"And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade." Act 5:11-12 BSB
The dawn of Christendom saw mighty and great signs and wonders. Scripture said, notable miracles were done by the hand of the apostles. This signs, wonders, and miracles are in a form of; 1. healings: e.g the healing of the forty year old who was lame from birth and sits at the entrance of Solomon's porch and many others; 2. mighty deliverances: with Peter and John been delivered from prison by the hand of an angel of God even though the prison was shut with bodyguards surrounding the prison 24/7. It was clear in scriptures that the mighty power of God was pour out and was in operation that men were even afraid to join the faith for the fear that their wicked hearts will be reveal yet many also at the same time commit their lives and resources to the faith.
One peculiar thing that brought reverence for God among the brethren was the judgement of Ananias and the wife sapphire by God when Satan filled their heart to lie to the Holy Ghost. Peter said unto them, you have not lied unto man but unto God; (Act 5:4). You see, God was purifying his Church right from the beginning. He was removing that which is of the devil. Ananias and the wife Sapphire's story kept dubious men out of the Church. It is just heart aching that today dubious men are not only in the Church but also on the pulpit. It was not so in the days of Peter and Paul. You dare not have an ulterior motive apart from a genuine faith in God, and the reason was that, their was a deep dread for God upon all the people. In fact, scriptures made very clear that great fear came over the whole church and also over all who heard the events which were happening in the Church; (Act 5:11). The fear and deep reverence gave way for more miracles. The word translated "fear" is the Greek word "Phobos" with means dread, it means fear and terror. Paul said knowing that the terror of the lord will pursue me; (2Cor 5:11). That Greek "Phobos" is the source of the English word phobia which mean an irrational or obsessive fear. The Greek word phobos has a bearing from eight Hebrew words which also means exactly the same thing; fear, dread and terror. These Hebrew words are;
1. "êymâh" or "êmâh", it mean terror, dread. It is to fright. This can of fear is the idol type of fear. Meaning it is the fear that is idolized, something we worship. There is a fear that is worshiped and if that fear is directed to God, it yields massive results because it position you in a place where God can encounter you the easiest. If your house is on fire and you don't get out, you knew that surely you will die in there. The fear that makes your ran out of the fire is the idol type of fear which is the Hebrew word " êmâh". It is the fear that position you for survivals. When you know that if you don't pay your tithes is a dreadful sin which will lead you into poverty, you will order you Church to deduct it from your source of income.
2. The second word is the word "dechal". It is to shrink back, to slink, thus to be formidable. Have you ever come across a snake before, you might have jump back, right!. That is exactly what " dechal" type of fear is. It is the fear that makes you shrink back in awe to save your life from been hurt. This fear is protective. It react unconsciously.
3. The next one is "chârêd" which means to tremble, it is to quake and be terrified. Scripture said, Eli's heart trembled for the ark of God; (1 Sam 4:13). The ark of God mean everything to Israel. It means the very presence of God and Israel foolishly took the ark to the battle Field which the Philistines captured. This fear is the fear of knowing that you have being defeated completely. Eli knew taking the ark to the battlefield won't save Israel but will end in defeat therefore his heart trembles.
4. The fourth is the Hebrew word "chath" which means to be concretely crushed, abstractly terrified. It is to be broken and be dismayed. This word appeared only four times in the scriptures. This is the kind of fear God mentioned when he was blessing Noah saying "The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand." This is the fear that establishes dominion. This is the fear all creation have for humans.
5. "yir'âh" is the fifth, it is the fear that brings moral reverence. It is to be exceedingly fearful. This is the fear that people have for others. It is the fear of people. God told Israel "This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you" (Deu 2:25). This fear is as a result of knowing what the other person can do. If athletes are competing and there is a defending champion who is surely going to win the race but you also want the title desperately, you experience some fear. That is the "yir'âh" type of fear.
6. The sixth is "‛ârı̂yts". It is awe-inspiring, terror-striking, awesome, terrifying, ruthless, mighty. This fear is as a result of tyranny, mighty oppression and violence. Job cried out to God saying, Deliver me from my enemy’s control,’ or ‘Redeem me from the domination of ruthless people’?” ( Job 6:23). The Palmist also reveal the fear in his heart saying, For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah,( Psa 54:3). If you have read about slavery, you might have comprehend this fear easily. This is the fear of the strongman syndrome.
