Be Wise​—Fear God!

“The fear of Jehovah is the start of wisdom.”​—PROVERBS 9:10.

1. Why do many find the concept of fearing God hard to understand?

THERE was a time when it was considered a compliment to describe someone as God-fearing. Today, many find the concept of fearing God quaint but hard to understand. ‘If God is love,’ they may ask, ‘why should I fear him?’ To them, fear is a negative, even paralyzing, emotion. True fear of God, however, has a much broader meaning and, as we shall see, is not just a feeling or an emotion.

2, 3. What does genuine fear of God include?

² In Biblical usage the fear of God is a positive concept. (Isaiah 11:3) It is a profound reverence and deep respect for God, a strong desire not to displease him. (Psalm 115:11) It includes acceptance of and strict adherence to God’s moral standards and a desire to live by what God says is right or wrong. One reference work points out that such a wholesome fear expresses “a fundamental attitude toward God that leads to wise behavior and the avoidance of every form of evil.” Appropriately, God’s Word tells us: “The fear of Jehovah is the start of wisdom.”​—Proverbs 9:10.

³ Indeed, the fear of God encompasses a wide range of human experience. It is associated not only with wisdom but also with joy, peace, prosperity, longevity, hope, trust, and confidence. (Psalm 2:11; Proverbs 1:7; 10:27; 14:26; 22:4; 23:17, 18; Acts 9:31) It is closely related to faith and love. In fact, it involves our entire relationship with God and with fellow humans. (Deuteronomy 10:12; Job 6:14; Hebrews 11:7) Fear of God includes the deep conviction that our heavenly Father personally cares for us and is ready to forgive our transgressions. (Psalm 130:4) Only the unrepentant wicked have reason to be terrified of God.a​—Hebrews 10:26-31.

Learning to Fear Jehovah

4. What can help us to “learn to fear Jehovah”?

⁴ Since the fear of God is fundamental to making wise decisions and receiving God’s blessings, how can we “learn to fear Jehovah” properly? (Deuteronomy 17:19) Many examples of God-fearing men and women are recorded in the Scriptures “for our instruction.” (Romans 15:4) To help us understand what it really means to fear God, let us reflect on the life of one of those examples, King David of ancient Israel.

5. How did shepherding help to teach David about fearing Jehovah?

⁵ Jehovah rejected Israel’s first king, Saul, for his fear of the people and his lack of godly fear. (1 Samuel 15:24-26) On the other hand, David’s life course and his intimate relationship with Jehovah identify him as a truly God-fearing man. From his early years, David was often out pasturing his father’s sheep. (1 Samuel 16:11) Nights spent shepherding under the stars must have helped David to understand the fear of Jehovah. Though David could discern only a small part of the immensity of the universe, he drew the right conclusion​—God merits our respect and adoration. “When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared,” he later wrote, “what is mortal man that you keep him in mind, and the son of earthling man that you take care of him?”​—Psalm 8:3, 4.

6. How did perceiving Jehovah’s greatness make David feel?

⁶ Rightly, David was impressed when he compared his smallness with the vast starry heavens. Rather than frightening him, this knowledge moved him to praise Jehovah and say: “The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.” (Psalm 19:1) This reverence for God drew David closer to Jehovah and made David want to learn and follow His perfect ways. Imagine how David felt when he sang to Jehovah: “You are great and are doing wondrous things; you are God, you alone. Instruct me, O Jehovah, about your way. I shall walk in your truth. Unify my heart to fear your name.”​—Psalm 86:10, 11.

7. How did fearing God help David fight Goliath?

⁷ When the Philistines invaded the land of Israel, their nine-and-a-half-foot-tall champion, Goliath, taunted the Israelites, saying in effect: ‘Put up a man to fight me one-on-one! If he wins, we will serve you.’ (1 Samuel 17:4-10) Saul and his entire army were terrified​—but not David. He knew that Jehovah was the one to be feared, not any man, no matter how powerful. “I am coming to you with the name of Jehovah of armies,” David told Goliath, “and all this congregation will know that neither with sword nor with spear does Jehovah save, because to Jehovah belongs the battle.” With his sling and a single stone​—and with Jehovah’s help—​David struck down the giant.​—1 Samuel 17:45-47.

