Fear?

Allan Vint August 23, 2021 0 0

Playlists

Add to Favourites

Save for later

Listen to this daily worship

Psalm 111 (NIVUK)

1 Praise the Lord.

I will extol the Lord with all my heart
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant for ever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
    giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
    he ordained his covenant for ever –
    holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.

As a student at Aberdeen University, I often travelled to lectures walking down the time worn cobbled streets of Old Aberdeen. On one of the routes I regularly walked, I would pass through an archway bearing the University crest and motto. The motto was taken from a Latin version of Psalm 111 which translated as “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord". I must admit that the word ‘fear’ always struck me to be somewhat harsh and even aggressive and it didn’t sit at all well with me. I did however what many do — shrugged my shoulders and carried on, albeit slightly bemused.

It was some time later I came to ponder afresh this word ‘fear’ and its context within the wisdom of God. A number of learned commentators highlight the fact that ‘fear’ here in the Psalm is closely linked with our word ‘awe’, which sheds an altogether new light on this well-worn phrase and actually takes us to a different place entirely.

To explain let me invite you to consider God as the powerful creator of all that exists in time, space and dimensions beyond even these. An awareness of that reality is of course, mind blowing! When we then consider just how tiny we are in comparison to this mighty, glory filled God the natural reaction is to be aghast. The psalmist once said (Psalm 8),

“When I consider your heavens,

    the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

    which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

    human beings that you care for them”

The writer was in awe of his God but not with the normal terror that comes from a fearfulness trembling of heart because the psalmist also knows that this same God is with us and for us. He knows that his God not only has power but also has access to truths and answers to questions.

PRAYER:

Lord, we praise you as the God of all and willingly acknowledge our own smallness

Lord come then to us who are weak, needy and wanting and fill us afresh with the strength, goodness and wisdom we require. Amen.