0801Who Is The Lord?

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(Blue entries in the meditation are links; clicking on them will take you to the verse(s) in the New International Version; to see the verse(s) in another translation, on that page under 'passage results' where the current entry is 'New International Version' click on the down arrow and select another English version; then click on 'update'. On this page entries in reddish brown are the words of Scripture (NIV). Occasionally links on my page are to another file of mine.

By Cameron Paine

INTRODUCTION

Perhaps this sounds like a silly question because the answer is thought to be so obvious. But it is not obvious. There would be no unbelievers if everyone ‘knew’ the answer. And perhaps some individuals who think they know the answer may find there is more to the ‘answer’ than they thought. It is to show that this is not a silly question that this meditation was written. If I do not know who the Lord is’ I cannot relate to him properly. If you don’t know that the person you are speaking to is a spy you won’t treat him as a spy. If you are just introduced to Mr. Smith but you don’t know that he is your commanding officer you won’t treat him with the respect he deserves. Only if I know who the Lord is will I show him the respect and reverence that his person/position/status deserves. Because this is so, the rest of this meditation is devoted to setting forth a few scattered reminders of who the Lord is, that is, who it is that every believer has claimed that he/she worships. A few of the verses that paint a picture of the Lord, verses that reveal something about the Lord,--whether he is worthy to be heeded or paid attention to have been categorized under 7 arbitrary headings.

The headings:
1--He is the Creator of the physical world/universe;
2--He is alive and active now as he ever was;
3--His creative and ‘destructive’ powers are more awesome and
profound than can be conceived;
4--God’s greatness is not confined by the laws that seem to operate
in this world—space, gravity, time, life and death;
5—He is worthy of being respected and feared; the Bible says so.
6—He is worthy of being respected and feared—believers say so;
7—Concluding remarks.

Before immersing ourselves in the words of believers of older times let’s remind ourselves of a few ‘facts’ about God. These 'facts' are set forth most conspicuously in headings 1-4.

1st Heading:
Who is the Lord? Is the Lord worthy of being respected
and revered? Yes. Why? Because He is the Creator

This is a fact that shapes everything else. He has creative and destructive powers without limitation. His creative powers include the biggest picture—the world, the universe as well as every tiniest detail.

"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth." (Psalm 33:6)

To encourage his disciples Jesus proclaimed this truth--"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)

"This is what God the Lord says—he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:" (Isaiah 42:5)

"How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." (Ps 104:24)

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." (Daniel 2:20-22)

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." (Isaiah 40:26)

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." (Psalm 147:4)

"By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;" (Proverbs 3:19)

"My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together." (Isaiah 48:13)

"God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding." (Jeremiah 10:12)

The first 3 chapters of the Bible speak of God’s creative activity in the beginning. Over and over again the words ring out ‘And God said.’ "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day." (Genesis 1:1-5)

"And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so." (Genesis 1:9)

"Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it,’" (Genesis
1:11)

"And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night,’" (Genesis 1:14; see also Genesis 1:20, 24, 26, 29)

"And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it." (Genesis 3:6-7)

You and I have never seen a world that was not all around us since before we were born. This being the case it is easy to forget that the physical world we see was created. It is easy to forget that there was (and is) a Creator.

Speaking of Jesus the Christ (part of the triune Godhead-Father-Son-Holy Spirit) the New Testament portion of the Bible says, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)

Yes, God is very much worthy of our worship, our reverence, our praise. (Psalm 148.1-13)

2^nd Heading:

Who is the Lord. Is he worthy of being respected and
revered? Yes, Because he is alive.

He acts. It was not just a long time ago, in the ‘beginning’ that he acted. He is as creative and active now as he ever was. He accomplishes things. He is bringing about his purposes at the present time as much as when he ‘created’ in the ‘beginning’.