8. What do Bible examples of God-fearing ones teach us?

⁸ We may be facing obstacles or enemies no less daunting than those confronted by David. What can we do? We can deal with them in the same way that David and other faithful ones of old did​—with godly fear. The fear of God can overpower the fear of man. God’s faithful servant Nehemiah urged his fellow Israelites, who were under pressure from opposers: “Do not be afraid on their account. Jehovah the great and the fear-inspiring One keep in your mind.” (Nehemiah 4:14) With Jehovah’s backing, David, Nehemiah, and other faithful servants of God succeeded in carrying out their God-given assignments. With godly fear, so can we.

Facing Problems With Godly Fear

9. Under what circumstances did David display fear of God?

⁹ After David slew Goliath, Jehovah gave him more victories. Jealous Saul, however, attempted​—first impulsively, then cunningly, and finally with an army—​to kill David. Although Jehovah had assured David that he would be king, for years David had to flee, to fight, and to wait for Jehovah’s time to make him king. Through all of this, David showed that he feared the true God.​—1 Samuel 18:9, 11, 17; 24:2.

10. How did David show fear of God in the face of danger?

¹⁰ On one occasion, David sought refuge with Achish, king of the Philistine city of Gath, the home of Goliath. (1 Samuel 21:10-15) The king’s servants denounced David as an enemy of their nation. How did David react in that dangerous situation? He poured out his heart in prayer to Jehovah. (Psalm 56:1-4, 11-13) Although he had to feign insanity to get away, David knew that it was really Jehovah who had delivered him by blessing his efforts. David’s wholehearted reliance on Jehovah and confidence in him showed that David was truly God-fearing.​—Psalm 34:4-6, 9-11.

11. How can we show godly fear under trial, as David did?

¹¹ Like David, we can show fear of God by trusting in his promise to help us cope with our problems. “Roll upon Jehovah your way, and rely upon him, and he himself will act,” said David. (Psalm 37:5) This does not mean that we simply hand our problems over to Jehovah without doing what we can about them and expect him to act in our behalf. David did not pray to God for help and then leave matters at that. He used the physical and intellectual abilities that Jehovah granted him and tackled the problem at hand. Yet, David knew that human efforts alone could not be counted on for success. So it should be with us. Having done everything within our power, we must leave the rest to Jehovah. In fact, often there is nothing we can do but rely on Jehovah. This is where the fear of God comes into the picture in a very personal way. We can take comfort in David’s heartfelt expression: “The intimacy with Jehovah belongs to those fearful of him.”​—Psalm 25:14.

12. Why do we need to take our prayers seriously, and what attitude should we never have?

¹² We, therefore, should take our prayers and our relationship with God seriously. When we approach Jehovah, we must “believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Hebrews 11:6; James 1:5-8) And when he helps us, we should ‘show ourselves thankful,’ as the apostle Paul counseled us. (Colossians 3:15, 17) We must never be like those described by an experienced anointed Christian: “They think of God as a sort of celestial waiter,” he said. “When they need something, they want to snap their fingers and have him come. And when they’ve got what they want, they would like him to go away.” Such an attitude betrays a lack of godly fear.

When Fear of God Lapsed

13. When did David fail to show respect for God’s Law?

¹³ Experiencing Jehovah’s help during distress deepened David’s fear of God and strengthened his confidence in him. (Psalm 31:22-24) On three notable occasions, however, David’s fear of God lapsed, which led to serious consequences. The first involved his arranging for the ark of Jehovah’s covenant to be transported to Jerusalem on a wagon rather than on the shoulders of the Levites, as God’s Law directed. When Uzzah, who was leading the wagon, grabbed hold of the Ark to steady it, he died on the spot for his “irreverent act.” Yes, Uzzah sinned seriously, yet ultimately, it was David’s failure to maintain proper respect for God’s Law that brought about that tragic outcome. Fearing God means doing things according to his arrangement.​—2 Samuel 6:2-9; Numbers 4:15; 7:9.

