If you say which you should But doesnt the Bible teach us not to fear? But how did we lose this awareness? The Hebrew word for glory is kavod, which means the "weight or heaviness" of God. Answer (1 of 34): I have had this happen. This is one the Hallelujah psalms (Psalms 112 through 118) which was sung during the feasts of Israel. But now you are totally secure. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. So I say again, in the Christian life the forgiven, heaven-bound, eternally secure, Spirit-indwelt Christian life there is a proper fear and trembling that transforms everything. Arent there many commands like, Fear not, for I am with you. What do they mean? They mean two things. Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Nehemiah 1:11: O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer . Though its waters roar and foam,Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. The wind is still in your mind. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. In other words, Dont fear man, fear God. Isaiah 11:3: And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. This fear is full of delight. Is it because our flesh is looking for an experience which will cause it to tremble? All the power in the greatest explosions that are or ever have been among the greatest stars of space. Tremble, earth, at the presence of The Lord, at the presence of The God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into a spring of water.Psalm 114:7-8 (NIV), The name of the human author of this psalm is unknown, however, it is clear that it was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God. God's Character . 2:8. all men will stand in presence of God to be judged, 2 Ne. From the Old Testament, we hear Psalm 114:7: " Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of . Here, if anywhere in the Christian life, there will be a proper fear and trembling. For you alone are holy. Matthew 8:31-32 ESV / 11 helpful votesNot Helpful. So did the hills and rocks and trees. And what is he like? Selah. It only makes sense against the backdrop of truth. And then I want to show how that belief and that emotion transforms (1) the way we do corporate worship, and (2) the way we raise children, and (3) the way we do evangelism and to display the glory of Christ. Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word:Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My names sake,Have said, Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.But they will be put to shame. He is The Rock of our salvation. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. Thus, "His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles . There is real fear and real joy. And think, therefore, of the power of God who is with you when he is present with you. Last time we saw from the Bible that the wrath of God is eternal, terrible, deserved, and escapable, because of the death and resurrection of Christ. I was shaking and trembling like someone does when they are freezing, except I was not cold. The Holy Spirit is God in the earth. They can be the matrix for truth and for the life-giving gospel. P. S. Lewis felt the same way about the beauty of nature . He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. Notice the four parts of this terrible picture of Gods judgment on those who do not repent. He has promised to be with us until he comes again ( Matthew 28:20 ). Here is your God He is coming to save you"' (35:3-4). I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever. We pursue joy with all our might, because we believe that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. 2 Samuel 16-17,Psalm 114,Mark 15:1-15,Galatians 4:1-20, When we talk of Gods presence, we often think these days of something mild, pleasant, gentle. Which brings us to evangelism and the question: How does fear and trembling at the wrath of God transform the way we help others see and savor the glory of Christ? Let them praise Your great and awesome name;Holy is He.read more.The strength of the King loves justice;You have established equity;You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. And he will become a sanctuary (Isaiah 8:12-14). In both cases, you will have made it very difficult for the children to embrace the true God the God of wrath and mercy. Psalm 96:9: Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Revelation 14:7: Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Revelation 15:4: Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? But on the other hand, fathers, you hear this word from Ephesians 6:4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. You are in the place of the Lord. That means that those who rebelled and did not repent are like grapes under the feet of the fury of Christ, and are crushed until their blood runs like wine from the press. The Lord is great in Zion,And He is exalted above all the peoples. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Corporate worship is the experience of coming corporately and consciously before the face of God. The pillars of heaven trembleAnd are amazed at His rebuke. He didn't meet the king of a country - he came into the presence of the King of Kings. I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;For He is the living God and enduring forever,And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,And His dominion will be forever. The reason there is real fear is that there is real danger. (Exodus 17:6), The Lord God is omnipotent, all powerful. Let the apostle John remind us of how terrible and eternal the wrath of God is with just one of his most dreadful images. Relationships dont save anybody. This morning, think back on your own salvation. ISV. Mountains tremble at the presence of the LORD even Sinai! For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. And through that believing and repenting, he justified us . This passage describes how one man felt when he came into the presence of the king. Perhaps we lost it when we began to think of God as our buddy, and forgot the price of our freedom. Christian Hedonists tremble still at the ledge from which we were snatched. All who drink of the living water which He provides will never again thirst. We are forgiven. 