The Bible says, "long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:5-7)

Why believe any of God’s words if he isn’t alive. Dead people don’t speak; why believe anything and everything he says or promises if he was not able to utter or fulfil them? Why believe John 3:16 if it is in a book of lies and was (not) spoken because a dead or non-existent ‘god’ could not have uttered them or ever fulfilled them? Could a dead ‘god’ have son? Could a dead ‘god’ be the father of Jesus the Christ?

"I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. (Psalm 2:7)

"The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. (Psalm 18:13)

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them." (Psalm 2:4; see also psalm 37:13)

"I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me." (Psalm 119:75)

"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." (Psalm 1:6)

He does things. He brings about results.

"O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me." (Psalm 30:2)

"O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit." (Psalm 30:3)

It is more than dangerous to forget how great and powerful is the One with whom we have to do, before whom each one of us will stand. "The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. (Psalm 18:15)

The Bible uses many different verbs to describe the current actions of God in this world. To mention a few of them:

He shakes the deserts (Psalm 29.8)

He contends (Psalm 35.23)

He judges (Psalm 96:13 & 105.7)

He works righteousness (Psalm 103.6)

He fulfills (Psalm 145.19)

He gives sight (Psalm 146.8)

He secures justice (Psalm 140.12)

An inclusive description: the deeds of the Lord (Psalm 40:5;78.4)

God has emotions. Who would want to incur his anger, his wrath?.

"The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. (Psalm 11:5)

"But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath." (Jeremiah 10:10)

"O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. (Psalm 6:1)

"Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love." (Psalm 6:4)

"The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering." (Exodus 3:7)

"How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? " (Psalm 89:46)

"So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move
along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." (Genesis 6:7)

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;… 9…to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority." (2 Peter 2:4-6, 9-10)

"By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7)

Perhaps the awesome significance of this truth--that God is alive—will stand out when God is compared to something that is not alive.

When compared to inanimate things such as a stone or a law of gravity or a code of ethics, even though it be a perfect standard like God’s own law God in his 'aliveness' stands out. When God is compared to ‘something’ inanimate he stands out not as ‘something’ but as ‘someone’ though infinitely ‘bigger’. Who worships a piece of stone? Who is grateful to an inanimate object like a stone or a star that is nothing but a collection of gases? Who stands in awe of him who cannot breathe or raise a finger and never was able to?

While God is alive, a law, any law or standard, is not alive. For example, a sign that says ‘don’t drown’ or ‘no drowning allowed’ cannot rescue anybody from drowning. A law is no more able to deliver anybody from the power of sin than a sign with a picture of a plate of food can stop the hunger pangs of a starving man. A written standard has no power to overcome the power of evil or sin.

It was because of the power of sin that Jesus the Christ, the Son of God was sent to take the punishment which the breaking of God’s law had incurred. The Bible says, "For what the law (of God) was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering." (Romans 8:3)

The apostle Paul was very clear about the function of the law. "If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law" –God’s perfect law. (Galatians 3:21)

Earlier in the same letter the apostle said, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21)

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." (Romans 3:20)

Who is grateful to a standard? Did a standard show you mercy? Who prays to a standard? Who is comforted by a standard? Does knowing what behavior is listed on a lifeless standard produce feelings of comfort? Does knowing what behavior is listed on a lifeless standard produce gratitude and rejoicing? No.

A standard has no emotions. A standard never shows mercy, never forgives.

Nor is a standard ever glad to be praised as God is. God repeatedly says he desires praise, respect.

A standard doesn’t have descendants and could not send its son into the world of time and history to deliver sinners from the penalty for breaking God’s law.

How different is God. How different is a God who feels love, who is love and shows mercy.

That is what sinners need, a God who shows mercy.

3^rd Heading:

Who is the Lord? Is He Worthy of being respected? Yes.
Because the Lord’s power and glory is more than awesome

Is He worthy of respect? Yes. Because it is he who is able to bring about mighty works in this world of both ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ character. The Almighty God’s creative and ‘destructive’ powers go far ‘deeper’ into creation than the ‘manufacture’ of the universe we see around us; the Lord’s power and glory is more than awesome, it exceeds what mortals can even conceive of. Nothing that comes to pass is independent of and unrelated to God’s purposes and plans. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing is outside of God’s purposes and plans.

