Fear God

Respect To The Holy One Of Israel

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At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.

Isaiah 17:7-8

This morning for my daily reading of the Scriptures I read Isaiah 13 through 20. These chapters are God’s word to surrounding nations of Israel who have been cruel to the people of God, His word to His people as well.

The verses I share today is fitting for any time, and any where.

“At that day…” A phrase used quite frequently in Isaiah’s prophecy is speaking of a day appointed by God Himself. It is a time, a day, which He knows, and the prophet has an knowledge that it could be soon. It is a day that will surly come. Every thing that God says; and every thing that He does has purpose.

“…A man shall look to his Maker…” This is a great thing to think that the LORD is giving this nation, along with Israel a chance, a choice of blessing or judgment. Before one can look to his Maker he must realize that he has a Maker, and that Maker is GOD; and GOD can do things in a person’s life to get him or her to recognize his Maker. What good does it do to recognize your Maker?

“…His eyes shall have respect for the Holy One of Israel…” In the Proverbs God tells us much about the “fear of the LORD,”  and that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” and that  “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.” I do not know how many hunters, rifle men and women read this but here is an illustration I use to illustrate for the fear of the LORD:

I have a twelve gauge single shot, breech load, shotgun. I am not fearful of it as long as I am on the right end of that gun; but if someone else is holding it on me, pointed at me, then I am going to be fearful of what I might get. As long as I am on the right end, I am respectful of what that gun can do, and realize the danger of abuse or misuse of that shot gun.

If I am on the right side with God, I revere Him, and I am in awe of Him, because I know that He loves me, and I love Him. However, if I  get on the wrong side of God, then I am going to be very afraid of what lies down the road of my future. So by the grace of God I am trusting Him for His great salvation, and His power to keep me in His hands.

“…The work of his hands…” The man who recognizes the Holy One of Israel will no longer brag about what he has done; what he has built with his own hands. He will trust in the LORD, and be in awe of Him with great reverence, because of who He is.

Who is this Holy One of Israel? He is the Messiah. He is the Christ of God. He is Jesus. He died on the cross for our sins, was buried carrying our sins away, casting them as far away as the east is from the west; and to prove that all He said, and that the work of salvation was done, He rose from the tomb, and lives forever more.

 

The Fountain of Life

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In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:26-27

To fear the LORD is the act of great reverence, respect, and love for our God and Savior. In the fear of the LORD there is great confidence in Him. The Apostle John in his first epistle mentions confidence three times.

And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at his coming. 1 John 2:28
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.  1 John 3:21

And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us  1 John 5:14

It is a marvelous thing to have confidence in the word, work, and Person of God through His Son, who is the only begotten Son of God. In the LORD is our place of refuge – our place of safety.

The fear of the LORD is also a fountain of life. Jesus Himself  told the Samaritan woman at the well, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, ‘Give me to drink;’ thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.”  John 4:10. The conversation goes on and Jesus said, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. “  John 4:13-14.

It is a wonderful thing to have confidence in God, and to know that He is the fountain of Life. God says through the Apostle John that we have confidence that he will answer our prayers when we pray according to His will.  We will have confidence in God when we might condemn ourselves. We will also have confidence that He is coming again, and we will not be ashamed when we abide in Him.

It Shall Be Well With Them That Fear God

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All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9-17

…With them that fear God

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Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before Him.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-12

The Eye Of The LORD

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Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy;  To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  Psalm 33:18-19

It is very comforting, encouraging, and motivating to hear the above words of David. One of my favorite verses of the Old Testament is found in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” and I know in its text it is telling king Asa what he is missing out on due to his rebellious heart.

For those who have a perfect heart toward God; those who fear Him and hope in His mercy, He will deliver from horrible eternal death in eternal torment, and give them food to eat when things are hard.

Now, whose heart is perfect toward God? Those who look to God through His Son Jesus, who took our place on Calvary’s cross, dying for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again. When we realize our lost, and hopeless estate, and call on His name believing in His finished work we are delivered from death, and can know that His eye is ever upon us perfecting, protecting, and providing our every need.

