People and nations should fear the Lord. It’s not just about getting people to go to church on Sunday. It’s about our daily lives, our culture, our standards, our social norms. It’s all about God, all the time.
Joshua 4:23-24 (ESV) For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
This passage is from the story of Israel crossing over the Jordan river to enter the promised land for the first time. The priests carried the ark of the covenant into the river and it dried up so that Israel could cross over on dry ground.
After they crossed, God told Joshua to have a man from each tribe take a stone from the river to set up as a reminder of all the things that God did for them.
Israel was not supposed to forget everything that God did for them. They were supposed to remain in awe of Him throughout their generations. God set up many traditions for them to adopt as a nation so that they would not forget all that He did for them.
2 Chronicles 14:14 (ESV) And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.
Asa was a God fearing king of Judah, who tore down foreign altars and reformed Israel to return to worshiping God.
Zerah the Ethiopian started war with Judah, and Asa prayed to God for help. God gave Judah victory over the Ethiopians and Israel was filled with the fear (awe and reverence) of the Lord, so they continued to conquer all the cities that opposed them. It was their fear of God that made them mighty.
2 Chronicles 17:9-10 (ESV) And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the LORD with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
This passage is from the time when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. He was a God fearing king that reformed Judah to turn back to God. 2 Chronicles 17:6 says that he was courageous in the ways of the Lord.
His reverence for God spread beyond his own kingdom because he had the Levites go out and teach the Book of the Law of the Lord to everyone in Judah. And this made even all of Judah’s neighboring kingdoms come to fear the Lord. From that fear they not only had peace with Judah, but they brought tribute to Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat’s courageous faith led him to spread the word of God throughout his kingdom, and because of that everyone in and around Judah had peace, and Judah was prosperous.
It’s like Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God, and these things will be added to you.
2 Chronicles 20:29 (ESV) And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
This passage is also from the story of Jehoshaphat. There did come a time when other kingdoms tried to rise up against Judah, but Jehoshaphat prayed and made all of Judah fast and seek the Lord for protection.
God answered their prayers in a miraculous way and turned Judah’s enemies against themselves right in front of Judah so that the people of Judah were able to go out and take the spoils from those who were slain.
Jehoshaphat did not ask God for strength to overcome his enemies, but asked God to be the one who fought the battle, and God did.
After this all the nations around Judah feared God once again - and God gave him rest all around.
The following passages from 2 Kings 17 all go together. If you want the whole story, I recommend reading 2 Kings 17:6-41
Basically, Assyria conquered Israel - the northern tribes - also known as Samaria. When they did, they moved the people who lived there into other territories they had conquered and moved people from those territories to Samaria. It was more than just a physical takeover, it was a cultural one as well.
These passages are talking about the people that we moved into the territory of Samaria.
2 Kings 17:25 (ESV) And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
2 Kings 17:28 (ESV) So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
2 Kings 17:32-34 (ESV) They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
2 Kings 17:41 (ESV) So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
Notice the progression from the passages that specifically mention the fear of the Lord.
They start out not knowing that they should fear God, then they are taught to fear God, then they fear God and appoint priests and offer sacrifices, then they start serving other Gods, then they stop fearing God, and from then on their children and ancestors know about God but no longer fear Him.
It almost seems like they start out in ignorance, get saved, start backsliding, and then lose their salvation - but from a national and generational viewpoint rather than an individual one.
I could get into a long political rant on this subject, but I won’t. I think it’s evident in our society today that we have become a backsliden society. Our nation has gone from one that fears the Lord to one whose children know about God but no longer fear Him.
We need those monuments and traditions to the Lord that were set up by our ancestors to remind us of the wonderful things God did for us. And we need an Asa or a Jehoshaphat to take charge and reform our nation to turn back to fearing God and depending on His provision and protection.
God please have mercy on us and do not turn your back on our nation. Please, God, bring us back to you.
με αγαπη,
BJ