Principles and the believer, going back to the basics: The Fear of God

Background

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭KJV

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As we kick start the topic, there is an important question we need to ask ourselves as believers. The cause of an action needs a perception of the end goal to realize the relevance of its pursuit(count the cost). Why do you fear God or why do you pursue Him? Coming to faith in God, were you persuaded by the comfort of His benefits or promises?…let’s dive into the Word.

At the beginning of the story of Job, we see how the Father brags about him to the devil. However, the devil finds grounds to believe that Job’s faithfulness is due to the benefits he receives from God. The devil poses the question, does Job fear God for nothing, and further makes bold statements on the basis of his arguments embodied in these two words: FLESH and REST. Two elements that determine the loyalty of man’s commitment to God.

Rest.

In 2 Samuel 7:1 the Lord had given David rest round about from all his enemies. The context of rest brings a level of freedom, sound mind, and advantage. As these are given by the Lord as confirmed in Psalm 127:2, for so He giveth his beloved sleep, this should not be the basis of our faith. Job in this regard as the bible describes upon all the luxury of rest he had, amidst his affliction, he reckoned that all he was and had was given by God and if so can also be taken by God. The basis of the faith of this great man of Uz was not on the things provided by God but on the sole fear of the Lord. Now expounding on the kind of rest this great man had; a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side, the work of his hands blessed, and his substance increased in the land. Job was blessed in every way, the dream that many chase after and kill for, Job had in abundance. He had a spiritual covering overall he owned and received abundance in substance. He had it all, but yet in his affliction he proclaims, naked I came and naked shall I return. The element of rest is a gift from God; every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and hath given him the power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God( Ecclesiastes 5:19). So then beloved must the basis of our faith be the gifts of the Giver, or on the hope of receiving from the Giver? Do you fear God for nought?

Flesh.

Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. This is quite a bold statement from the tempter, the devil. This shows forth that the devil has vetted man and realized that man will give anything to save this flesh of his. What does this imply? Let’s take a look with a simple example, as ladies, we tend to cater to our skin needs with a lot of care. If you should check in the dresser and bathroom of every woman, you would find products catering to different aspects of skin care or the body perhaps. Even men though this might not be a daily thing for our male counterparts, should you find a persisting bump or rush on your skin you would be concerned and do everything possible to eradicate it. This is the loophole the enemy has found, the constant urge we have to cater to the needs of the flesh and satisfy its needs is at the peak of the human hierarchy of needs. Be it as Abraham Maslow described: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, man may go to the extreme in fulfilling these aspects. And here is where man has fallen prey, the needs of flesh have taken over our reverence for God, causing us to be self-absorbed and abounding in evil. What is the basis of your fear of God? Do you fear God in order to save your flesh? Dear lady, will your need to look appealing cause you to betray your faith? Will your need for apparel, love, recognition, self-esteem, and health be the basis of your faith?

As we begin this study, may the Lord grant us understanding to dive into the most relevant yet the questions we shy away from, relating to our faith in Him, may He reveal to us the state of our hearts and strengthen the foundation of our faith.