7. The Hebrew word "pachad" means sudden alarm or the feeling of fear, properly, the presence of the object feared. " And terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of Your arm they will be as still as a stone until Your people pass by, O LORD, until the people You have bought pass by." (Exo 15:16 BSB). That is the kind of fear "pachad" is. The presence of Israel cause fear and terror when they came out of Egypt. Scripture said, when the nations beyond the Jordan heard that the God of the Jew dried the red sea before them, they became as dead.
8. The last word is the Hebrew word "ra‛mâh" the meaning of this word is actually uncertain but largely refers to vibration, quivering, waving, mane (of horse). The word actually appeared only once in the scriptures, thus in Job 39:19; Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?.
Mane is Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion or thick hair of a person's head. People with those kind of faces pose same kind of fear. Sampson is said to have such an hair.
Fear is the source of all reverence. Anything you reverend pose some kind of fear to you. You see, no one who have been shocked by electricity before will ever touched a naked live electric wire because he or she knew what will the outcome be like. Dread goes before reverence, and bitter experience is the source of all dread. An experience could be in a form of witnessing a dreadful situation or being the victim yourself.
Even though the contemporary Church is thought that the fear of God is not of phobia but reverence, it is not the whole truth. Paul said, I knew that the terror of the Lord of the Lord will pursue me.
" Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men....." .2Co 5:11 KJV. We can not walk with God in a certain dimension without encountering the dread of the Lord. Moses, Elijah, Samson, Eli, Samuel, Peter and Paul and all that have walk with God in higher realms have encountered the dread of the Lord and that is what make them Reverend God, God is also calling us to walk with him in higher realms. Do you know that even Jesus encountered the dread of God. Scriptures said, he made prayers with loud crying to God and he was heard not because he is a son but because he feared; (Heb 5:7). In fact, the word translated "fear" in that verse is the Greek word "eulabeia" which means caution, circumspection; meaning warning against danger which convey the idea that he was aware and preview to certain knowledge. Where did he knew it from, of cause by experience. The world is mocking us because the dread of the Lord is not upon the nations. And the dread of God is not upon the nations because the Church itself lacks it. Why should they reverend your God, our God while we are not walking in a dimension of his realities. The fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom (reverence). It all begins with knowing God. Today, we don't know God, we only heard of Him from His messengers who do not know Him themselves, so they tell us what they think of him or what other people said of him. To know God, you must walk with Him, it is a life long affair.
COMMON WAYS GOD DOES PUT HIS FEAR ON US
1. By allowing us to go through seasons of affliction. Scripture said, affliction shall not rise again the second time, meaning afflictions do rise. (Nahum 1:9)
The life of Job is a pictorial depiction of a life whom God has allowed affliction to tough. He was the most righteous man in the east according to the scriptures. But job's righteousness is not as a result of His wealth but by patience endurance of his season of affliction. If we will walk we God, we will surely experience seasons of affliction. That is what set our hearts right before God and man. The affliction can be a financial backlash, health challenge, death of loved one, failures upon failures, rejections, hard times, and through sorrow and bitterness. This situations are the ones you pray against, this ones, you must go through them. The only thing you need is grace to sustain you to come out blameless. Scripture said, No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it; (1Co 10:13 ISV). You see, this one is to be endured and after you have endured, you heart become better. "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." Ecc 7:3 KJV
2. Trials and temptations are another mean by which God puts his fear on us. Have you felt been deserted by God before, I have and it is a dreadful thing.
We all know Abraham as the father of faith, but he was a man of faith by reason of patiently enduring periods of trials and temptations. It took him over 25 year to wait on the promise of God to obtain it. Scripture said, "nor did he doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, his faith became stronger and he gave glory to God, being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness"; (Rom 4:20-22). He was tried for 25 year to obtain the promise and upon the arrival of the promise, God said, sacrifice him for. Furnace of affliction.
3. God also test us to put his fear on us. Balaam was tested by God. Pharaoh only reverend God after God was through with Egypt.
All the kings of the nations recorded in the Bible and the present day leaders of nations were humbled and are been bumbled before God. See how Covid-19 have stop the pride of kings. Princess shrunk back, rulers are down founded. No one will be able to reverend God without him or her seeing the other side of God. The side which says, I won't answer your prayer so get up of your knees and go about my businesses. God told the prophet that even if Samuel and the likes should come before him and pray for Israel, he God won't answer their prayers; (Jet 15:1). That is a dimension of God that brings reverence. Knowing that God has a responsibility towards you and you had the twin response of positioning yourself for it. Please, let not be deceived, there are higher realms.
PRAYER
Lord, reveal yourself to me in my walk as a believer to know you more and be drawn into the dept of you, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.