14. What resulted from David’s counting of Israel?

¹⁴ Later, incited by Satan, David took a count of Israel’s fighting men. (1 Chronicles 21:1) In so doing, David showed a lapse in the fear of God, resulting in the death of 70,000 Israelites. Although David repented before Jehovah, he and those around him suffered greatly.​—2 Samuel 24:1-16.

15. What caused David to fall into sexual sin?

¹⁵ Another temporary lapse in the fear of God led David into an immoral relationship with Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah. David knew that adultery or even desiring another’s mate was wrong. (Exodus 20:14, 17) The problem began when David caught sight of Bath-sheba while she was bathing. Proper fear of God should immediately have moved David to turn his eyes and his thoughts elsewhere. Instead, David evidently ‘kept on looking’ at her until passion overpowered his fear of God. (Matthew 5:28; 2 Samuel 11:1-4) David lost sight of Jehovah’s intimate involvement in his life.​—Psalm 139:1-7.

16. What consequences did David suffer for his wrongdoing?

¹⁶ David’s liaison with Bath-sheba produced a son. Shortly afterward, Jehovah sent his prophet Nathan to expose David’s sin. Brought to his senses, David recovered his fear of God and repented. He begged Jehovah not to cast him off or to remove His holy spirit from him. (Psalm 51:7, 11) Jehovah forgave David and lightened the punishment, but He did not shield David from all the bad consequences of his actions. David’s son died, and heartache and tragedy beset his family from then on. What a price to pay for a lapse in the fear of God!​—2 Samuel 12:10-14; 13:10-14; 15:14.

17. Illustrate the heartache that sinful acts produce.

¹⁷ Today, failing to fear God in moral matters may likewise have serious and long-lasting repercussions. Imagine the pain of one young wife when she learned that her Christian husband had been unfaithful to her while working overseas. Doubled over in shock and grief, she buried her face in her hands and burst into tears. How long will it take for her husband to regain her trust and respect? Such tragic consequences can be avoided by truly fearing God.​—1 Corinthians 6:18.

Fear of God Restrains Us From Sin

18. What is Satan’s objective and method of operation?

¹⁸ Satan is very rapidly driving down the world’s moral values, and he especially wants to corrupt true Christians. To do so, he exploits the most direct route into our hearts and minds​—through our senses, particularly our eyes and ears. (Ephesians 4:17-19) How will you react when you unexpectedly encounter immoral images, words, or people?

19. How did godly fear help one Christian to overcome temptation?

¹⁹ Consider the case of André,b a Christian elder, father, and medical doctor in Europe. When André was on all-night duty in the hospital, female colleagues repeatedly pinned notes​—decorated with hearts—​to his pillow, inviting him to have sexual relations with them. André steadfastly refused to entertain their advances. Moreover, to remove himself from the bad environment, he found work elsewhere. Fearing God proved to be very wise and led to blessings, for today André serves part-time at the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in his country.

20, 21. (a) How can fear of God help us to avoid sinning? (b) What will be considered in the following article?

²⁰ Dwelling on wrong thoughts can lead to a state of mind in which a person is willing to throw away his precious relationship with Jehovah in exchange for something to which he has no right. (James 1:14, 15) On the other hand, if we fear Jehovah, we will stay away​—even walk away—​from people, places, activities, and entertainment that could cause us to lower our moral guard. (Proverbs 22:3) Whatever embarrassment or sacrifice may be involved, it is minor compared to losing God’s favor. (Matthew 5:29, 30) Fearing God certainly includes never deliberately exposing ourselves to anything immoral, including pornography in any form, but instead making our eyes “pass on from seeing what is worthless.” If we do so, we can trust in Jehovah to ‘preserve us alive’ and provide everything we really need.​—Psalm 84:11; 119:37.