9:6. When the Bible came into the presence of a king their feeling was a feeling like this word "tremble." When Eli had heard that the Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant the word used to describe his feeling was "tremble." In Luke twenty-four this burning sensation of trembling is connected with the word of God. When Paul, the prisoner, had one chance to speak to Felix the governor, Luke tells us, He reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment (Acts 24:25). Hebrews 12:6: The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. So when you discipline your child, you display Gods judgment. The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble;He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, 212). With such a God near us, of whom do we need to be afraid? This almighty God will pour out his wrath. Tools. But now, here is a great fear-transforming reality, and it explains why Christians sing with joy in worship, and Muslims dont. no unclean thing can dwell with God, 1 Ne. If they only delight in you and do not fear you, its wrong and dysfunctional. My aim today is simple and straightforward. Jesus is in heaven. Consider Psalm 130:34: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? Psalms 55:5 chapter context similar meaning copy save. The point is not that Christians cant be light-hearted. WORD TO PONDER: TREMBLING IN MY PRESENCE. Listen to the way Isaiah put it: Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. creation; holiness etc. That is as true today as it was then. "My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws." because man became fallen, they were cut off from presence of the Lord, 2 Ne. Or perhaps we lost it when we became comfortable with ritual and tradition. It will be the most loving ten minutes you ever lived. Drawing near to God in pray. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. Philippians 2:12: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Romans 10:10: "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, . Men will go into caves of the rocksAnd into holes of the groundBefore the terror of the LordAnd the splendor of His majesty,When He arises to make the earth tremble. From the Old Testament, we hear Psalm 114:7: Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. Psalm 119:120: My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. Isaiah 66:2: This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.. After Jonah heard God's voice, we read, "So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of . Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,Before the God of Jacob, Psalm 99:1-5. That the nations may tremble at Your presence! The answer is, we need to help people know that they are under the wrath of God because of their sin. He is able to provide for all of the needs of His people. 19:16), Eli (1 Sam. And something should happen in corporate worship, before the face of the infinitely holy God, that calls forth a different vocabulary than what you experience at the amusement park. I am in awe as to the beauty of this earth, and I feel to tremble before the majesty of our God. At times the presence of God is "heavy" and can be felt as weight. So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Dont fear displeasing man, fear distrusting God, and he will become your sanctuary from the wrath of man. Believers always live in God's presence, and he notes all their deeds ( Malachi 3:16 ). Verse Concepts. Pardon my sins and unworthiness, and enable me to invoke you, the best of fathers.O divine spirit of love, of light and of life, enliven me in my devotions; enlighten my mind with your heavenly . God is almighty. We are dealing here not with a mere world ruler, like the president of the United States or the Chinese Premier. If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? But sooner or later you need to ask your friend for a few minutes to share the gospel. Tools. So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And His sons will come trembling from the west. Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My names sake. We are under his just wrath and without hope. Take your place as the special representative of God in this family and display the fullness of who God is so that your children will delight to fear you. Nothing less than "the presence of the Lord" - a miraculous and abnormal presence - can have produced the strange phenomena. Because thats the way God is. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: There is so much good intention to show people the love of God, without realizing that the love of God in Christ is a love that rescues us from the wrath of God. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.. (Psalm 114:1)As they wandered through the wilderness, The Lord God provided water for them by causing water to come out of a rock. This is why the apostle Paul said all of it was to the praise of the glory of his grace ( Ephesians 1:6 ). In fact, the immature must grow into it. So the first meaning of Fear not is dont fear man, fear God. The next phrase will make that plain ("rejoice with trembling"). Driven From God's Presence God Hiding Being Hidden From God Hidden From God. They wanted to capture the awesomeness of God and feel their own smallness. Philippians two, verses twelve to thirteen says, therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you both to Will and to do his good pleasure". Tweet "My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws." Psalm 119:120 . 