Fear of the Lord: Reverence or Terror?
On my drive to the church every day I pass a house that has a giant evil-eyed skeleton towering on the front lawn, a decapitated horseman, and some weird howling werewolf. These things were up in August.
In 2023 The Nation Retail Federation reported an all-time high of $12.2 billion in spending for the Halloween season. Why do we see corpses and witches and spiders crawling on the lawns of our neighbors? It’s not random. It’s part of our culture, which, you’ll remember, is externalized religion. The habits and practices and traditions of a culture reveal its deepest beliefs, values, and worldview - its religion.
I suspect we may understand it better by taking a look at the Bible’s teachings about fear.
Fear
In our English Bibles, there are three basic kinds of fear described in the Bible: religious fear, reverent fear, and terror-fear.
Religious fear. In Scripture, fearing God is essential to a God-honoring, law-abiding life. Israel was to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Deut 5:29, 6:2). In the New Testament, God’s mercy is “on those who fear him” (Lk. 1:50) and the church is built up as it is “walking in the fear of the Lord” (Acts 9:31). Fear, in this sense, relates to weightiness or importance. To fear man is to see man’s opinions as most important; to fear God is to sense the ultimate weightiness of his authority and power. This kind of fear is essential for the Christian life.
Reverent fear. Somewhat related, but slightly different, this kind of fear is more connected to awe. In Psalm 33:8, fear of the Lord and standing in awe are parallel. Jesus often inspired awe in his followers, amazing them with his teaching and miracles (Mk 1:27, 2:12). It is to be in a state of wonder at God and his works, to respond to him with humility and honor.
Terror-fear. God often causes terror in humans. Moses was in terror at the burning bush (Ex. 3:6). Promises judgment, God tells sinners to hide from the “terror of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21). God is holy, and terror is the appropriate response for sinners. Jesus bluntly tells people they should be afraid of the one who has the authority to kill and cast into hell (Lk. 12:5). According to Jesus, sinners should be in terror before God their judge. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).
Terror Fear is Real and Everywhere
Scripture teaches that people know there’s a God and that they’re sinners (Rom. 1:18). Humanity is haunted by the shadow of terror-fear. They know there is a God before whom they stand guilty. This is why, as Hebrews states clearly, all people are enslaved to “fear of death.”
“Fear Not”
This is why God’s command “fear not” is so precious to us. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, believers are no longer enslaved to this fear. God’s righteous anger against our sin has been satisfied, and though we fear him, we are told not to be afraid of him. 1 John teaches believers that we don’t need to fear God’s judgment - that perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn. 4:18). Jesus said it so memorably to his disciples: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk. 12:32).
How Unbelievers Fight the Fear
I think Halloween reveals how our culture deals with terror-fear before a holy God. Since they do not look to Christ to remove it, they have their own methods to suppress their fear. And that way is through caricature and mockery.
Modern halloween is a way to turn the reality of real terror - of a just God, sin, death, and judgment - into a farce, a game, a kind of Santa Clause pretendy-ville thing. This is a way that the unbelievers “suppress the truth” in their unrighteousness. The truth about the darkness is known to them, but since they have no way to face it straight on, no savior to deliver them, no real and satisfying deliverance, they mock it and turn it into a game.
Our modern Halloween traditions reveal modern man’s attempt to deal with the problem of sin and death - which they cannot deny - by caricature.
Church, let’s remember: the only way to face a terribly holy God, death, and eternity is Jesus Christ. We have trusted him, so walk in fear, but fear not.