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." (Daniel 2:20-22)

"In him (Christ) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will," (Ephesians 1:11)

His knowledge of, nay more than that, his involvement in--whatever comes to pass includes not only the creation of the physical world, the stars etc. but also every tiniest detail. A sparrow does not fall to the ground apart from the will of God. He knows how we are made, He knows the number of hairs on each person’s head.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. " (Matthew 10:29)

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7)

"The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." (Psalm 135:6)

"But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Psalm 33:11)

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:10-11)

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"" (Daniel 4:35; see also Psalm 105)

"All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you." (Psalm 38:9)

"The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile." (Psalm 94:11)

When the Jewish authorities came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane one of Jesus’ disciples used his sword to defend Jesus. "’Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him,…‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it (the earning of salvation for God’s people) must happen in this way?’" (Matthew 26:52-54)

In the Gospel According to John later that same night Jesus says to the Roman Governor, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

Even the death of Jesus the Christ on the cross was no unforeseen event. On the contrary, it was purposed by God; it was part of God’s plan. The death of Jesus the Christ on the cross was not a ‘wrench in the works’ as the English idiom expresses it. The death of Jesus the Christ on the cross was not an upsetting of, or interference in, God’s original plan. The death of Jesus the Christ on the cross was not a set-back in God’s plan or an accident. The New Testament portion of the Bible includes a specific statement about this matter. On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter referring to Christ said, "This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." (Acts 2:23)

God’s plan of redemption was not a late readjustment in God’s purposes but was in existence from the ‘beginning’--"When the Son of Man (a title Jesus frequently refers to himself by) comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world…. ‘Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:31-34, 41)

"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things." (Isaiah 46:7)

"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, `What are you making?' Does your work say, `He has no hands?’" (Isaiah 45:9)

"This is what the LORD says-- the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts." (Isaiah 45:11-12)

4^th Heading:

Who is the Lord? Is He worthy of being respected and revered? Yes Because God’s greatness and power is not even
affected by the limitations of ‘life’ in this world

The purposes and power of the Lord are unaffected by limitations of this life‘, that is, they are not affected by such ‘things’ as time or space or death or any other ‘earthly’ phenomena. God’s greatness is not confined by the limitations of ‘life’ in this world or the laws that seem to operate in this world—space, gravity, time, life and death.

If God were limited by, or confined by, the ‘laws’ or events of this life the New Testament, the coming of the Christ, the death of the Christ would have no significance or meaning. The Gospel itself could not be true if God were subject to the limitations of this ‘world’.

What did Jesus say about himself? "I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’" (John 8:58)

When the Jewish authorities came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane one of Jesus’ disciples used his sword to defend Jesus. "’Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him,… ‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (6,000 men=a legion) But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’" (Matthew 26:52-54; see also Acts 2:23)

In the Gospel according John this same occasion is described in different terms: "Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear… Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (John 18:10-11)

Later that same night on which Jesus’ arrest had taken place Jesus ‘explained’ to the Roman governor to whom the Jewish authorities had sent him, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

Many of the miracles Jesus our Lord did showed that he was not of this world.

What was Jesus' disciples’ reaction to seeing Jesus' work when He spoke and the violent storm immediately subsided? "In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." (Luke 8:25)

"Be quiet!’ said Jesus sternly. ’Come out of him!’ The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.’" (Mark 1:25-27)

Jesus is even able to forgive sins which only God can do (Luke 5:21)

"But so that you may know that the Son of Man (a title Jesus frequently used of himself) has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men." (Matthew 9:6-8)

Jesus proclamation was very clear and unequivocal. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself." (John 5:24-26)

What Jesus accomplished did not just happen to be miracles. What Jesus accomplished did not just happen to be happenings that are not subservient to the laws ‘of nature.' The results were designed to be outside of common happenings. God's word makes it quite clear that the primary purpose of Jesus' wonders and miracles was to reveal who he was, to reveal his 'special-ness' and glory, that he was not just another mortal human being. (Matthew 9.2ff; Luke 5:22ff)

The miracles Jesus wrought demonstrated that that he was not subservient to the ‘laws’ that operate in this world.

"Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:37-38)

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…. Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 14:9-11; see also Luke 7:21-23)

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31)

For the purposes of this meditation Jesus’ words might be expressed like this: ‘these miraculous signs are written that you may recognize that Christ is the Lord…

Many people, many ‘scientists do not believe in the God of the Bible or his works. Why? "Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep." (John 10:25-26)

Just as God is not circumscribed by the laws that seem to control the operations of this world neither are all the blessings he bestows upon believers, especially, the salvation, the inheritance, that he promised. The salvation, the inheritance God promised to bestow upon believers is not limited by the span of what is known as physical life. The disintegration of the body –when it ‘returns to dust’ is an event that is as meaningless and irrelevant to the inheritance that God promised to every believer as putting a period at the end of a sentence is irrelevant to the rotation of the earth.

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too (Jesus, the Son of God) shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14-15)

It was the overcoming of death, namely, the resurrection of the Christ, that proved to men that Jesus was who/what he said he was—God in the flesh, the Son of the Eternal Creator.

The Bible speaks of "the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:2-4)

The apostle Paul summed it up when he said, "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' (1 Corinthians 15:54; a quote from the Old Testament portion of God's word--Isaiah 25:8)

Part of the message of the New Testament is the record of the fulfillment of what God said in his revelations during 'Old Testament' times.

Back then God said, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?" (Hosea 13:14)

In his letter to his church leader protégé (Timothy) the apostle Paul states what Jesus accomplished-- "our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:10)

The apostle Paul compares the position of believers living in this world with that of an infant born of a king—though an heir to the kingdom (Galatians 4:1-5, 7) the infant does not yet ‘see’ his position. The apostle Paul describes the inheritance which is the current possession of those individuals who have been made ‘citizens of heaven’ (Philippians 3:20) --"All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." (1 Corinthians 3:21-22)

Some of the blessings that believers ‘possess’ clearly are not limited by earthly limitations of time and space.

But the apostle also knows from experience as a believer that what believers experience in this world (like the ‘infant’ born into the king’s family) is not the final and full picture.

"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." (2 Corinthians 5:4)

There would be no gospel or ‘good news’ if God and his creation was limited by the constraints of time and space or the cessation of physical life in this world.

While the 'facts' or truth regarding the Lord which the preceding sections have set forth are found in the words of the Bible now let's look at or listen to the words of believers in which they gave expression to their faith in the Almighty God.

5^th Heading:

Who is the Lord? Is He worthy of being respected and revered?
Yes. Because the Bible says so

The Bible says what the only appropriate or ‘legitimate’ response to the Almighty God is. In this category we will be looking not so much at the ‘facts’ about God but at the ‘reflection’, that is, the reaction, which these ‘facts’ produce in sinful but believing mortals.

‘Fear’ is the term the Bible uses most often to characterize the only reaction that is appropriate for redeemed sinners to have in the presence of the Almighty God.

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods." (Psalm 96:4)

"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him." (Psalm 33:8)

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love," (Psalm 33:18)

"Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing." (Psalm 34:9)

"The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." (Psalm 19:9)

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one....18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:18 & vv.10-12)

"An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes." (Psalm 36:1)

"Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it." (Jeremiah 5:22)

"Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." (Psalm 2:11) How much the truth expressed in this verse reminds believers of the apostle Paul’s statement addressed to the believers in the congregation at Philippi. "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12, 13)

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." (Psalm 34:7)

"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." (Psalm 34:11)

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:3)

"Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared." (Psalm 76:11)

