Psalm 34:7 (Reverence)
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).
Godly fear is arguably one of the most misunderstood concepts in Scripture. People tend to have too much of it or not enough, and the lack of clarity around this issue is stifling the spiritual growth of countless Christ-followers.
How then do we fix the problem? Truly, it begins with determining to theologically reprogram our minds regarding the fear of God by refocusing our attention on the foundational pillar of reverence which undergirds our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Reverence is a word used sparingly in our culture today. It constitutes having respect and esteem for positions of power and authority, yet we tend to only hear it referenced in church.
Granted, reverence feels a bit “old fashioned” to our cultural preferences, which is likely why we tend to make light of it. However, Godly reverence is undoubtedly the key which unlocks our hearts and minds to experience the true power and majesty of God’s holiness.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28–29).
Undoubtedly, we are wise to revere God’s almighty power and authority for countless reasons, but mainly because He spoke creation into existence and reigns sovereign overall. For from the dust of the earth He created mankind, and to the dust of the earth we will return one day according to His divine providence.
“But what is this fear of the Lord? It is that affectionate reverence, by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law.”
Yet how often do we stop and recognize God’s power and majesty when we flippantly disregard His wrath and judgment of sin? Or on the opposite extreme, are we rightly fearing the Lord if all we focus on is His wrath without any mention of His love and grace?
GOD’S CHARACTER:
Correctly posturing our fear of the Lord cannot be understated, for most people lean far too heavily on the extremes of God’s wrath vs. His love without ever maintaining a healthy balance between these two aspects of His holy character. However, having a proper understanding of Godly fear is contingent upon us first revering His Word as absolute truth.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10).
What this means is that God will not open the floodgate of His wisdom if we do not first respect Him and trust that His Word is forever true. Case in point, far too many self-proclaimed Christians have no clue what fear of the Lord looks like because they’ve never taken the time to read their Bibles and believe what it says to be absolute truth.
If they did, what they’d find is the world’s greatest story of redemption and restoration manifested in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled what the Law demanded (God’s wrath) by accepting the just penalty for our sins (God’s love) to secure our salvation in heaven for eternity.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16–17).
That is the Gospel message we trust and believe as followers of Christ, yet far too often people lean toward one extreme or the other (wrath vs. love) without understanding what the Bible says in its entirety from Genesis to Revelation.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:6–9).
PROTECTION:
Psalm 34:7 also offers us a glimpse of the depth and breadth of God’s love by divinely protecting us from the snares of the enemy. Keep in mind, there are instances in Scripture where God sends angels to perform a certain act or give a specific message. However, we cannot expect God to send us angelic intervention every moment of our lives.
What we must glean from the text is there are spiritual forces all around us, both good and evil, waging war in ways we cannot see nor comprehend. Therefore, we should feel comforted knowing God provides deliverance from our enemies to those who revere and call upon His name for salvation.
The book of 2 Kings provides an outstanding example of how God protects us in the spiritual realm. Surrounded by an enemy poised to lay siege on God’s anointed prophet, Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened to see the angelic army which protected them.
“When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15–17).
What this proves is that God’s sovereign protection in the spiritual realm far exceeds what we could ever ask for or imagine. He goes before us in ways we cannot comprehend. Therefore, we should not fear the enemy’s power to enslave us, but rather know we are set free by the blood of Jesus to overcome evil.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3–4).
ANGELS:
Angels are an interesting topic of discussion within the church. Again, there is great confusion regarding who they are, why they exist, what acts they perform, etc. Angels are certainly an integral part of God’s creation, but what do we need to know most about them?
First off, angels exist separately from human beings. There is no Scriptural evidence of a person dying and being reincarnated as an angel, watching over loved ones, and helping guard and protect them. It is a nice sentiment, but not Biblically supported whatsoever.
Secondly, angels can be good or evil. We typically think of angels as being good, praising and serving God almighty, protecting heaven and the elect. However, Satan is a fallen angel (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), though he disguises himself as an “angel of light” to tempt mankind into sinning against God.
Therefore, we must be keenly aware that angels exist on both sides of good and evil and also guard against placing too much emphasis on them, for they serve specific purposes ordained by God to accomplish His will, not ours.
“Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!” (Psalm 103:20).
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11–12).
Thirdly, angels of the Most High God are messengers who are worthy of our reverent fear, not based on who they are, but who they represent. They communicate from God on specific occasions for specific purposes. Look no further than the events surrounding the birth of Jesus (Mary’s visitation, Joseph’s dreams, shepherds keeping watch) and His resurrection (empty tomb, ascension) as prime examples.
However, experiencing an angel firsthand is a rare occasion. We have limited examples in Scripture where angels made an appearance to mankind. That doesn’t mean visitations can’t happen. It simply means we shouldn’t wait for or expect it.
BOTTOM-LINE:
What we can expect as followers of Christ is if we cling to the Lord as our refuge and strength and revere His Holy Name, we can rest assured His angels are encamped around us (just as they were for Elisha), protecting us from the enemy.
However, we must take God’s Word seriously and not dismiss even a single verse out of ignorance or discomfort, but trust its inerrancy and all-sufficiency for our lives. For God has given us everything we need in the pages of Scripture, therefore we can trust His sovereignty unconditionally.
“I have covenanted with my Lord that he should not send me visions or dreams or even angels. I am content with this gift of the Scriptures, which teaches and supplies all that is necessary, both for this life and that which is to come.”
Survival this side of heaven simply begins with posturing our hearts in humble reverence before our Creator. For the day will come when we will bow before Him on judgment day, and those who obeyed the Lord and displayed Godly fear during their lifetime will spend eternity in heaven.
However, for those who chose a different path and rejected God’s saving deliverance through the blood of Jesus, they will give account for their unbelief and be condemned to eternity in hell on account of the choices they made to not heed the warnings of Scripture.
Therefore, let us be wise and decide this day whom we will serve, for our eternal choice will determine the course of our future and how we’ll spend the days God has graciously given us here on earth.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…” “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matthew 25:31–34, 41).
