Rejoice and Tremble
Subtitles have fallen into disuse these days; however, Michael Reeves’ subtitle perfectly encapsulates his main idea - “The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord.” What emotions does that title evoke in you? What questions are instantly raised in your mind? What we fear will tell us what we prioritize. I have one fellow believer whom I love dearly that will be quick to tell you that he does not like the term “the fear of the Lord.” Why? Because he hears “afraid.”
Let’s face it - don’t we have enough to be afraid of? The stock market is crashing, foreign countries are preparing nuclear weapons, sickness runs rampant, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. We live in a world dominated by fear. The rise of self-esteem movements and the safety measures have heightened our sense of fear, not reduced it. Herein lies the first phrase of our subtitle - “surprising good news.” The remedy to being afraid is not less fear, but a greater fear, a different fear - a fear of the Lord. As John Flavel says, “The less faith, still the more fear: Fear is generated by unbelief, and unbelief strengthened by fear…and therefore all the skill in the world can never cure us of the disease of fear, till God first cure us of our unbelief.” The question is never between fear and no fear; the question is between right fear and wrong.
What of the second half of the subtitle - “the fear of the Lord”? Here, Michael Reeves makes a helpful distinction between a servile fear and a filial fear. When a threatening boss walks in the room, we are faced with a servile fear. “What will he say? What will he do? Will he be pleased with my work?” These are not joyful questions. However, when a loving father walks in the room, we ask no questions. We rejoice and tremble. This is a fear motivated by love, trust, and joy; this is a fear overwhelmed by our Creator and enraptured by our Redeemer. How different is this from other fears? When we transfer our fear to heavenly lights and earthly powers, these entities enslave us. We upkeep the “dog and pony show” long after our hearts have grown cold because we are enslaved by fear. However, when we fear the Lord, we are freed to fear Him from a loving heart. Compulsion is not necessary when we are drawn with cords of love. As Reeves says, “A God-fearing heart will be a God-trusting heart.”
So the question remains - how do we grow in a good fear of the Lord? How do we combat the sinful fears rampant in our lives and our society? How does a godly fear become both a shield for the fight and a hope for the future? Herein lies the remainder of the book! I personally encourage you all to read this delightful piece. After the sorrowful few weeks at our dear church, this book was a balm for my own soul. Michael Reeves fills the pages with quotes from godly authors, with anecdotes, and with personal experiences that all serve to highlight the simple, yet profound theological truths undergirding a right fear of the Lord. Our Women’s Ministry will be reading this book in the beginning of 2023. If you aren’t involved with the Women’s Ministry and would enjoy a reading partner, I would absolutely love to read it with you over a hot cup of coffee or lunch.
You can purchase the book here.