Jesus’ warning about the attitude toward God which all believers need to have was given to none other than to the original disciples who followed Jesus. To such privileged individuals Jesus, the Lord, the Son of God, spoke these no-nonsense words: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." (Psalm 86:11)

The word ‘fear’ is not the only word God’s writers use to describe the essential attitude believers should have toward their God. The apostle Paul sums it up in these words: "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1; see also 2 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Timothy 2:19; 2 Peter 3:13-14)

"How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!" (Psalm 47:2)

Not fearing the Lord is the stupidest of all ‘behaviors’ ! Without it you can be sure you will indulge in all sorts of behaviors that have awful consequences that will last for an eternity.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10)

"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands." (Psalm 112:1

"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? (Psalm 130:3 )

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord." (Psalm 89:15)

"Those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off." (Psalm 37:22)

"But the wicked will perish: The Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke." (Psalm 37:20)

"Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3)

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; (Psalm 95:6)

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:4)

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;" (Psalm 103:1)

"Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob," (Psalm 114:7 )

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. (Psalm 128:1)

"An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes". (Psalm 36:1)

"Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. " (Psalm 128:4)

"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." (Psalm 111:2 )

6th Heading:
Who is the Lord? Is he worthy of respect and awe? Yes
Listen to the way believers in the Bible speak to him and of him

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." (Psalm 29:2)

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." (Psalm 19:7)

" And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6)

"The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (Psalm 19:8)

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2)

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." (Psalm 7:17)

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6)

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Do these words leave the impression that the believers who prayed them were thinking they were speaking to or about a lifeless object? Did the speaker of these words think that he or she was begging a lifeless object to help them and bless them? Did the speaker of these words think that he or she was expressing gratitude to a lifeless object? Only individuals who believe God is, who believe God is alive, who believe he will reward believers, can pray to him, that is, count on God’s favor! (Hebrews 11:6)

Can the words of anyone be a witness to God if that person does not feel the greatness of God, if that person is not impressed and awed by the living God? Believers naturally witness. Why? Because they ‘know him’—his greatness and that he is worthy to be feared.

"For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? (Psalm 18:31)

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. (Psalm 8:1)

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:2)

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7)

"And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

"The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. (Psalm 19:8)

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

In the last book of the New Testament we hear the song of praise: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation 4:11)

"You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD …12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb…."My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:2-4, 12-13, 15-16)

Hear ye! Hear ye! How the believers of old witness to you and to me...

"Love the Lord, all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full." (Psalm 31:23)

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24)

"Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Psalm 32:2)

""Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. (Psalm 32:10)

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him." (Psalm 33:1)

"For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does." (Psalm 33:4)

"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." (Psalm 33:5)

"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. " (Psalm 33:8)

"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)

"Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together." (Psalm 34:3)

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8)

"The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:22)

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:4-7)

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:3)

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust." (Psalm 40:4).

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." (Psalm 57:9)

"Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!" (Psalm 64:10)

"Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (Psalm 68:20)

"Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds." (Psalm 72:18)

"O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." (Psalm 84:12)

"O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you." (Psalm 89:8

"For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands." (Psalm 92:4)

"The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved." (Psalm 93:1)

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation." (Psalm 95:1)

"Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth." (Psalm 96:9)

"Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord." (Psalm 107:43)

" This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

" Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord." (Psalm 119:1)

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 124:8)

"the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:8)

" Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

"Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, through all generations." (Psalm 135:13)

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

"I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16.8)

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)

"The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." (Psalm 19:9)

Confidence in the Lord leads to assertions about him and his ways:

"Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to your name." (Psalm 18:49)

"Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." (Psalm 2:11)

Be inspired, be moved to ‘see’ or feel the greatness of the Lord by hearing his saints. Is any ‘worship’ of the awesome God of the Bible genuine worship of the awesome God of the Bible if there is no fear of the awesome God of the Bible?

