Is fear bad for you? (Exod 20:18-21)

Following on the Ten Commandments (see my posts here), which God spoke to Israel directly, we observe the people’s reaction to their experience. The Israelites are terrified and ask Moses to mediate for God because they cannot endure His presence (Exod 20:18-19). Our brief reading, however, raises numerous questions. Moses tells them not to be afraid, but then follows it up with a confusing statement that God has come to test them in order that they might have the fear of Him (Exod 20:20)! Is fear a good thing or a bad thing then? What exactly does the test consist of and how would this mysterious test lead to or demonstrate ‘the fear of God’ that is different from the ‘fear’ they should not feel about God?

Fear alerts us to danger and the rush of adrenalin that accompanies such an experience enables us to deal with a threat. Ever since the Fall when Adam and Eve fled and hid, sinful human beings responded to God’s holy presence with fear. This is an understandable reaction, but it is not what God wants of His people. In fact, His message to individuals often starts with ‘fear not’ (e.g. Judg 6:22-23; Luke 1:30). The issue with this kind of abject terror is that it does not lead to heartfelt obedience, only to submission under pressure. In fact, we see this in Israel’s attitude: once they no longer encounter the weight of God’s glory their fear dissipates, and they soon became unfaithful to Him (Exod 32:7-9). Such fear treats God as a threat and enemy and pits us against Him in fight or draws us away from Him in flight.

What then is the ‘fear of God’ that the Lord desires of Israel (and us)? Through the key words of ‘fear of God’ and ‘testing’, as well as the concept of obedience/not sinning the writer draws our attention to a story about Abraham (Gen 22:1-2, 12).[1] We are meant to understand these verses in Exodus in the light of that earlier incident regarding the nation’s forefather. Abraham, we are told, is tested by God through a command that he should offer up his son, Isaac, to God. Isaac, we remember, is the promised child through whom Abraham will have many descendants and become a great nation. The patriarch chooses costly obedience and God confirms that he fears God. This cannot mean being terrified of God because underlying Abraham’s actions is the solid conviction that the Lord will provide (Gen 22:8, 14). He is able to obey under trying conditions because, against all the odds, he trusts the Lord’s goodness and care. Thus, his fear is more likely to be reverence and respect combined with trust in a loving God.

Israel, we should recall, has been saved from the oppressive service of a slave-master, Pharaoh, who kept the people in abject terror. The Lord does not require such cowering fear (‘do not be afraid’), but He does want the kind of ‘fear’ (respect and awe) that leads to obedience. Just as Israel’s forefather received a command that tested his commitment to God, so now the people received a framework for living (the Ten Commandments) that will test their attitude. They, like us, lived in a world where God’s requirements, especially regarding His exclusive worship without images, went against the cultural expectations of the day. Have they learnt the lesson of awe and trust, the kind of ‘fear of God’ that draws them closer to the Lord, rather than pushes them away? As we start the New Year and perhaps make new resolutions to follow the Lord or renew existing commitments, it is important that we base these on the foundation of God’s provision. We have been saved from the enslavement of sin and the Lord loves and cares for us. Can we obey Him and trust that He will carry us through against all the odds this year?

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[1] This connection is frequently noted by commentators. See e.g. T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, AOTC (London: Apollos; Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2017), 435.

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