The Fear of the Lord
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” — Proverbs 1:7
In a world that laughs at holiness, shrugs at sin, and scoffs at God—we return to the root.
Not a feeling. Not a vibe.
A posture. A reality. A foundation.
R.C. Sproul and the Weight of Holy Fear
I had the honor of hearing R.C. Sproul preach in person back in the 1980s—at a church gathering where he opened up the holiness of God with a gravity I’ll never forget. He didn’t entertain. He didn’t flatter. He trembled before the text—and made the room tremble with him.
Sproul wasn’t just delivering a sermon. He was standing on holy ground—and he called the rest of us to remove our shoes too.
His life’s message was clear:
“The greatest loss in the modern church is the fear of God.”
In his landmark work, The Holiness of God, Sproul wrote:
“When the Bible speaks of God’s holiness, the primary meaning is not moral purity, but otherness. God is transcendent—utterly and infinitely above us.”
That’s why the angels around His throne do not cry out:
“Love, love, love” or “Grace, grace, grace.”
They cry:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” — Isaiah 6:3
Sproul explained this triple repetition as the Hebrew way of expressing something to the absolute maximum. God isn’t just holy. He is infinitely holy—and we should never approach Him casually.
He often reminded us that it was the holiness of God that made Isaiah fall to the ground in terror. It was holiness that struck Uzzah dead for touching the ark. It was holiness that caused Peter to cry out, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
And it is holy fear that brings us to repentance.
“The fear of the Lord,” Sproul wrote, “is the beginning of wisdom, because it is only when we fear God that we begin to truly understand ourselves.”
Holy Fear Is the Gateway to Worship
To fear God rightly is not to flee from Him in terror.
It is to fall at His feet, undone by His glory.
It is to cry out with Isaiah: “Woe is me…”
And then to hear, through the blood of Jesus Christ:
“Your guilt is taken away. Your sin is atoned for.”
That’s holy fear.
That’s the kind of fear that leads to life, confidence, refuge, and joy.
And that’s the fear we must recover if we want to truly worship the Lord of Hosts.
🔍 Hebrew Word Study: Yir’ah (יִרְאָה)
The Hebrew word translated “fear” in Proverbs is יִרְאָה (yir’ah).
It does not mean mere anxiety or terror.
It means reverent awe, a deep recognition of God's power, holiness, and authority. It carries the sense of being so overwhelmed by the greatness of God that you dare not treat Him lightly.
It’s fear like Moses had when he removed his sandals.
It’s fear like Isaiah had when he cried, “Woe is me!”
It’s fear that bows low, because God is high.
Four Eternal Realities of Godly Fear
Fear gives confidence and protection
“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” — Proverbs 14:26
Want peace? Fear God.
Want to raise strong children? Teach them yir’ah. It’s their shelter in the storm.
Fear turns you away from sin
“By the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.” — Proverbs 16:6
No amount of self-discipline will save you. You need fear. Holy, reverent, trembling fear. That’s what breaks the grip of sin.
Fear is the beginning of wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” — Proverbs 9:10
The smartest fool is still a fool without yir’ah.
God doesn't reveal wisdom to the casual. He reveals it to the bowed.
Fear leads to life
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied.” — Proverbs 19:23
Fear doesn't kill your joy. It guards it. It builds a boundary around your soul.
The Truth:
The world tells you, “Don’t be afraid.”
God tells you, “Fear Me—and live.”
“Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always.” — Proverbs 28:14
When you fear God rightly, you don’t need to fear anything else.
A Prayer of Reverent Fear
O Lord, Most High,
Teach me yir’ah.
Burn away the pride that keeps me from bowing.
Let me never take You lightly.
Give me a heart that trembles at Your Word and delights in Your ways.
Let me walk in holy fear—
not once, not sometimes—
but for all my days,
until I see You face to face.