The work God starts in us, He will finish (Philippians 1:6).

The Conclusion of the Matter

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“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

In reading the book of Ecclesiastes we find that the life of every individual has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The body of our lives includes many plots and sub-plots, and climaxes. Those climaxes are not the end, or conclusion of life. They are just another peak reached, then we do something different, more, or less adventure, etc..

From seeing things as vain in life; “vanity of vanities all is vanity” were Solomon’s words as he writes of his life’s adventure. He reaches the conclusion of the matter.

That conclusion is that only with God does life even matter.

The sole duty of man is not to live for oneself, but for God, and to glorify Him; to enjoy Him forever. He alone has made that possible.

We must remember that there is nothing hidden from God. In our era of time there are so many frightened that the government(s) of men have so much observation of our personal lives by means of video, video cameras, and satellite and by our computers. I think of that this way; I already have Someone who sees all that I do. He knows every thought I think. He sees everything I do. There is nothing that I do, no secret thing, that gets past Him; He is God. What do I have to fear from a government that is run amuck from God.

Jesus said,

“For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.” Mark 4:22

We can be certain that nothing we do gets around God. We can also be certain that there is nothing that happens which surprises Him. The conclusion of the matter of life is found in knowing God and being known by Him.

When we have both, then we are assured of an eternal home with Him. That is made possible through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ God’s only begotten Son.

Prolonged Days???

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“Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before Him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days,which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 (KJV)

Some may consider it a sad thing for a preacher of God’s Word to say what I am about to say, but I am telling you how I have felt about the book of Ecclesiastes for many years.  I have found it troubling, troublesome, awkward, hard to understand, even confusing at times.  I have always understood that the final verses of it gives us its best understanding.

In the past few days Ecclesiastes has been a part of my daily reading.  I must say that the LORD has spoken to me more clearly through the words of Solomon in this past week, in Ecclesiastes than all the other times I have read it.

Solomon was considered to be the wisest of men in his time, in the days following; is still the wisest of men; except of course, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Looking at the verses above he sure had that right.

Those words are an encouragement to all who are righteous that just because evil men or women seem to prosper, and live long lives doing it does not mean they are blessed.  There are righteous people who are not prosperous, and who do not have prolonged days on the earth; however; they will live forever in the presence of holy GOD, and will dwell in His presence forever.

What makes a man or woman righteous?  Scripture tells us

“There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”  Romans 3:10-11

Righteousness is a gift of God come by God’s grace.  The righteous are those who “fear God”.  We are also told by Scripture…

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  1 Corinthians 5:21

We are all sinners without hope, and God sent His only begotten Son [Jesus] to pay our sin debt.  Jesus Christ the Son of God and God the Son became our sin, took the wrath of God upon HImself – upon the cross of Calvary – suffering our shame, our guilt, our judgment, and put away our sin forever.  He was buried taking our sin away.  He bodily arose showing, declaring that death’s victory was no more.

Solomon was a very wise man.  Righteous people need not fear what lies ahead, or question why the evil men prosper.  Not all evil men or women prosper.  All prosper best when we come to Jesus Christ through His cross.

 

Words for Christian Living – Bless the LORD

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 “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  Psalm 34:1 (KJV)

As Christians we are daily, constantly being blessed by God.  How often, however, do we think of Blessing God?  The phrase “Bless the LORD” is used mostly in Psalms, and occurs about 17 times; with one of those times reading “Bless ye the LORD” (Psalm 103:21). The phrase is used at least three more times in the rest of the Old Testament.  The Psalmist was a blessing to God, and blessed God.

How does the Christian bless the LORD?  First of all we fear the LORD.  In fearing God we love Him, obey His commands because we love Him.  In these things we speak words that honor Him.  We live a life that honors and glorifies Him.

Secondly, we lift up the name of Jesus in praise; not as a swear word.  Shame on the Christian who would ever use the name of Jesus Christ as an expression of anger, passion, or frustration.

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.”  Psalm 48:1-7 (KJV)

Bless the LORD.