The Bible’s Viewpoint

How Can You Fear a God of Love?

“HAPPY IS THE MAN IN FEAR OF JEHOVAH.”—Psalm 112:1.

IF “God is love,” as the Bible describes him, why should it be necessary to fear him? (1 John 4:16) Love and fear are generally regarded as incompatible. So, what role should fear play in our relationship with God? Why fear a God of love? A close look at how the word “fear” is used in the Bible can provide us with a better understanding of this matter.

In most languages a single word can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context. For instance, in some languages one may say: “I love ice cream” and also, “I love my children.” There is a great difference in the intensity of and types of love being expressed. Similarly, the Bible speaks of different types of fear. When it uses the word in connection with worshiping God, it is not referring to terror, fright, or a sense of impending punishment. Rather, the fear of God conveys healthful feelings—awe, reverence, and deep respect. These noble emotions are coupled with love for and attraction toward God, not an instinct to flee or hide from him.

The fear of God displaces morbid, cowering fear. Concerning the man who fears God, the psalmist wrote: “He will not be afraid even of bad news. His heart is steadfast, made reliant upon Jehovah.” (Psalm 112:7) No threat from evil men or from Satan himself can overpower our deep respect and reverence for Jehovah. (Luke 12:4, 5) Neither must we be afraid to approach God in prayer. Rather, in this context, “love throws fear outside.”—1 John 4:18.

The Heavens and God’s Grandeur

King David of old was a God-fearing man. He was in awe when contemplating the beauty and complexity of creation. He exclaimed: “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, as my soul is very well aware.” (Psalm 139:14) Gazing up into the night sky, he exclaimed: “The heavens are declaring the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1) Do you imagine that David was frightened by this experience? On the contrary, it moved him to sing praises to Jehovah.

Today’s increased knowledge of the heavens gives us even stronger reason to feel awe. Recently, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope peered deeper into the heavens than any human before them. They selected a part of the sky that appeared empty to ground-based telescopes and focused the Hubble on an area only as big as a grain of sand held at arm’s length. The resulting picture was crowded, not with individual stars, but with galaxies—vast systems consisting of billions of stars—never before seen by man!

The magnitude, mystery, and wonder of the universe instill awe in a keen observer. However, such wonders are a mere reflection of the Creator’s glory and power. The Bible calls Jehovah God “the Father of the celestial lights” and tells us that he “is counting the number of the stars; all of them he calls by their names.”—James 1:17; Psalm 147:4.

The immensity of the universe is also seen in the time spanned by celestial events. The light from the galaxies photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope had been traveling through space for billions of years! Ought not our newness and smallness in comparison with the permanence of the heavens cause us to feel awe and deep reverence for the One who made the stars? (Isaiah 40:22, 26) To realize that the God who created all of this also ‘keeps mortal man in mind and cares for him’ deepens our regard for our Creator and makes us want to know him and please him. (Psalm 8:3, 4) Such sublime respect and appreciation is what the Bible calls the fear of God.

A Forgiving God

We are all imperfect. Even when trying to do what is right, we sin unintentionally. When that happens, should we be in dread of losing God’s favor? The psalmist wrote: “If errors were what you watch, O Jah, O Jehovah, who could stand? For there is the true forgiveness with you, in order that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3, 4) That the “Grand Maker” should be so kind and forgiving inspires deep appreciation and reverence in his worshipers.—Isaiah 54:5-8.

The fear of God motivates us to do good and also to refrain from doing what God says is bad. Our relationship with our heavenly Father may be compared to that of a good human father with his children. At times, children may not remember why their father forbids them to play in the street. Still, when they feel the impulse to chase a ball into the path of traffic, the thought of their father’s prohibition holds them back—possibly saving them from death. Likewise, an adult’s fear of Jehovah may restrain him from committing an act that could ruin lives—his own and those of others.—Proverbs 14:27.

Fearing God’s Judgment

By contrast, a person whose conscience does not restrain him from displeasing God has reason to be in fear in a very different way. Just as human governments punish criminal elements, God has the right to act against willful, unrepentant wrongdoers. God’s temporary permission of wickedness has allowed some to become hardened in a wrong course. But the Bible shows clearly that one day soon he will remove all evil elements from the earth. (Psalm 37:9, 10; Ecclesiastes 8:11; 1 Timothy 5:24) The unrepentant wicked have reason to fear punishment from God. Yet, this type of fear is not the kind of fear that the Bible recommends.

Rather, the Bible associates the fear of Jehovah with beautiful things in life—singing, joy, trust, wisdom, longevity, confidence, prosperity, hope, and peace, to name but a few.a If we continue to walk in the fear of Jehovah, we will enjoy such blessings forever.—Deuteronomy 10:12-14.

[Footnote]

[Picture Credit Line on page 26]

Courtesy of Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin