwa which can also mean "fugitive" or "shake." [19:33] What are the three symptoms of wrong fear identified in the Exodus 20 account?

1. Moses told the people "fear not" and then immediately explained that God's intent was "that his fear may be before your faces." How can both of these statements be true? What is the crucial difference between the fear he told them to stop and the fear he told them to have?
2. The sermon stated that "the wrong fear of god will put you as far away from god as somebody who don't fear him at all." [30:06] How does the reaction of the Israelites in Exodus 20:18 (standing "afar off") compare to the description of unbelievers in Ephesians 2:12-13 (being "far off")?
3. The purpose of godly fear, according to Moses, is "that you sin not." [38:59] How does a proper fear of God actually work to prevent sin, rather than just making someone feel guilty or afraid?
4. The story of David wanting to build the temple was used as an example. [23:14] How does God's response to David's well-intentioned but incorrect plan demonstrate the difference between a fatherly correction and a vindictive punishment?

1. Instability, inactivity, and distance are signs of a wrong fear of God. [27:05] Which of these three—being "shaky" in your decisions, "standing still" and not moving forward, or feeling "far off" from God—do you most often struggle with when you think about approaching Him?
2. God's chastening is described as being "for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" rather than a punishment to be avoided. [43:53] How could viewing a recent difficulty or correction in your life through this lens change your response to it from running away to drawing near?
3. The right fear of God is meant to propel obedience and intimacy. [16:29] What is one practical, faith-driven step you can take this week to move closer to God in an area where you have previously been hesitant or afraid?
4. Consider the picture of a child who runs to a neighbor's house when their father pulls into the yard. [44:46] Does your internal reaction to God—especially after a failure—more resemble running to Him or running from Him? What does your reaction say about how you view His character as a Father?
5. The sermon asked, "Do you not understand that you only have a harvest because I give you one?" [05:30] This week, how can you actively cultivate a heart of reverence and gratitude for God's daily provision in your life, both the big things and the small?
6. If the worst thing God does to His children is to chasten them for their good, how does this truth free you from the "torment" [07:22] of a wrong fear and allow you to rest in His perfect love as you walk with Him?