“The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;

he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,

and he will be the stability of your times,

abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;

the fear of the LORD is his treasure.”

The fear of the Lord is the treasure that God has given us. It is the chief blessing that leads us to so much more. By the fear of the Lord, we depart from evil [Prov 16:6]. By fear, we war against sin, and by fear, we obtain mercy.

1) The fear of the Lord makes us seek after Christ and hold onto Him dearly. It makes us forsake the way of licentiousness and heed His warnings. It causes us to cry out to Him when we’ve sinned, lest we depart into more trouble. It makes us hate sin, because He will depart in chastening love [Song 3:1-5]. It makes us obedient, because we choose strangling and death over disobedience. It makes us forsake mother, father, sister and brother, because only One can comfort us. He says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me [Matt 10:37].”

2) This fear is given the hard way! It comes by the conviction of sin, but it also comes through chastisement, as God humbles us and brings us down. “Then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them [Jer 32:39].” He makes us see that our own way is vain, so that we repent and turn. This fear of the Lord is good, and blessed is the man who fears always [Prov 28:14].

3) Let this fear be in you. Nourish and cherish it. Don’t be so foolish as to say, “I’ll sin, and God will do nothing,” because if He loves you, then He will chasten. Look at Eli and look at David. Look at Solomon [Neh 13:26]. We can’t sin and get away with it. Our strength will be gone, misery will come upon us, and we’ll be left with human power in a spiritual battle! “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies [Eph 6:12].” Look at Samson’s eyes gouged out and see him toiling. See Eli’s ministry taken away. “For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them [1 Sam 3:13].” Abandon this rashness that says, “I’ll do as I please.”

4) Let us war with sin EARLY IN THE MORNING by getting unto Christ. “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You [Ps 5:4].” Let us walk in the way that He commands in humility, gentleness, and lowliness. Let us not be so foolish as to excuse our sins by God’s sovereignty. He’s given us a command, and we must obey. Peter says, “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance.”