Deuteronomy

Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” That makes the fear of Yahweh* pretty important. But do we know what it means to fear him? Back in Sunday School, I was assured that God didn’t want me to be afraid of him. He just wanted me to love him so that I would be afraid of displeasing him. It was his feelings that mattered, you see. Eventually, I came to understand that it is perfectly sensible, even for Christians who love and are loved by God, to fear God himself. But that is not the meaning of the word as it is used in Scripture.

As Dan Phillips explains, using Deuteronomy 4:1–15 (feel free to pause and read that passage before continuing), “a primary and basic element in the fear of Yahweh is revelation.”

Of particular interest to us is Deuteronomy 4:10, where Moses recalls

“. . . the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’”

From this verse and the larger context, I isolate two observations:

1. “Fear” here clearly is not merely an emotion—or else I think that the fire and all (v. 11) would have done the trick.
2. “Fear” here is something that must be learned, and that requires revelation from God. god commanded the people to hear his words “so that they may learn to fear” Him, and that they might teach the fear of Yahweh to their children.

And then we see in verses 12–14 where Yahweh Himself directs the spotlight in that entire encounter. So many pine and yearn for anything remotely supernatural—and here it is, on bold display. Darkness, clouds, fire, the very voice of God. Is that where Yahweh fixes their attention?

No. In fact, Yahweh expressly says, “You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice” (v.12b). He goes on to relate at length the fact that He revealed and inscribed the Ten Commandments (v. 13) and commanded Moses to teach them “statutes and rules” that they might do them (v. 14). There was no form, only the word of God (v. 15). God emphasizes His word. And specifically stresses that He spoke to them, that He rendered Himself quotable.

Therefore, if anyone wishes to learn to fear God today, he will not chase off after reports of supernatural outbreaks here and there. Instead, he will open his Bible, and he will pray that God open his heart to hear His voice speaking through it, and will teach him to fear God thereby (cf Psa. 119:18; Heb 3:7ff).

—Dan Phillips, God’s Wisdom in Proverbs (Kress Biblical Resources, 2011), 71–72.

* Dan uses Yahweh where the translators of your text use the all-caps Lord or God. Read the book to find out why (hint: because it’s right).