Psalm 115:13

 

Psalm 115:13

Fear the Lord

These words are carefully penned by the psalmist in preparation for the singers who will perform the song. You will remember that it is part of the Hallel, and it was repeated on numerous festive occasions, and it was very familiar to the Jews. They rejoiced as they sang, “He will remember us and will bless us; He will bless His people Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron, He will bless those who fear the Lord – small and great alike.” This was a confession of faith and trust that was repeated by individuals, families, congregations and at mass assemblies in Jerusalem on Holy days. Remember that to fear the Lord is to believe in Him completely, to acknowledge Him as Creator, provider and protector. God was the author of salvation, and the only hope of His people and as such He was worthy of praise and honour. But He was also to be feared with a sense of awe and wonder, He was not to be trifled with or belittled in any way. And it didn’t matter if you were the king or a noble in his courts or if you were a priest or a Levite, and it didn’t matter if you were just a humble member of one of the tribal families, someone who was an “unknown”, whatever the individual standing in the community all must show the Lord the dignity and respect He was due.

I suppose that there are degrees of faith even today. Most Christians would acknowledge that the Lord God is Creator and King, He is the Most High, the superior and senior Being in the universe. However, all of us fail to give Him the reverent fear that He is due. Despite His status and our awareness of His power and glory, we tend to live large chunks of our lives as if He did not exist and we fail to acknowledge His presence and His involvement in our lives. We need to remember that the more we depend on Him, the more we will be blessed. What’s the point of a half-hearted kind of faith that only affects us for a few hours a week, like an ornament that is brought out and polished for a few hours and then hidden away again? Let us fear and honour Him at all times. Hallelujah!

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