The fear of God is the fear of our false image of God

What do the writers of antiquity mean when they speak of, “the fear of God” and should we integrate this into our worldview? I believe the poets and authors of the Jewish scriptures where truly afraid that the creator wasn’t completely benevolent or good. They dictated and prescribed the need to appease their God with animal blood sacrifice, while neighboring tribes prescribed human and child sacrifices. They hoped these actions would show the deity that they where earnest in their devotion and would win the favor. However along comes the advent of Jesus, he made big claims that a time was upon humanity when we would only need to worship and spirit and truth.

Jesus said all spaces and people where deemed sacred and that it was time for a new understanding of God. During a time where sacrifice and fear was apart of every day religious life Jesus proclaims good news. He further went on to affirm that we could hope that the creator is a caring good father alleviating from needing to strive to appease this being. Crazy making…don’t be afraid, be afraid, and don’t be afraid!!!…Jesus speaks on fearing God and man in Mathew chapter 10. How are we to fear the great God of love? This is nonsense from a literal standpoint, but for a teacher who wants us to live in the tension of the question, it makes perfect sense. He wants us to know that we are safe in our loving creators vision, that as his student John says, “Perfect love cast out all fear.”  However Jesus then tells us how to avoid the fear of man, it’s fearing a good God. So in light of this good news, what do we do with the concept, “the fear of God?” What kind of space and poster is Jesus inviting us into?

We must admit we have incorrect God images corporately and personally. The fear of God is to enter the cloud of unknowing, with a grounded faith that our creator is who Jesus said he is like. The fear of God is the fear of our false image of God. We all miss identify who God is. If God were fully knowable he would not be God. Lets embrace some mystery and with humility and healthy fear, fall into love, ironically a love that cast out all fear. Come to the camp of mystery and get off the tracks of literalism. Literalism will kill your soul and you wont have a mind or a soul worth saving if we don’t become flexible make room for a mysterious, dynamic and living God.