²¹ Indeed, acting with genuine fear of God is always the course of wisdom. It is also the source of true happiness. (Psalm 34:9) This will be made clear in the following article.

[Footnotes]

Fear Jehovah​—Be Happy!

“Happy is the man in fear of Jehovah.”​—PSALM 112:1.

1, 2. What can the fear of Jehovah bring?

HAPPINESS does not come easily. Real happiness is contingent on making the right choices, doing what is right, and turning away from what is wrong. Our Maker, Jehovah, has given us his Word, the Bible, to teach us how to enjoy the very best way of life. By seeking and following Jehovah’s direction, thus displaying the fear of God, we can be truly satisfied and happy.​—Psalm 23:1; Proverbs 14:26.

² In this article, we will consider Biblical and modern-day examples that show how genuine fear of God gives one strength to resist pressure to do what is wrong and courage to do what is right. We will see that godly fear can bring us happiness by moving us to correct a wrong course, as King David had to do. We will also see that the fear of Jehovah is a truly precious heritage that parents can pass on to their children. Indeed, God’s Word assures us: “Happy is the man in fear of Jehovah.”​—Psalm 112:1.

Regaining Lost Happiness

3. What helped David to recover from his sins?

³ As considered in the preceding article, David on three notable occasions failed to show proper godly fear and sinned. However, his response to Jehovah’s discipline showed that he was essentially a God-fearing person. His reverence and respect for God moved him to admit his guilt, correct his course, and reestablish a good relationship with Jehovah. Although his errors brought suffering on him and others, his genuine repentance won Jehovah’s continued support and blessing. David’s example can surely instill courage in Christians today who may fall into serious sin.

4. How can the fear of God help a person regain happiness?

⁴ Take Sonja’s case.a Though serving as a full-time evangelizer, Sonja got into bad company, became involved in unchristian conduct, and had to be disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation. Coming to her senses, Sonja did everything necessary to repair her relationship with Jehovah. In time, she was reinstated in the congregation. Through all of this, Sonja never gave up her desire to serve Jehovah. Eventually, she again entered the full-time pioneer ministry. Later, she married a fine Christian elder, and now she happily serves with him in the congregation. Though Sonja regrets having temporarily strayed from the Christian path, she is happy that her fear of God helped her to come back.

To Suffer Rather Than Sin

5, 6. Explain how and why David twice spared Saul’s life.

⁵ It is much better, of course, when the fear of God helps one to avoid sinning in the first place. This proved true of David. Once, pursuing David with three thousand troops, Saul entered a cave​—the very cave where David and his men were hiding. David’s men urged him to strike Saul. Was not Jehovah giving David’s mortal enemy into his hand? Silently, David crept up to Saul and cut off the skirt of his garment. Because David feared God, even that relatively harmless act tormented his conscience. David dispersed his agitated men, saying: “It is unthinkable, on my part, from Jehovah’s standpoint, that I should do this thing to my lord, the anointed of Jehovah.”b​—1 Samuel 24:1-7.

⁶ On a later occasion, Saul was encamped for the night, and he and all his men fell into “a deep sleep from Jehovah.” David and his bold nephew Abishai slipped into the very middle of the camp and stood right over the sleeping Saul. Abishai wanted to do away with him once and for all. David restrained Abishai, asking: “Who is it that has thrust his hand out against the anointed of Jehovah and has remained innocent?”​—1 Samuel 26:9, 12.

7. What held David back from sinning?

⁷ Why did David not strike Saul down when he twice had the opportunity? Because he feared Jehovah more than he feared Saul. Out of proper fear of God, David was prepared to suffer, if necessary, rather than sin. (Hebrews 11:25) He had complete confidence in Jehovah’s care for His people and for him personally. David knew that obeying and trusting in God would bring happiness and many blessings, while ignoring God would earn him God’s disfavor. (Psalm 65:4) He also knew that God would fulfill His promise to make David king and would remove Saul in His own time and way.​—1 Samuel 26:10.

