The Solution to Fear is Fear
One of the great moments in Old Testament history occurred when Moses scaled Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. A brief overview of Exodus chapters 19 and 20 will inform the reader concerning some of the circumstances surrounding this event. The people had to consecrate themselves in order to be ready for the Law. Moses went up Sinai as it was covered with smoke. There were thunderings and lightning flashes and the sounds of a trumpet. The mountain shook and the people were not even allowed to come near its base. If they so much as touched the mountain they were to be put to death.
Mostly what we know about the Ten Commandments are the commandments themselves. In Sunday school we memorize them. The church has always been very efficient at knowing what the commandments of God are. But there is perhaps a deeper message that we often miss. Two statements made by God through Moses are paramount to understanding the purpose of the commandments and how they can transform us spiritually to become the true Israel of God. Consider these:
Exodus 19:9 – “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.’ So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.”
Exodus 20:18-20 – “Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’; And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.’”
I find it very ironic that in Exodus 20:20 Moses tells the people to fear God so they won’t have to be afraid of Him. Think about that for a minute. The people saw and heard how awesome God was and they were trembling in response to His power. Moses is told by God in Exodus 19 that God was manifesting Himself in that fashion so that the people would hear Him and believe Him forever. Moses then explained to the children of Israel that they would not have to fear God’s punishment as long as they feared God’s presence. The greatest statement comes at the end – “and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
It seems to me that breaking commandments, even the “top ten” – is not very hard for human beings. Moses hadn’t even come off the mountain before the children of Israel had already broken the first two. But what will actually keep us from sinning? 1. A healthy respect for the Father of spirits. 2. A knowledge of the love and grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 3. An ever-abiding presence of God and His word in our lives. And maybe, a little smoke…
Sometimes in life, we need an earthquake to shake us, a trumpet to wake us, or a storm to break us. Sometimes we need a thick cloud to make us trust in a God who is ever present though unseen.
The simple formula to being unafraid of God is to fear Him in the right way. What God once wrote on stone was ultimately intended for hearts. Until we truly love and respect the God of heaven, His etchings will only remain on tablets.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” – 1 John 4:18.
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AUTHOR: Jeremiah Tatum
