The Fear of God

And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near MeI must be regarded as holy;And before all the peopleI must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.

Leviticus 10:3 (NKJV)

In Hebrews 11:6, the author tells us, “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” In other words, to draw near to God, one must acknowledge His character, His person, and His holiness. Those who do not believe in God have no reason to want to enter His presence and pray to Him, since they will not fear Him. In this verse, I see an echo of what God declared to Moses. Neglecting these aspects of God is to lack fear of Him.

When God declared that His holiness must be respected, He meant that we must not serve Him lightly, do whatever pleases us in the name of His love, or ignore His word, which is the revelation of His person and His will. He is a holy God, and His holiness does not tolerate sin. It is by acknowledging who He is and submitting to His will that He will reveal Himself to us in His own way, so that His glory may be manifested in the midst of His people.

Your fear of God reveals your respect for His holiness and your submission to His word. If you read the entire chapter of Leviticus, you will see that Aaron's two sons acted according to their own desires, neglecting God's command to offer Him incense as He had commanded. This was a lack of respect on their part for God's holiness. He consumed them both immediately. You who approach God, be sure to have the fear of God in your hearts; it is this attitude that will allow you to behold His glory.

May the grace and peace of God be with you all.