Fearing God Brings Happiness

8. How does David’s conduct under pressure serve as an example?

⁸ As Christians, we can expect ridicule, persecution, and other trials. (Matthew 24:9; 2 Peter 3:3) At times, we may even experience difficulties involving fellow worshippers. However, we know that Jehovah sees all things, hears our prayers and, at the right time, will straighten out matters according to his will. (Romans 12:17-21; Hebrews 4:16) Therefore, rather than fear our opposers, we fear God and look to him to deliver us. Like David, we do not avenge ourselves, nor do we compromise righteous principles to avoid suffering. In the end, this brings happiness. But how?

9. Give an example of how fearing God can result in happiness despite persecution.

⁹ “I think about a certain mother and her teenage daughter who because of their Christian neutrality refused to buy political party cards,” relates a longtime missionary in Africa. “They were brutally assaulted by a crowd of men and then were told to go home. As they walked along, the mother tried to comfort her weeping daughter, who struggled to understand why this had happened. They were not joyful then, but they had a clean conscience. Later, they were very happy that they had obeyed God. Had they bought the party cards, the crowd would have been ecstatic. The men would have given them bottles of soft drinks and danced around them all the way home. But the girl and her mother, knowing they had compromised, would have been the most unhappy people in the world.” Their fear of God spared them all of that.

10, 11. What good results came from one woman’s fear of God?

¹⁰ Showing godly fear also results in happiness when facing trials involving respect for the sanctity of life. When Mary was pregnant with her third child, the doctor urged her to have an abortion. “Your condition is dangerous,” he said. “You could have a crisis at any time and die within 24 hours. Then the baby would die too. In any case, there is no guarantee that the baby will be normal.” Mary had been studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses but was not yet baptized. “Still,” Mary says, “I had decided to serve Jehovah, and I was determined to remain obedient to him, no matter what.”​—Exodus 21:22, 23.

¹¹ During her pregnancy, Mary kept busy studying the Bible and caring for her family. Finally the baby came. “The birth was a little harder than the first two, but there were no major complications,” relates Mary. Fearing God helped Mary to keep a good conscience, and she was soon baptized. As that baby grew up, he too learned to fear Jehovah, and he is presently serving at one of the branch offices of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

‘Strengthen Yourself by Jehovah’

12. How did the fear of God strengthen David?

¹² David’s fear of Jehovah did more than just restrain him from doing wrong. It strengthened him to act decisively and wisely under difficult circumstances. For a year and four months, David and his men took refuge from Saul at Ziklag in the Philistine countryside. (1 Samuel 27:5-7) Once while the men were away, marauding Amalekites burned the city and carried off all the men’s wives, children, and flocks. Upon returning and seeing what had happened, David and his men wept. Grief quickly turned to bitterness, and David’s men spoke of stoning him. Though distressed, David did not despair. (Proverbs 24:10) His fear of God moved him to turn to Jehovah, and he “took to strengthening himself by Jehovah.” With God’s help, David and his men overtook the Amalekites and recovered everything.​—1 Samuel 30:1-20.

13, 14. How did fear of God help one Christian to make good decisions?

¹³ God’s servants today also face situations that require trust in Jehovah and courage to act decisively. Take Kristina as an example. As a youth, Kristina studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. But she wanted to become a concert pianist, and she made considerable advancement to that end. Moreover, she felt self-conscious about preaching and was therefore afraid to accept the responsibilities that would come with baptism. As Kristina continued to study God’s Word, she began to sense its power. She was learning the fear of Jehovah, and she realized that Jehovah expects his servants to love him with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Mark 12:30) This moved her to dedicate herself to Jehovah and get baptized.

