There are many places in the Bible where fear of God is used synonymously with belief in God. That is to say, to believe in God and to fear Him are the same thing.
Exodus 14:31 (ESV) Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
This passage is at the end of the story where God parted the Red Sea, and Israel walked through it on dry ground. Israel had witnessed something so amazing that it left them awestruck before God, and they believed in Him.
Notice how they also feared Moses. His relationship with God was so apparent that people were also in awe of him.
1 Samuel 12:18 (ESV) So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
This passage is from Samuel’s farewell address to Israel. He is actually scolding Israel for asking for a king instead of trusting God. He’s basically telling them that if they fear the Lord then all will be well with them, but if they don’t then the hand of the Lord will be against them. And he seals what he says with a sign by praying for rain. Then when it rained the people feared God.
And the people were also in awe of Samuel because his relationship with God was so evident.
1 Kings 18:3 (ESV) And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly,
1 Kings 18:12 (ESV) And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.
Both of these passages are about Obadiah.
Obadiah was a priest in the time of Elijah. He was very faithful to God and even saved 100 prophets from being murdered by Jezebel. It says that he didn’t just fear the Lord, but feared Him greatly!
He’s pleading with Elijah not to put him in danger with Ahab, and pointing out his fear of the Lord to Elijah as a sign of his faithfulness to God.
2 Kings 4:1 (ESV) Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”
Here a widow is pleading with Elisha, and using her husband’s faith as a way to sway Elisha to help her. God and Elisha do help her by miraculously multiplying her personal supply of oil so that she can sell it.
I can only think that this is a story that points out how God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. If the husband had not feared the Lord, would Elisha have helped his widow?
Job 1:1 (ESV) There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Job has come up a lot in this study of the fear of the Lord. His fear of (faith in) God clearly defined who he was.
Jonah 1:16 (ESV) Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
This passage comes after the men on the ship with Jonah had just tossed him into the sea, and the storm ceased from raging.
They were desperate, fearing for their lives, and not wanting to throw Jonah overboard. They asked God to forgive them for what they were about to do, and once they threw him into the sea and the storm calmed, they were struck with awe and believed in God.
Haggai 1:12 (ESV) Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.
This passage from Haggai is in the context of God telling Israel to rebuild the temple.
The people had returned to Israel and built houses for themselves, but God told Haggai that they were experiencing hard times because they were busy building their own houses and not rebuilding the temple.
When the people heard this message from Haggai they obeyed God and feared Him. Haggai’s words rekindled the people’s faith in God, and they turned their attention from themselves back to Him.
Malachi 3:16 (ESV) Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.
Here we see that those who believe in God speak to each other - and God hears us. And our names are written in a book of remembrance before Him.
In the next verse He says that we are His, and he calls us His treasured possession.
Acts 10:1-2 (ESV) At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
This passage is talking about the centurion that Peter baptized. He is not Jewish, but a gentile who believes in God. And through him God taught Peter that salvation is not only for the Jews, but for everyone who believes in Jesus.
Acts 13:16 (ESV) So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
Notice how Paul calls out to two groups of people - men of Israel, and everyone who fears God. There is some overlap between the two groups, but Paul knows that belief in God is not limited to Israel alone.
Acts 13:26 (ESV) “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.
Again, Paul is distinguishing that it is not only the descendants of Abraham who can believe in God. God has sent the message of salvation through Jesus to everyone.
This group of passages show that the fear of the Lord is synonymous with belief in God. The point is that when the Bible talks about fearing God, it’s doesn’t mean to be afraid of God, and it doesn’t mean any special, exclusive kind of relationship with God - other than the one that all who truly believe in Him have with Him.
There is a passage in James that says that even the demons believe in God, and their belief makes them tremble. The demons’ belief in God makes them afraid of God. That is not what our fear of God is supposed to do.
Our fear of God is supposed to be one of awe and reverence. We do not have to tremble in fear at the sound of our Father’s footsteps. We can rest knowing that He loves us and is faithful to take care of us. Our fear of Him is our belief in Him, our trust in Him, and our hope in Him.
με αγαπη,
BJ