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The Fear of the Lord

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 13, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 35.

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The Fear of the Lord

By J. S. WASHBURN

J. S. WASHBURN
“If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” Ps. 130: 1-4. We fear God because he forgives our sins. What were your emotions when you knew that God had forgiven your sins? Adoration; gratitude; love, sincere, sweet, inexpressible—that is the fear of God. There is no terror in it. The fear of God is the love of God. We fear him, that is, love him, because he forgives our sins.
Those who fear God are not afraid of him. If he should mark my iniquity, if he should refuse to forgive my sins, I should be afraid of him. But he forgives me so gently, lovingly, completely, and takes away all the sting, all the terror,—the fearful looking for of judgment,—that I can but “love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.” Thus does perfect love (fear) cast out all terror, and thus truly only he who knows God, knows love; for God is love. The beginning of wisdom is love, that is, God. Thus “the fear of the Lord [the love of God] is the beginning of wisdom.” Ps. 111: 10.
After a certain service where this gospel of love, the gospel of John 3: 16, had been preached, a melancholy-looking individual said in doleful tones, “I’m very sorry I have not heard the gospel preached here today.”
“My friend, is not the gospel of love the true, the only gospel?”
“Oh, no!” responded the melancholy individual, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” You said not one word in your sermon about eternal misery, unending pain. That is the gospel to me. I was frightened, terrified almost unto death, at the thought of never-ending anguish, and then and thus was I turned to God.”
“But, my friend, the gospel is good news. Is this fearful libel on the character of him who is love—that he delights in the unending torment of the lost—is that good news?”
It is the goodness of God, the love of the Lord, that leads to repentance. All this teaching of a stern, severe, unrelenting Judge, who loves good people and hates sinners, is the teaching of Satan, the accuser of the brethren, the slanderer of God.
To frighten children into outward goodness by telling them that God does not love naughty boys and girls, is a gross injustice to the little ones, and a wicked libel on the character of him who gave his own holy child Jesus to die for the fallen, sinning children of men, who hated him, scorned him, and nailed him to the tree.
The kindest, gentlest Man the world has ever known was Jesus, who said,“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” The children were not afraid of him. “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God,” were his words of sweetest invitation. The joy, the playfulness, of children is an indication of the freshness of new life, the vitality of health. Health is of God. Disease, pain, weakness, old age, and sadness are the result of sin, which comes from the adversary.
With all the infinite responsibilities of the universe upon him,—the untold hosts of angels and men and all other creatures,—he who fainteth not, who is never weary, has still time to be gentle, sociable, yea, even playful.
All the playfulness of the creatures that gambol in the deep, all the wondrous soarings of the birds of the air, all the beautiful frolicsomeness of lambs and of the young of all creatures, as well as of little children, who are of the kingdom of heaven, are of God. When the lame man was healed, he danced for joy. When the saints are gathered home, “the lame man shall leap as a hart,” and all the righteous shall “go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall,” released from earth’s dark prison pen, to wander at will through the blue deeps of the heavenly universe.
Oh, kindest, tenderest Father, whose name is Love, thine only begotten Son hath revealed thee to be the fairest among ten thousand, the one altogether lovely! For even now in this world, all the sweet love-whispers of the soft breezes through green forests and fragrant bowers; all the wondrous warblings of birds; all the richness, the fascination, of the human voice; the divine loveliness of all music; the delicate forms and tints of flowers; the beauty of the rainbow, of the clouds, of the glorious hosts of stars; the bright sunbeams; the soft moonbeams’ gentle glance,—yea, through all that is sweet, gentle, winning, he whispers so tenderly to the weary, sinning, dying one: Fear not, I who have given thee life—I love thee with an unutterable love. O sad, wandering one, give me thine heart, give me thy love! My love for thee is stronger than death.
Far more than man hungers for human affection does God long, with yearning that breaks his heart when refused, for your love and mine. Shall I grieve his tender heart again by turning away?
“All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” I can refuse his tender plea no longer: I will arise and go unto my Father, and then, free from sorrow, loneliness, pain, and weariness, I will rest without fear in perfect peace, for I know that “underneath are the everlasting arms.”
“What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms; Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.”
Philadelphia. Pa.