“It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” Deuteronomy 13:4
This verse is part of a section where God is telling His people to worship and follow Him only.
The revelation of God through Moses was the test of any sign or message. When the message deviated from God’s prior revelation, Israel had to discern the false teaching. Just as the Lord had tested the people in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, He would continue to see whether they believed Him. True faith is a commitment of one’s whole being to the true God. One must walk with God, where walk is a common term that can describe one’s life or way of life.
Each of us knows what it’s like to have a friend or family member suddenly pop in on us and make us jump right out of our skin. The fear evoked by the sudden appearance of the angel of the Lord is repeatedly mentioned in the Scriptures, from the prophet Moses to the Virgin Mary. But “the fear of the Lord” is something more than surprise or terror.
Proverbs teaches that, far from cowering in dread before the Lord, the person who fears (reveres) the Lord clings to Him. King David (reigned 1009–970 BC), summed it up well, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.… The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.… Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack.” (Psalm 34:4, 7, 9).
God’s blessings on your day…