FEAR GOD!

The phrase “fear God and keep His commandments” comes most directly from Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” In the Bible, this doesn’t mean living in terror of God, but having a deep reverence for Him that shapes how you live.

What it means to “fear God”: Biblical “fear” is closer to awe, respect, and recognition of God’s authority.

• Reverence and awe: In Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It means acknowledging God as the ultimate source of truth and aligning your thinking with Him.
• Turning away from evil: Job 1:1 describes Job as “blameless… one who feared God and shunned evil.” His reverence led to moral choices.
• Obedience rooted in respect: In Exodus 20:20, Moses tells Israel not to be afraid in a panicked way, but to fear God so they won’t sin—showing that this “fear” guides behavior.

A clear example is Abraham in Genesis 22. When asked to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeys. God stops him and says, “Now I know that you fear God.” His “fear” was demonstrated by trust and willingness to obey, even when it was difficult…