“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
Our modern-day use of the word “fear” usually invokes a sense of apprehension, or the state of being afraid. However, the word “fear” may also convey the qualities of reverence, honor, and respect. Consider how Jesus made use of this word in the Gospel of Luke…
“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5).
When we read about our responsibility to “fear God” in this context, it means that we should honor and respect Him above all else. Perhaps this is why Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” A person who acknowledges the God of the Biblical Scriptures with an attitude of honor and respect is someone who begins with the right foundation for good decision-making. Furthermore, there can be no greater wisdom than that which is offered by “…Jesus [who] has become our wisdom sent from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30 GW).
Yet even though the word “fear” communicates an attitude of honor and respect in this context, it is important to avoid the mistake of thinking that we have nothing to be afraid of in relation to God. If we consider the experiences of those who encountered God within the pages of the Scriptures, we often find responses that are best characterized by a sense of dread, terror, or distress (see Isaiah 6:1-5, Matthew 17:4-6, and Exodus 3:1-6 for some examples).
While God is loving, slow to become angry, kind, gracious, and compassionate. He is also to be respected and honored. He is not to be treated lightly, for “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The late Biblical scholar Norman Geisler clarifies these ideas for us…
“The Hebrews passage speaks of those who, far from being repentant, had sinned ‘willfully’ after having ‘received the knowledge of the truth’ (v. 26).In brief, whether it is fearful or not will depend on the condition of the person who falls into God’s hands.
| IT IS FEARFUL FOR: | IT IS NOT FEARFUL FOR: |
| The sinner. | The righteous. |
| The unrepentant. | The repentant. |
| The unfaithful. | The faithful. (1) |
(1) Geisler, N. L., & Howe, T. A. (1992). When critics ask : a popular handbook on Bible difficulties (p. 159). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.