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Fear of the Lord

As I was studying the life of King Josiah, I was intrigued by his response to "The Book of the Covenant". His response reminded me of Fear of the Lord. Let me go through his responses as mentioned in the bible:
  1. He rent his clothes - As a sign of repentance for the sins of his people and forefathers. He didn't ignore the sins done by his predecessors, but took the responsibility for their sins (2kings 22:11)
  2. He chose to inquire of the Lord about what he heard from the book of the Covenant (2Kings 22:13)
  3. His heart was tender towards God (2Kings 22:19)
  4. He was humble before God (2kings 22:19)
  5. He wept before the Lord (2kings 22:19)
  6. He gathered all the people of his kingdom in the presence of God (2kings 23:2)
  7. He read the Book of the covenant in the presence of the crowd (2kings 23:2)
  8. He made a covenant before the Lord (2kings 23:3)
  9. He cleaned his house (Rest of 2kings chapter 23)
What a remarkable character this leader has exhibited! Even though he was not directly responsible for what has happened, he took the initiative and lead from the front.

Throughout the Bible, we hear about having the fear of the Lord. Many people have the wrong concept of "Fear of the Lord". They view God as some one who is unapproachable, hard hearted etc. But the above response of Josiah gives us a glimpse of what it means. The fear of people, circumstances, failure etc cripple us. But the fear of the Lord gives us wisdom, freedom and security.
"The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill" Psalms 111:10
Here are the lessons we can learn on Fear of The Lord from Josiah's response:
  • Show respect to God for what He is - Acknowledge Him.
  • Approach Him - Though God is Holy and awesome, He delights in people who approach Him.
  • Make a covenant with God - to confirm to the book of the covenant: The Bible
  • Clean your house
Questions to Ponder:
  1. Do you have a covenant with the God - creator of heaven and earth?
  2. Do you fear God or people?
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