If this is true, then it is important to understand what it means to fear the Lord. I feel strongly that the idea of what it means to fear God has been watered down greatly. If one looks at the basic meaning of the word "fear" in both the Hebrew and the Greek in the Strong's concordance or a lexicon, it is clear that the basic meaning really has to do with dread or being afraid. The book of Hebrews says that it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God (vs. 10:11). The fear of God should not be understated.

Sometimes the word for fear is translated differently even in the same passage. One example of this goes back to the Hebrew and comes in the book of Jonah. In Jonah 1:9 Jonah said that he feared the Lord God of heaven. Some translations change this to say that he worshiped the Lord God of heaven. This happens even though the next verse uses the same word to say the sailors were frightened. The Hebrew word is yaw-ray' and its basic meaning is to be afraid or to fear. It seems clear that to fear the Lord goes a little deeper than mere reverence or worship.

In the Greek, there are also verses that reference fearing the Lord. Although many of the translations still translate and use "fear," when it is explained from the pulpit and other places the idea is watered down. The real meaning of fear is lost. An explanation of fear from Noah Webster's 1928 Dictionary of American English says this about fear, "A painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger." It also says, "The force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear, dread, terror, fright." Based on the word and its normal use, it seems a disservice to downgrade the meaning of word when referring to God.

The Greek word for fear is fob-eh'-o and it is the same word where we get our word phobia from. It is used in the New Testament to speak of people being afraid or Jesus telling His disciples not to fear. But when it is used to speak of fearing God, the idea is changed into one of just reverence and worship. To fear of the Lord is more than just honor or respect and the One who is able to destroy both body and soul (Matt 10:28) should be feared in a literal sense.

I am not saying that those who have placed their faith in Jesus should go around shaking in their boots (although perhaps non-believers should considering their fate), but rather to seek a better understanding of the God we worship. He holds the whole world in His hands and is the same God who struck down Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 for their deception. He is the same God who sent fire down from heaven to destroy the messengers of Ahaziah when he sought Elijah in 2 Kings 1. He is a complex God and we cannot fully understand Him. We know He is a God of great love, compassion, and long-suffering, but also He is no pushover. To fear Him is the beginning of wisdom. Do you truly fear Him?