The Bible has much to say about fearing God. In fact, the command to fear God is mentioned over 100 times throughout Scripture. But what does the Bible say about fearing man?
“And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
In 1 Samuel 15, we see an example of what happens when we fear man instead of God. In the beginning of the chapter, God gives King Saul clear instructions to “strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have” (v3). Saul was not to spare anyone or anything – no person, no animal. Saul and the army of Israel do in fact defeat Amalek, but they took King Agag alive rather than killing him and they took the best of the sheep, oxen, fattened calves, and lambs.
In v. 11, God speaks to Samuel and says that he regrets making Saul king because “he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” When Samuel confronts Saul the next day, Saul speaks first and says that he has performed the commandment of the Lord. When Samuel questions him, Saul defends his actions by saying that it was so they could offer sacrifices to God. Samuel reiterates the clear command that God gave to Saul – destroy everything. Once again, Saul then defends his actions as to why he did not obey God’s instructions.
Samuel’s words to Saul after that are convicting: “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (v22). He goes on to say that because of Saul’s disobedience God has rejected him from being king.
Saul’s reply is telling of his heart. He expresses repentance, but it seems as if it is in response to the consequence of losing his kingship rather than his disobedience of God’s command. He also gives an excuse for his actions – “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (v24).
Fear and obedience are closely linked with each other. In the same way that we fear in the direction of our hope, fear of God will lead us to obedience. If I know for certain that there are no police officers along my commute home from work, I will likely have little regard for the speed limit. But if I am alerted to their presence and fear what they can do to me if I drive over the speed limit, I will certainly obey. In this case, as in the case of Saul, the fear lies in the reasoning of the fear of getting caught, not submission to the God-appointed authority.
Saul feared the people and had a desire for their approval. While this chapter doesn’t explicitly state it, it’s not difficult to imagine that he feared they would question him if he destroyed everything. After all, why would God want them to irresponsibly waste perfectly good livestock? Just as Satan questioned Eve in the garden – “did God really say?” – we are all susceptible to thinking that we know better than God, resulting in seeking the approval of men and succumbing to fearing men and thereby negotiating God’s commands.
Sometimes the consequences to fearing man rather than fearing God are quick, and sometimes they take a long time to manifest. Regardless of how or when the consequences occur, let us remind ourselves: we are best served to fear God and obey him quickly and totally and letting him determine the plight of others.
Recent Comments