4th Quarter: Present Truth in Deuteronomy.
Lesson 4: *To Love the Lord Your God*
Monday: To Fear God
*Text: [[Deu 10:12]] KJV*
_And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,_
Message
_That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. (Deu 6:2)_ In the Text above, God gives another important condition Israel had to satisfy in order to enjoy the blessings of the promised land. This condition was to “Fear God”. Was this command meant to scare the people? No! The word fear used is to be understood in a proper context, as they understood too. God was calling the nation to revere, respect, and honour Him.
Knowing who God is, His sovereignty and majesty, and knowing who we are, sinful and wretched, it’s natural that we approach him in humility and awe. It’s in this sense that we fear him. We are fallen beings, beings who have violated God’s law and who, but for His grace, deserve condemnation and eternal death. What do we have in ourselves that should make us boastful before Him? We’re totally dependent on him, and as such, we must submit in fear. Having understood what this fear is about, how can our fear and love for God coexist?
*We must fear God because we’re sinful, miserable beings who were condemned to death-dealing with a Holy and just God. We must love him because despite our miserable state, He stooped low to die for us so we can have a new life in him.* A perfect understanding of these 2 concepts helps us to freely but carefully approach God. After all, if he has given himself, what else will he withhold? But can we treat him with disrespect like we do to our fellow men? Like Israel, we’re to fear and love God for who he is and what He’s done for us.
Reflection
Read Rev 14:6, 7. How are we to understand why the command to “fear God” should be the first command of the Lord’s last-day message to the world? Given what we know about what is coming on the world, why does that command make so much sense