2022 God Centered Life. Sometimes it is experienced like a violent trembling. And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. "Providence makes us marvel at our own salvation and humbles us with trembling joy.". People fall under it or gradually bend over until they eventually fall. All atomic power. The gospel will not be the gospel against that backdrop. All Rights Reserved. You are probably sick if you cant be light-hearted. Could it be that our spirituality is insufficiently joyful because our theology is insufficiently trembling? . Go to the Fear and Trembling (topic) playlist. In this brief clip from his classic series The Holiness of God, R.C. All electromagnetic power. Why do they put themselves through such frightening experiences? Proclamation: "Tremble, earth, at the presence of The Lord, at the presence of The God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into a spring of water." Psalm 114:7-8 (NIV . If you were stranded on a windy ledge fifty stories above the street and about to lose your balance and suddenly a policeman grabbed you and brought you to safety inside the building, you would not stop trembling just because you were safe. It is furiously angry opposition. How I love to live the light of your strength and your joy!. For My hand made all these things,Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord.But to this one I will look,To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. Who shakes the earth out of its place,And its pillars tremble; The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;The lightnings lit up the world;The earth trembled and shook. 2 Samuel 16-17, Psalm 114 , Mark 15:1-15 , Galatians 4:1-20. Psalm 119:120. His lightnings lit up the world;The earth saw and trembled. James 2:19 - You believe that God is one. I'm always amazed people pay money to go on roller coasters! Falling under the power (presence) of God. That glory was displayed in its deepest love and highest beauty when Jesus willingly went to the cross to bear the wrath of God against our sins. And Christian Hedonists can smell the flames of hell. Trembling in Gods Presence . Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. And he said to them, "Go.". Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. The demons, of course, may not have been exactly 6,000 in number, but they . Our God is a consuming fire ( Heb. But God so loved the world that he sent his only Son that whoever believes in him might be saved saved from wrath (John 3:16, 36). Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God. Psalm 114: Tremble at the Presence of the Lord. 10:7). Tools. Think back upon Gods working of salvation at the cross, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of Your arm they . There is a levity which has not enough heart to laugh but trifles with everything; it is flippant, hollow, unreal. Were on a mission to change that. And I am thankful that it is. Exalt the Lord our GodAnd worship at His footstool;Holy is He. And then he gave us freely the will to believe, the will to repent ( 2 Timothy 2:25 ). Then we were snatched by grace sovereign grace alone and now we are free. Those who see you will gaze at you,They will ponder over you, saying,Is this the man who made the earth tremble,Who shook kingdoms. Judg 5:5. GOD is in heaven. Psalm 114: When we talk of "God's presence," we often think these days of something mild, pleasant, gentle. If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it? For all that He has done, is doing, and will do for us, we should be eternally grateful. Hebrews 4:1. 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs. The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Trembling in the Presence of God I first encountered the whole "spiritual gifts" thing - baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues - way back in 1982. To make Your name known to Your adversaries. Before them the earth quakes,The heavens tremble,The sun and the moon grow darkAnd the stars lose their brightness. Trembling at the Majesty of God (Come, Follow Me: Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah) - powered by Happy Scribe When I go walking early in the morning, I watch the sun come up over the mountains and the morning star fade into the light morning sky. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. God, Presence of. Josh Moody (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is the senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, IL., president and founder of God Centered Life Ministries, and author of several books including How the Bible Can Change Your Lifeand John 1-12 For You. Is this the man who made the earth tremble. at the presence of the LORD God of Israel. I will mention only one thing to the fathers (and if there is no father at home, moms must pick it up and draw in other men): Fathers, be the kind of father that your children delight to fear. And thus help them know God. Hosea 3:5 The Hebrew word for "fear" (pahad) in this verse means "to be afraid, tremble, or stand in awe of," even to the point of shaking in fear. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. The love of God rescues us from the wrath of God. Thinking of that picture and my feelings that day reminds me of a passage of Scripture. But the Lord of hosts . . Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling will take hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. God is upset! The first thing we should say is that this Christian fear and trembling should be felt especially in our worship services. The earth has felt the presence of God, and has trembled, and has done right to tremble; but Israel may take comfort from the theophany, for it is a manifestation on her behalf. Sproul explains how every human being that is exposed to the holiness of God trembles befor May they speak to you with words like Isaiahs, Daddy, disobeying you is a fearful thing. Some time ago, Michael Frost wrote an article, "To Shudder Properly," encouraging his readers to regain their sense of the awesomeness of God. In Psalm 97 we are informed that the Lord, the one who "reigns", is in complete control of things on earth, including the earth itself. The ability to tremble at God's presence, or at the hearing of God's word, had a positive influence for good in the life of Moses (Acts 7:32), Israel at Sinai (Exod. And perhaps most terrible, Jesus himself is pictured as treading the winepress of this fury. This trembling is different than when you were on the ledge. Psalms 2:11 chapter context similar meaning copy save. Felix needed to understand the wrath of God. In Isaiah 6, we read these words: "It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. ), New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review. John speaks of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. The wrath is not cool opposition. It may appear harsh at times to a carnal human being because it may force a change of thought and actiona total reversal in lifestyle. He is not only a God of love, but of holiness and justice and wrath. The weakness and the vulnerability are still in your mind. The name had come to signify a well-organized group possessing great power.'. He is author of. And my word to parents, especially fathers, is be the kind of parent who helps your children tremble with joy in the presence of God. Other times it is so deep within you that brief glimpses are only felt like gentle surges. In fact, the immature must grow into it. He touches the mountains, and they smoke. Daniel trembled in . But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. I said a few moments ago, if you know God for who he really is in the greatness of his holiness and justice and wrath and grace, you will tremble in his presence. Heres the support for these two ways of not fearing. of your servants who delight to fear your name. This fear is what the saints delight to experience. And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil. The Home for Christian Writers! Listen to several passages of Scripture that show this godly trembling. The anointing that you are experiencing is My precious gift to you. Everything God does is good, but His goodness can be overwhelming, especially when it is obviously undeserved. The second meaning is: If you are his child, fear God not as your enemy, but fear him as one who was once was your enemy and still is infinite in power and holiness. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be . Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,Before the God of Jacob. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. Psalms Of Trembling. To experience God's presence is to experience the shining of God's face ( Psalm 67:1 ). When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling.He exalted himself in Israel,But through Baal he did wrong and died. Indeed, the one who trembles at God's word . His wrath is full of fury. Oh, the difference in worship when the wrath of God is known and felt! So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; They will walk after the Lord,He will roar like a lion;Indeed He will roarAnd His sons will come trembling from the west. Listen to the way the Bible says it so paradoxically, and yet, all true saints know what these words mean. But according to this psalm, there is another side to the thought . Thus all these things came into being, declares the. Perhaps it's a similar to why people built enormous cathedrals, knowing they would never see them finished in their lifetime. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain . days. You are doing the discipline of the Lord. Gone is jesting and silliness and slapstick and pettiness and trifling and joking and clowning and levity. Gods presence with us is a thought of great comfortand of trembling. In the presence of God, everything trembles. The point is there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isaiah 53:4-6). They wanted an encounter with God where they could feel lost in his presence. . According to the commentary from the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, 'At full strength, a Roman legion numbered 6,000 men. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. And do we not, therefore, delight to fear him? First, Matthew 10:28: And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Once our iniquities fell before us like a terrible chasm. And this is not something you will grow out of. A great distinction exists between holy cheerfulness, which is a virtue, and that general levity, which is a vice. Is it because there is something in human nature that seeks a thrill in flirting with danger, of feeling out of control, or being small in a big universe? As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boilTo make Your name known to Your adversaries,That the nations may tremble at Your presence! . (See Exodus 20:20.) That means the tabernacle, temple, and altar trembled. . Who can stand! To receive God Centered Life devotionals directly in your inbox, as well as other resources, enter your email address in the form at the bottom of this page and click "subscribe.". They wanted to tremble. They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Why were those thresholds trembling? All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Get Pastor Joshs Daily Devotional in your inbox. Yes, the elect are safe in Christ. Why become involved in extreme sports? All gravitational power. Judg 8:12. Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. Genesis 17:1-3 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. May you be so God-like in your compassion and your wrath that your children delight to fear you! Pope John Paul II: recognising the presence of God daily . Certainly, the thought that he leadeth me, as the hymn puts it, has heavenly comfort to it. Genesis 27:33 Gen 27:33. Fear and trembling are not because God is our enemy but because he saved us from his wrath through Christ, and now we stand on the brink of the Grand Canyon of his holiness and justice and grace and wrath with unspeakable wonder, knees wobbling and hands trembling, but overcome with worship at the depth of his majesty, not with worry that we might fall in. You believe that God is one. When He arises to make the earth tremble. by Susan Barnes 06/22/18 Free to Share Author requests article critique Message Writer Hire Writer. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Godly Trembling. The words that grabbed me most in Isaiah's vision before God's throne come in Isaiah 6:4, "And the foundations of the thresholds trembled." In the presence of God, everything will tremble. And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.". They are as nothing compared to the power of the Creator of the Universe. Listen to Charles Spurgeon: We must conquer some of us especially our tendency to levity. The point today is that believing in this reality produces a proper fear and trembling in the life of a Christian that transforms everything. Isnt there something like that demanded in the Bible? And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. It is a sad commentary on the superficial condition of our times that one of the most common things said about good experience in ministry and worship is that we are having fun.. And we tremble, not because God is our enemy, but because he was, and oh, how terrible it would have been if he had not saved us. 4:13), and the people in Amos' day (Amos 9:4). So I invite you to embrace Christ as the most precious treasure of your life, who delivers from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). So let us take a look at a few of the things that it transforms. Lamentations 2:19 calls for repentance in the presence of the Lord: "Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!" In Jonah, we see God's presence described as time hearing from the Lord. If they only fear you, and there is no delight in it, its wrong and dysfunctional. and Zebab and Zalmunna flee, and he pursueth after them, and captureth the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and all the camp he hath caused to tremble. Here, we see thousands of demons trembling in the presence of Jesus. He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! Serving the Lord with fear and serving the Lord with gladness do not contradict each other. Listen to My anointing and become acquainted with My Presence. Over and over again, we on the staff at Desiring God and Bethlehem remind ourselves of 2 Corinthians 6:10 as the watchword of Christian Hedonism: sorrowful yet always rejoicing (lupoumenoi aei de chairontes). Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Thats what happens in corporate worship when you believe and feel the wrath of God. This means that in America today, as well as on the mission field, it wont do to simply present God as a caring loving God. This psalm recalls some of the events which occurred when Israel was led out of captivity in Egypt. In Revelation 19:15 he describes Christ in his second coming: From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. We should hold Him in reverential awe and stand in fear and trembling in His presence. Pre-arranged, frightening experiences may be fun, but short-term excitement will never satisfy the deep need we have to tremble in the presence of a holy God. So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. Christian Hedonists feel a potential for joy infinitely serious joy in the God of holiness and wrath and grace that is so great it would break our heart if God did not give us a divine ability to bear the weight of our happiness without being crushed by it. But, oh, what a sanctuary you are to me! It is so sad when someone hears a message like this and then comes up and says, Dont you think we can have fun in worship? What is sad about that response is that their heart is so small that the only alternative they can think of to fear is fun. Our evangelism, our parenting, our corporate worship will never display the glory of Christ as they ought until the wrath of God is known and feared. (John 4:14), To view or add a comment, sign in Certainly, the thought that "he leadeth me," as the hymn puts it, has "heavenly comfort" to it. Let them praise Your great and awesome name; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Listen carefully and thankfully to Romans 5:89, God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; He looks at the earth, and it trembles;He touches the mountains, and they smoke. For example, even in the midst of a storm, it is God who controls the details in accordance with his will. A hearty laugh is no more levity than a hearty cry. Psalm 2:11: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. This fear is shot through with joy. We have all sinned against him and fallen short of that glory. