Holy Fear

 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. Hebrews 11:7

Yesterday during worship the scripture above was read. The phrase "holy fear" stuck out to me because we don't usually think of fear being "holy".  And most of the time it's not holy.  

So what is holy fear?  What does this scripture mean? Is it being scared of God all of the time?  Certainly not!

Noah was warned that the whole world would be destroyed by flood, but even though he had never seen anything like that before, he believed God.  He believed that God could do what he said he was going to do.  Noah trusted God.  Noah had faith in God.  He had enough faith that he obeyed God.  

If Noah had only feared God, he might have run and hid. He might have worried so much about building the ark that it never would have been completed.  But his fear of the Lord was a holy fear. It was a respect for God - that God could do what He planned to do.  

A holy fear is a reverence for God for who He is.  When we truly learn to understand how to have a holy fear of God, only then do we realize just how much He loves us and can begin to love Him in the way He wants us to.  Only then will we obey Him.

Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will.

(Hallal Music)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

    To him belongs eternal praise. Psalm 111:10