Can an unbeliever pray to God? Can an unbeliever count on God to be merciful to him or her? The Bible describes or illustrates the attitude of unbelievers. "An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes." (Psalm 36:1)

Because not having the fear of God is the true character of the wicked God’s attitude toward the ‘prayers’ of the wicked is not the same as his attitude toward the prayers of those individuals he has called out of darkness, that God the Father has redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

"The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him." (Proverbs 15:8)

"If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law (of God), even his prayers are detestable." (Proverbs 28:9; see also Micah 3:4; Ezekiel 20:31)

"The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable— how much more so when brought with evil intent!" (Proverbs 21:27)

"We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will." (John 9:31)

Pronouns such as ‘you’ and ‘your’ have a message of their own…

How God is addressed is not without significance. Who has a personal relationship with a stone? Who says ‘you’ to a
lifeless object?

"I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."" (Psalm 16:2)

"But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." (Psalm 3:3)

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders." (Psalm 9:1)

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." (Psalm 23:5)

"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." (Psalm 31:3)

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11)

"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:10)

"I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints." (Psalm 52:9)

"You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong." (Psalm 5:4-5)

"Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." (Psalm 25:5)

"My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Psalm 27:8)

"In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame." (Psalm 71:1)

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1)

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"— and you forgave the guilt of my sin." (Psalm 32:5)

"For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." (Psalm 71:5)

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago." (Ps 77:11)

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths;" (Psalm 25:4)

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands." (Psalm 119:73)

"Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord. (Psalm 25:7)

"For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great." (Psalm 25:11 )

"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. (Psalm 86:12 )

"For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, (Psalm 116:8)

"I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. "(Psalm 119:174)

"fThe Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. (Psalm 138:8 )

"I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’" (Psalm 16:2 )

"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)

"Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. (Psalm 6:4 )

"O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. (Psalm 6:1 )

"Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; (Psalm 13:3 )

"But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. (Psalm 22:19)

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalm 13:1)

Who addresses a lifeless object that is just there (like the sun in the sky) as ‘you’? Speaking to, and addressing the Creator is so different from just mouthing words or shouting ‘into the air'! Addressing the God who sent his Son to die in the place of believers is a unique activity which only believers can do! What an intimate relationship is implied by the way the Creator and ruler of everything is addressed—saying ‘you’ and ‘your’ How revealing is the way believers speak to God--addressing God as ‘you’

But the closeness of the relationship between the Lord’s people (believers—the people God redeemed) and the Lord is also expressed very clearly in verses in which the pronouns ‘you’ and ‘your’ do not appear. .

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Psalm 28:7 )

"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. (Psalm 73:28 )

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? "(Psalm 27:1)

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

" My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psalm 84:2)

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Palms 27:13)

"By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life." (Psalm 42:8 )

"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." (Psalm 54:4 )

"Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation. (Psalm 35:9)

"The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

"Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony." (Psalm 6:2)

"Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. (Psalm 6:4)

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5)

"I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (Psalm 91:2 )

Stop feeling you are different from those believers who prayed and confessed their faith...

"I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. (Psalm 116:1)

"The Lord protects the simple hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. (Psalm 116:6)

"Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. (Psalm 94:17)

"The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Psalm 118:14)

"My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. (Psalm 130:6)

"For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. (Psalm 18:21)

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10)

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. (Psalm 86:5)

"In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." (Psalms 102:25)

More statements of believers that reveal more about God

Believers often pray for what only an awesome God could grant. Hence the prayers in the Bible are themselves evidence of the greatness of God—they show that the people he had called out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9) believed in him, in his power. It is because he is not dead, or lifeless, or powerless, that the Bible is full of prayers to him. Why pray to a block of stone or a code of ethics? Why pray to a god that is dead? Why pray at all if there is nothing else alive? What is there to give thanks to? Who is grateful to an inanimate object? Who stands in awe of him who cannot now breathe or raise a finger and never was able to?

But the Bible is full or prayers to God. Why? Because believers, Christians, believe God can be counted on.

