FEARFUL OBEDIENCE

Mar 2

God's Heart and Our Fear

29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever! 30 Go and say to them, "Return to your tents." 31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.' 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

1 "Now this is the commandment-the statutes and the rules-that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Deuteronomy 5:29-6:2

Question to Reflect On

**How do we practically get a fear of the Lord rooted in our life so that it’s not something we experience, but that we operate our life from?**

Fear of the Lord

29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

This must be our aim in life

30 Go and say to them, "Return to your tents."

There was a moment they experienced and felt the presence of God, but then are told to return to their tent.
We get this “spiritual high” at church, events, etc, and then go home, but what happens?
- We get back to the way things once were, and the awe and reverence (fear) isn’t there anymore

31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.

Careful - "Shamar"
- Guard, to protect, attend to
- Careful to do what? Care to do what God has commanded

33 You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

He again repeats to do what God commands

We see a theme started to develop here
Blessings will come from this, but it’s not the focal point that today we put so much emphasis on

1 "Now this is the commandment-the statutes and the rules-that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

This is the commandment - this is the what
That you may do them - this is the how
In the land which you’re going to possess - this is the where
That you may fear the Lord - this is the why
You, your son, and your son’s son - this is the who
By keeping all his statues and commandments - again the how

To fear and to keep are intricately linked together, you can’t have one without the other

It’s in the Fruit

13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

Mark 4:13-20

20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

All 4 of them heard the Word of God
First Person
- The first one hears, but it’s snatched away
- A lot of people good at hearing, but let others carry the conviction of God’s Word for them
Second Person
- The 2nd person person hears, receives the Word, even with joy
- This person fell away because a lack of roots
Third Person
- Here this, this person is trying to be fruitful and they can’t because they have idolatry in their life
- They are not obeying God because they are concerned more about satisfaction from the world than from God
Fourth Person
- So the only thing that separates the 4th person from the other 3 is this last part that they bear fruit
- 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. - John 15:8

Closing Thoughts

Obedience to God’s commands produces a fear of the Lord
Understand that God gave them commandments so they could obey Him

The Law was given so that the people could express their fear of the Lord.

God’s commands are given to us so that we can express the fear of the Lord.

Reflective Questions

What commands from God are you avoiding today?

What do you need to repent of for not obeying God in?
Will you be willing to start living all of God’s commands, not just the ones you pick from?
For the commands we are disobedient in, consider this: are we that nonchalant about the fear of the Lord we think we can still keep on sinning and continue to be blessed and favored?

Ryan Lovett