The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
The fear of man is a snare that takes possession of the soul and makes a person a cringing slave to public opinion. The snare includes fear of ridicule, fear of enemies, and fear for life, fear to admit a wrong course and retrace steps because it seems too humiliating, and fear to let others know that God's word has been heeded. Zedekiah illustrates this, for though convinced that Jeremiah's counsel was true and convicted of the value of God's counsel, he feared public opinion and refused to obey. Such fear removes moral stamina to obey, leaves no fixed purpose to do evil yet no resolution to stand boldly for the right, traps a person in choices that oppose what is right, and leads to following counsel that is despised and known to be false. Had he stood courageously for God's commands, he could have saved Jerusalem from destruction, led his people to stand for the right, declared belief in fulfilled words to save self and others, and spared lives, possessions, and city from carnage, famine, and fire, while continued fear advances steadily in the wrong direction toward loss of life and possessions to enemies.
The fear of man breaks uninterrupted communion with God that had blessed the heart, by shrinking from offending brethren, withholding testimony in meeting when strongly impressed it is duty to speak, restraining feelings to avoid opposition and grieving remarks from those older in years and experience, and even staying away from meetings because testimony annoys others. Reasoning that silence still allows faithful living does not excuse it, for such silence to keep human favor grieves the Spirit of God and takes away blessing, power, and strength. Fearing the servants of God and one another makes believers weak, with an experience that grows out of that fear instead of a religious character formed for themselves. The snare is having no individual, independent experience, learning to look to man instead of to God, being bent this way and that way, and not being steadfast and strong in a living experience obtained for oneself.
Safety is found only in putting trust in the Lord by obeying God openly, loving truth, hating sin, disregarding the fear or favor of man, and faithfully speaking and living out religion and bearing testimony whenever there is proper opportunity. Such fearlessness and justice wins respect and support and steadies those wavering between faith and unbelief to take a firm stand for the right. The verse means to let the fear of God rule instead of the fear of man, especially for canvassers and evangelists giving the truth to those who do not know it, by using all tact and skill, remembering souls perishing in sin around, standing as true as steel to principle, and putting the whole heart into winning souls to Christ, so that speech and action will receive Christ's commendation at the last great day. The fear of man must all go away, leaving childlike simplicity free from pride, so that singing and shouting can drive away the enemy and beat him back instead of the rising powers of darkness getting the victory.
The fear of man is a snare that takes possession of the soul and makes a person a cringing slave to public opinion. The snare includes fear of ridicule, fear of enemies, and fear for life, fear to admit a wrong course and retrace steps because it seems too humiliating, and fear to let others know that God's word has been heeded. Zedekiah illustrates this, for though convinced that Jeremiah's counsel was true and convicted of the value of God's counsel, he feared public opinion and refused to obey. Such fear removes moral stamina to obey, leaves no fixed purpose to do evil yet no resolution to stand boldly for the right, traps a person in choices that oppose what is right, and leads to following counsel that is despised and known to be false. Had he stood courageously for God's commands, he could have saved Jerusalem from destruction, led his people to stand for the right, declared belief in fulfilled words to save self and others, and spared lives, possessions, and city from carnage, famine, and fire, while continued fear advances steadily in the wrong direction toward loss of life and possessions to enemies.
The fear of man breaks uninterrupted communion with God that had blessed the heart, by shrinking from offending brethren, withholding testimony in meeting when strongly impressed it is duty to speak, restraining feelings to avoid opposition and grieving remarks from those older in years and experience, and even staying away from meetings because testimony annoys others. Reasoning that silence still allows faithful living does not excuse it, for such silence to keep human favor grieves the Spirit of God and takes away blessing, power, and strength. Fearing the servants of God and one another makes believers weak, with an experience that grows out of that fear instead of a religious character formed for themselves. The snare is having no individual, independent experience, learning to look to man instead of to God, being bent this way and that way, and not being steadfast and strong in a living experience obtained for oneself.
Safety is found only in putting trust in the Lord by obeying God openly, loving truth, hating sin, disregarding the fear or favor of man, and faithfully speaking and living out religion and bearing testimony whenever there is proper opportunity. Such fearlessness and justice wins respect and support and steadies those wavering between faith and unbelief to take a firm stand for the right. The verse means to let the fear of God rule instead of the fear of man, especially for canvassers and evangelists giving the truth to those who do not know it, by using all tact and skill, remembering souls perishing in sin around, standing as true as steel to principle, and putting the whole heart into winning souls to Christ, so that speech and action will receive Christ's commendation at the last great day. The fear of man must all go away, leaving childlike simplicity free from pride, so that singing and shouting can drive away the enemy and beat him back instead of the rising powers of darkness getting the victory.