"He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." (Isaiah 40:22-26)
In the Book of Job we read this description of God: "His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea...."(Job 9:4-8)
"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" (Psalm 24:1)
"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:3)
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)
"The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment." (Psalm 9:7)
"How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!" (Psalm 47:2)
"The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets." (Psalm 50:1)

In the book of Hebrews we are told: "In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:2-3)

"The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth." (Psalm 34:16)
"For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalms 33:9-11)
"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30)
"The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates." (Psalm 11:5)

The apostle Paul suffered a lot because of the mission he was given. He said, "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)

In another place the apostle reminded believers of the dependability of God’s attitude toward believers, saying, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us….38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:32-34,38-39; see also 1 John 3:1)

Is Knowing who the Lord is an essential part of the Christian response? Yes

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

Disobedience to the commands of anyone, disregard for the commands or other statements of anyone springs from disrespect or an absence of fear of the ‘person’ who gave the commands. .

The attitude of disrespect for the God of the Bible is often couched in the sneering comment, 'Who is the Lord?' When the powerful ruler of ancient Egypt [Pharaoh] replied to Moses this is just what he said: "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go." (Exodus 5:2) That was the problem—This great leader of an earthly civilization didn't know who the Lord was. He didn’t know ‘who/what the Lord was! He didn't know that the Lord is he "who does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." (Psalm 135.6) He didn't know the Lord was formidable and Almighty as the Bible sets forth in so many ways:

"By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:6-11). The ruler of ancient Egypt (like all unbelievers) didn't know that the Lord was such that he can (and will) bring to pass whatever he has purposed.

"`As surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" (Romans 14:11) A person does not know who God is if he thinks that God is unable and unwilling to make his majesty known, is unable and unwilling to exalt his name,--to "preserve his dignity" in the sight of all!

God says, "And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'" (Ezekiel 38:23) And again, "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7)

Because we are not continually reminded how awesome our God is believers sometimes forget Jesus’ words of warning: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

Over and over again the Bible says that the blessings of God are conferred on those individuals who fear the Lord and are concerned to obey his commandments

"For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. " (Psalm 37:9)
"Those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off." (Psalm 37:22)
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name." (Psalm 91:14)
"All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. " (Psalm 25:10)
" The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." (Psalm 19:9)
"The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them." (Psalm 25:14)
"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord." (Psalm 89:15)
"But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children" (Psalm 103:17)
"Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him." (Ps 25:12)

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." (Psalm 86:11)
"Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law; " (Psalms 94:12)
"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. " (Psalm 128:1)
"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. " (Psalm 26:1)
"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18)

"You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! (Psalm 22:23)
"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. "(Psalm 96:4)
"Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, " (Psalm 114:7)
"An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. " (Psalm 36:1)
"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; " (Ps 95:6)
"Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. "(Psalm 100:3)
"they will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. " (Psalm 96:13)
"The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. "(Psalm 97:5)
"The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. " (Psalm 99:1)
"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. " (Psalm 100:5)
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—" (Psalm 103:2)
"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." (Psalm 111:2)
"I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me." (Psalm 119:75)
"Yet you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true." (Psalm 119:151)
"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? " (Psalm 130:3)
"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands." (Psalm 112:1)
"Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. " (Psalm 128:4)

The Bible also says what those individuals who do not fear the Lord can expect—it is not God's mercy!

"But the wicked will perish: The Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke. " (Psalm 37:20)
"He [the Lord Jesus] will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people..." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10)
Jesus’ teachings did not leave any doubt about the destiny of unbelievers. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27)
"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." (Ephesians 5:15-17; see also Romans 12:1-2)

Even the immediate disciples of Jesus were not always open to the truths of God or the wisdom of God. Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:25)
"See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 1:14-15)
"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." (Matthew 12:36)
"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" (Psalm 66:18-20
"But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." (1 Peter 4:5)
For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: " `As surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:10-12)

The consequences of belief and unbelief cannot be altered.