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Yes, and he shall be blessed.. We were made to tremble in reverent fear of God and when we dont find it spiritually, we look for it physically. And from the New Testament, we hear most clearly Philippians 2:12, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. If you know God really know God for who he is in the greatness of his holiness and justice and wrath and grace, you will tremble in his presence. and Isaac trembleth a very great trembling, and saith . The Present Effects of Trembling at the Wrath of God, The Present Effects of Trembling at the Wrath of God (Excerpt), John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Those who have seen and savored the holiness of God and justice and wrath and grace of God can never again trivialize worship. The earth trembles, according to Psalm 114:7: "Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.". But according to this psalm, there is another side to the thought that God is present with us. God is holy and glorious. The coastlands have seen and are afraid;The ends of the earth tremble;They have drawn near and have come. Listen to several passages of Scripture that show this godly trembling. Psalm 103:1314, As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. And, second, they mean, Dont fear God as your enemy, fear him as one who once was your enemy and still is infinite in power and holiness. The height is still in your mind. On the one hand, fathers, you hear Proverbs 13:24: Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. Why? To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. The psalmist trembles in Psalm 119:120: "My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.". Why go to scary movies or read horror stories? Consider how the Bible connects worship and the fear of the Lord. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. They mean, Dont fear man, fear God. God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You more interested in acknowledging the presence of an array of common features and problems connecting Kant, Hegel, and Kierkegaard.7 Finally, I submit that sacrifice in Fear and Trembling is a regulative notion in a Kantian sense - that is, a symbolic presentation or exhibition that is necessary to make religious ideas applicable to the world. And this is not something you will grow out of. Then lay it out, wrath and all. Matthew 6:33, Search for articles on: (e.g. The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! The Song of Moses is a clear example: The people will hear and be afraid; sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. I want to show from Scripture the proper emotional effect of believing in the wrath of God. Evangelism, parenting, corporate worship all of them, and all of life exist to magnify the glory of Jesus Christ. To view or add a comment, sign in. Almighty means that God has all the power in the universe. 12:29 ). Philippians 2:12 - "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." If you know God-really know God-for who he is in the greatness of his holiness and justice and wrath and grace, you will tremble in his presence. In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffsBefore the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,When He arises to make the earth tremble. We are Christian Hedonists. I dont like to use the word fun for what we do in worship or in ministry for that matter. But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. There is forgiveness that you may be feared. 2:10 ( 9:38; Alma 40:11; 42:23 ). Philippians 2:12-13. Trembling: the fear of God fell on the people near Daniel as he received a vision (Dan. In 2002, Pope John Paul II gave a general audience reflecting on these words from the prophet Isaiah: 'Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to the faint-hearted, "Be strong! Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord., The psalmist is recording the extraordinary power with which God rescued his people from Egypt and the extraordinary power with which he provided water for them when they were in the desert, and his conclusion is that even the earth should tremble at the presence of the Lord. We cried. In the age to come, God's presence will be the ultimate blessing, for believers will see him face to . Think of what your salvation cost. Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the. The point today is that believing in this reality produces a proper fear and trembling in the life of a Christian that transforms everything. The Lord roars from ZionAnd utters His voice from Jerusalem,And the heavens and the earth tremble.But the Lord is a refuge for His peopleAnd a stronghold to the sons of Israel. Your children are learning what the Lord is like. My flesh trembles for fear of You,And I am afraid of Your judgments. Tremble at the prospect of distrusting God, not displeasing man. Or perhaps we became distracted with programs and lost sight of God's holiness. He is always everywhere but can be unfelt or very tangible. Then our hearts will leap up with love and gratitude and joy and trembling when we say, Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Think of the power of God to raise Jesus from the dead. . 10:21. no flesh can dwell in presence of God save through mercy and grace of the Messiah, 2 Ne. I was working in London, teaching in a city school in the North east area - the last stop on the Victoria line of the underground, at a place called Walthamstow. So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, Do you come in peace?. The Land of Nod (Hebrew: - ere-N) is a place mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, located "on the east of Eden" (qima-en), where Cain was exiled by God after Cain had murdered his brother Abel.According to Genesis 4:16: And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. The Lord is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples. For he, the Lord, is to be feared as God above all gods.. Do not be afraid. Christian Hedonists see those who are toppling toward wrath as people who are just like us, only not yet snatched by grace alone from the ledge. If a calamity occurs in a city has not the. 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