King James Daily Bible Study: The Fear of God
Date: Saturday March 12, 2011
Chapters: Deuteronomy 32-34
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-12
Details of Today's Reading: The song and exhortation of Moses, the blessings upon the tribes, the vision and death of Moses.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word fear is defined as to alarm or warn, to reverence or give respect to, to awe or show love to, or to be afraid of. You will often hear the phrase “Fear God”or “Fear the Lord” at some point in your walk with God. If you put the meanings to the word God is saying one of several things. “I am warning you.”, “Show some respect for me.”, “Show love toward me.”, or “Be afraid of me.” The Bible says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” - Ephesians 5:18-21.

Sometimes we do need to be afraid of what God would do to us, but for the most part, fearing God is simply showing God that you love and respect Him by not only listening to His warnings, but following them. We are His people, He knows us better than we do and knows what is going to happen to us well beyond what we see before our eyes. Therefore, the best thing we can ever do to help ourselves is to fear God. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” - Hebrews 12:28.

Before Moses finished his speech to the Israelites and the Levites he taught them a song that they were to remember and sing often. It was not a typical uplifting song, it was a solemn song, one that foretold much of the future of the Israelites as well as other nations. The objective of this song was to remind them of God's judgment and salvation to all who fear the Rock.

“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation...Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee...How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges...To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.”- Deuteronomy 32:1-5,18,30,31,35,36.

God will not watch one of His own living in sin, He will turn His back on them and let them fall, until He says, “Okay, they have had enough.” That is when He places that fear in them and reminds them that He is still around and it's time to repent. Their Rock that will judge or chaste and save a few is the same Rock that will judge and save a few of us, Jesus Christ. “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” - I Corinthians 10:1-4.

Now, after the chastening comes the blessings, Moses reminded the Israelites about the inheritance they were about to receive from God, it was not by their righteousness that they received it, but simply by being one of His own. “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.” - Deuteronomy 33:1-4.

You know if we depended on our own self righteousness to receive things from people we would get absolutely nothing. No one wants to give people things when they are arrogant and proud. That is why God does not give us an inheritance into the Kingdom of God by our righteousness. All who receive His Son receive a part of the inheritance of God's kingdom.“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. ” - Ephesians 2:8-10.

Moses went up to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, one last time to view the promised land before he died. The beautiful land, flowing with milk and honey could been seen, but he could not enter it because of his disobedience. However, God never forgot what Moses had done for Him throughout the years and even after he was told that he could not go into the promised land. “And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day...And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” - Deuteronomy 34:4-6,10.

Sometimes there are things that we do that forfeit our rights to receive certain blessings from God here on earth, but when we make things right with Him He will honor us and bless us accordingly. It is actually what we do for Him after we are saved that counts and last for eternity. There will come a time when our life here on earth will be no more and we will face Jesus Christ for judgment. He is going to show us an instant replay of our lives, the things we have done for Him, the opportunities we have missed, and He will also show us what rewards we will receive, but the most important thing He will judge is whether or not we know Him. Many people know of Jesus, but do not know Him personally as their Savior and unfortunately that is going to decide their fate. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7:21-23.

The fate of those who do not know Christ is a second death, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15.

Yes, it is a scary thought that one can end up cast into a lake of fire, that is something we all need to be afraid of, not God. People ask me, “How can God let so many people end up in hell if He loves everyone?” The truth is He gave up His Son so no one has to end up in hell. What greater love is that? It is of one's own choice whether or not they accept Christ into their lives. God loves them either way, Christ died for them too, but He will not save someone that does not want to be saved. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:10.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the Rock, He is our foundation that no one can shake. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 3:11.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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