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son....Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:18, 36;see also Psalm 34:22)

The blessings of belief:

"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it....I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself." (John 5:21, 24-26)

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Is knowing who the Lord is and continually feeding and meditating on that truth a prerequisite of the Christian response? Yes. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

The reason it is vital is because there is an unbreakable connection between the ‘size’ of the fear of God, between the ‘sincerity or intensity’ of the gratitude for the merciful treatment God has bestowed on each individual believer, and the intensity of the response of that professing believer to the commands of God. (A good illustration of such an unbreakable connection is to think of the ‘2 sides of the same coin’; you can’t have one without the other)

"'Should you not fear me?' declares the LORD. 'Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.'" (Jeremiah 5:22)

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other." (Deuteronomy 4:39)

"Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2)

Why put yourself in danger? Will God say to you--

"Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty." (Jeremiah 2:19)

Genuine believers know they are in the Lord’s favor and know his words; they know his promises to them are true.

"Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands." (Psalms 112:1)

The psalmist witnesses to his faith: "My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws." (Psalms 119:120)

"I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread." (Job 23:12)

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him." (Ps 103:13)

"But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— (Psalm 103:17; see also Romans 8:31-34,38-39)

"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." (Hebrews 5:7)

Referring to his people Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all n; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10.27-30)

"Since we have these promises [not threats], dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

"For it is written (in the Old Testament portion of God’s word): ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:16-17)

"What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives s you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." (2 Peter 3:11-14)

"Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Exodus 15:11)

In many different and unexpected ways the Bible reminds us of who it is with whom we have to give an account of all our thoughts, all our deeds, all our intentions, etc.! Not in just one way but in many ways the Bible shows us how great and awesome is the God with whom we have to do.

1—We looked at the fact that God is the Creator of the physical world/universe;

2— We looked at the fact that God is alive—as alive and in control now as he ever was.

3— We looked at the fact that God’s creative and ‘destructive’ powers are more awesome and more in control, more pervasive than can be conceived; he knows our every thought; he knows everything before it ever was or is; a sparrow does not fall to the ground apart from his will; he knows the number of hairs on our heads, etc., etc. He knows and purposes all these things before they ever came to be.

4— We looked at the fact that God’s knowledge and powers are not limited by the ‘laws’ that control or ‘explain’ the universe we live in, laws or concepts of time, space or physical life death. The Gospel itself could not be true if God and his powers were limited by time, space or death, etc.; "For I am convinced (says the apostle Paul) that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

5—Another category of reminders to tell us about the Lord that we looked at were statements of the kind of reaction or response believers should have in the presence of Almighty God.

6---Another view of the grandeur of God and the reaction of his redeemed people was looked at in the tiny sample of God’s own words and believers’ statements to him or about him. The words of believers in the past give believers today a vivid picture of God because the believers in the past lived in the same world and were in the same relationship to Almighty God that believers today are in.

How are believers to respond to this?—with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), with rejoicing and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:4 ). "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:28) Worship without awe and reverence is not possible. Worship without awe and reverence is not worship at all. It may look like worship –the ‘right words’, the ‘correct position’—such as a ‘bowed head’ and folded hands, etc. but it is not worship. Worship comes from the ‘heart’, from the ‘inner man’. Thanksgiving, gratefulness comes from the ‘heart’ if it is genuine and not just a façade designed to win the applause of men. (Matthew 6:1-2, 5, 16; Isaiah 29:13)

History is within God’s control and plan. According to the Bible there is a day on which every knee will bow to him; there will be a day when God will settle accounts with every human being who is alive now, or ever will be alive, or has ever been on the earth. (Of course the declaration of the apostle Peter recorded in the New Testament portion of God’s word is ‘addressed’ to believers living on earth at the time the declaration was made but it contains truth that is relevant to saints of every age): "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." (2 Peter 3:10-14)

It was because of the apostle Paul’s knowledge of who the Lord was/is that he said, "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)

"May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works--he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD." (Psalm 104:31-34)

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