¹⁴ Kristina asked Jehovah for help to make spiritual advancement. “I knew that the life of a concert pianist involves constant travel and contracts to play as many as 400 concerts a year,” Kristina explains. “So I decided instead to become a teacher so as to support myself financially and serve as a full-time evangelizer.” At that time, Kristina was already slated to give her debut performance in her country’s best-known concert hall. “My debut concert turned out to be my retirement concert,” she relates. Kristina has since married a Christian elder. Together, they now serve at one of the branch offices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She is happy that Jehovah gave her the strength to make right decisions and that she can now use her time and energy in his service.

A Precious Heritage

15. What did David want to pass on to his children, and how did he do so?

¹⁵ “Come, you sons, listen to me,” wrote David. “The fear of Jehovah is what I shall teach you.” (Psalm 34:11) As a father, David was intent on passing on to his children a precious heritage​—the genuine, balanced, wholesome fear of Jehovah. By words and by deeds, David portrayed Jehovah, not as a demanding and fearsome God, ready to pounce on any infraction of His laws, but as a loving, caring, and forgiving Father of His earthly children. “Missteps who can keep track of?” asked David. Then, indicating his confidence that Jehovah is not constantly scrutinizing our errors, he added: “Hold me clear of unnoticed things!” David was sure that if he put forth his best effort, his words and thoughts could be acceptable to Jehovah.​—Psalm 19:12, 14, Byington.

16, 17. How can parents teach children the fear of Jehovah?

¹⁶ David stands as an example for parents today. “Our parents raised us in a way that made being in the truth enjoyable,” says Ralph, who along with his brother serves at a branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “When we were young, they included us in their conversations about congregation activities, and we became as enthusiastic about the truth as they were. They brought us up to believe that we could do good things in Jehovah’s service. In fact, for several years our family lived in a country where there is a great need for Kingdom publishers and helped to establish new congregations.

¹⁷ “What kept us on the right path was not a collection of rigid rules but the fact that to our parents, Jehovah was real and very, very kind and good. They sought to get to know Jehovah better and to please him, and we learned from their genuine fear of God and love for him. Even when we did something wrong, our parents did not make us feel that Jehovah no longer loved us; nor did they angrily slap arbitrary restrictions on us. Most of the time, they sat us down and just talked to us, Mom sometimes with tears in her eyes, trying to reach our heart. And it worked. We learned through our parents’ words and deeds that the fear of Jehovah is a beautiful thing and that to be one of his Witnesses is a joy and a pleasure, not a burden.”​—1 John 5:3.

18. What will we gain by fearing the true God?

¹⁸ Among “the last words of David,” we read: “When one ruling over mankind is righteous, ruling in the fear of God, then it is as the light of morning, when the sun shines forth.” (2 Samuel 23:1, 3, 4) Solomon, David’s son and successor, apparently got the point, for he requested that Jehovah grant him “an obedient heart” and the ability “to discern between good and bad.” (1 Kings 3:9) Solomon recognized that to fear Jehovah is the course of wisdom and happiness. Later, he summarized the book of Ecclesiastes with the words: “The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man. For the true God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14) If we heed that counsel, we will indeed find that “the result of humility and the fear of Jehovah” is not only wisdom and happiness but also “riches and glory and life.”​—Proverbs 22:4.

19. What will enable us to understand “the fear of Jehovah”?

¹⁹ From Biblical examples and modern-day experiences, we see that the proper fear of God plays a positive role in the life of true servants of Jehovah. Not only can such fear prevent us from doing what is displeasing to our heavenly Father but it can also give us the courage to face our adversaries and the strength to endure the trials and hardships that come our way. Therefore, let us, young and old, apply ourselves diligently in studying God’s Word, meditating on what we learn, and drawing close to Jehovah in regular and heartfelt prayers. By doing so, we will not only find “the very knowledge of God” but also understand “the fear of Jehovah.”​—Proverbs 2:1-5.

[Footnotes]