Chase the Setting Sun...

My last post was on the Fear of God and what that might look like. Whether that be a simple reverence and respect for God or an actual fear, or terror, when in the presence of God. It is important to understand the fear of God. I'd like to talk about that a little more as I study through Proverbs for our Student Ministries WISE UP! study of Proverbs. There is a decision we have to make before we can be led into wisdom and an understanding of the fear of God.

"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." ~Proverbs 2:1-5

This passage clearly presents a specific choice that each of us has to make in life to determine whether we go the way of the wisdom of God and on to a relationship with Jesus Christ, or if we turn away from wisdom and lose our salvation and life completely.

This is where the Church comes in. When I say "Church" I mean the people of the Body of Christ and not just the individual churches in our community (though they are obviously a huge part of this). The Church has the responsibility to present all people, but specifically young people, with this decision.

The book of Proverbs is clear that ignorance is not an excuse for not making this decision. It says that "Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech." Wisdom is out there and in our face, screaming in our faces.

The Church is where Wisdom screams it's loudest (or should be). We are the mouthpiece, or bullhorn, for Wisdom. We are the ones that should be screaming wisdom into the streets and to all that we come in contact with.

If we fail to do this, specifically for young people before they have a chance to turn the wrong direction, we fail and they do not understand that they have a decision to make. We need to make this appeal to our young people so that there is no confusion about the choice they need to make; to follow the way of Wisdom to Jesus Christ, or as Proverbs basically puts it, dig their own grave. "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them."

Granted, a lot of you might point out that I am still really a young person at the ripe age of 25. However, I feel this call strongest of all being one of the Student Ministries Directors here at Castleton UMC.

I love Proverbs, always lights a fire under me!

We've all heard a sermon in our lifetime that centered on, or at least passed by, the idea of the fear of God. A lot of times we hear the pastor say something like "Now, understand this is not fear in the sense of 'terror' but more like 'reverence' or respect."

Right now I'm reading through the Old Testament book of Proverbs in preparation for a study with our high schoolers this fall. Right off the bat I came across 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

That line had me thinking about a passage I read from Revelation a couple weeks ago for our Tuesday night '20 Somethings' discussion group. Revelation 1:9-17 has John explaining his vision of Christ in heaven, ending with his reaction to that sight. What did John do? He fell on his face as though DEAD.

That sounds more like a terrifying drop dead kind of fear than a reverence kind of fear. John wasn't just like "Whoa! God, I respect you!"

Isaiah 6 also comes to mind when I think of the fear of God. Isaiah is explaining his vision of God seated on the throne. He sees God on the throne and seraphs flying above him singing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory." I think it's important to note that they are covering their faces with two of their six wings as to not directly see the face of God.

Isaiah however, does see the face of God seated on His throne. Immediately at the sight, Isaiah says, "Woe to me! I am ruined!" Isaiah sees God and immediately recognizes his own sin and determines that he is dead. God is going to kill him for the sinful life he lives.

That sounds like honestly terrifying fear. Again, Isaiah wasn't just like, "Wow, I respect that dude." He feared for his very life!

Looking at these passages I have to believe that the fear of God is more than just respect or reverence, but an honest and terrifying kind of fear. God wants us to honestly fear him. It is only at that point that we can begin to gain his wisdom. It is through that fear that we can receive the wisdom and knowledge of God.