Old Dog V
Back to: Combat In The Coming Crisis
The Fear Of The Lord
Bob Neumann, May 21, 2008
Many years ago I called out to THE LORD and HE HEARD me. It was at no church. It was not in front of a TV. And it was not at some staged activity devised by men. There were no angels around. It was alone at night in the middle of my own personal torment and fear. HE HEARD ME, and everything changed. Then I heard GOD. Several years later after being taught by THE HOLY SPIRIT in the LOGOS and the RHEMA I was told to go back “into the world”. Which I learned was a pentecostal church. Immediately I “knew” something was horribly wrong. When I asked exactly what was wrong I was told “THERE IS NO FEAR OF THE LORD”.
The tragic sight that occurs in Matthew 7:22 occurred because all who found themselves calling out “LORD, LORD” occurred because of this same problem. “THERE IS NO FEAR OF THE LORD”.
Scripturally the concept of THE FEAR OF THE LORD appears in many places. “THE FEAR OF THE LORD” is an OLD TESTEMENT cornerstone of our FAITH. In PSALMS and PROVERBS it is foundational for all who are in covenant with GOD. Everyone who has read any scripture has heard that “THE FEAR OF THE LORD” is THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. You can find it in several places in THE BOOK of PROVERBS. But also there is a counter-thread in Psalms which you all have probably read, heard, maybe even studied for yourselves, “THE FOOL IN HIS HEART SAYS THERE IS NO GOD”. In the New Testament JESUS throws us another conundrum and it is based upon this term “FOOL”.
Now JESUS is in Matthew 5, even before all of chapter 7. In verse 16 HE begins by talking about relationships and where one who allows anger to rule himself might land oneself.
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire
You get angry, shoot off your mouth, and you are in deep trouble. “RACA” according to the KJV and Dr STRONG has two meanings.
1) empty, i.e. a senseless, empty headed man
2) a term of reproach used among the Jews in the time of Christ
So everyone knew what JESUS was saying. There was no room to quibble. So if you call your “brother” Raca/Fool you are in deep water. Simple, or so it may seem. What is interesting is how Dr STRONG explains the term “brother”.
1) a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother
2) having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman
3) any fellow or man
4) a fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection
5) an associate in employment or office
6) brethren in Christ
a) his brothers by blood
b) all men
c) apostles
d) Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place
Which makes “brother” very “inclusive”. Which makes this WARNING extremely broad.
Now let me take you to Luke where JESUS is telling an interesting story which sounds much like one of a hard-working, industrious farmer. One who has labored and GOD has BLESSED. Which is sort of like what the “PROSPERITY GOSPEL” adherents are saying all the time. Of course those who preach that lie usually leave out anything to do with industry and hard work. Then out of nowhere it seems JESUS says:
Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided
Luk 12:21 So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Luk 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on
Dr Luke is a GREEK. He is an educated man. Here he uses the Greek term for fool, “afron”. Matthew probably heard JESUS say “RAKA!” and used it. Luke used the “best” term available to him and it means:
1) without reason
2) senseless, foolish, stupid
3) without reflection or intelligence, acting rashly
This “fool” is a little more expansive and direct. But both terms mean the same. JESUS warns us not to “use” it ourselves about someone else. This is because it really is something GOD should do. Except in certain instances…. So you got to wonder what did this guy do to earn GOD’S ANGER? It looks like he has worked hard and prospered. Something we call “being blessed” What did he do, fail to do? The answer is in his thinking and his planning when he sees his “blessing” in his successful and abundant harvest. So let’s look at what exactly provoked THE ANGER OF A HOLY GOD?
Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits
Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry
Sounds like he is planning to properly store all his harvest, which in itself sounds fairly normal. To do so he plans to tear down old barns to build new and bigger. Then he tells himself “I will say to my soul”. I can retire and enjoy my successful harvest. In itself, to us today it seems natural, almost expected. But JESUS was not addressing modern men. He was addressing men who by their culture and their faith had studied GOD’S LAW. And within the TORAH there are specific rules. Let me address two that are what THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT showed me years ago.
First of course is the OLD TESTAMENT TITHE of ones fields. The prosperous, successful farmer seems to have forgotten this. Now Second is interesting.
Lev 23
22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I [am] the LORD your God
It seems GOD had an interest in “BENEVALENCE”. HE HAD a plan to take care of the poor and the stranger, the widows and the orphans. Yet our farmer planned to take every last kernel his fields produced. Now we have to assume JESUS was talking about a contemporary HEBREW FARMER. A covenant man, who planed to break TORAH.
Funny thing. When GOD gave MOSES the TORAH the PRIESTS were given their duties. When they got to THE PROMISED LAND, the TRIBE of LEVI got no land to settle. ALMIGHTY GOD WANTED THEM TO MINISTER TO HIM ONLY. PERIOD. HE designated that they would be provided for by THE TITHES. Just as HE provided for the widows and orphans, each Levite from the HIGH PRIEST on down was to get a “portion”. God set the portion. When men decided that they deserved “more”, and took it, bad things happened. Remember Eli’s sons. GOD told ELI to get them under control. Eli would not. So Samuel was conceived, born, placed in the TABERNACLE and GOD CALLED him. You KNOW the story.
Which takes us back to the concept of “first mention”. It is hard to believe that the simple term “fool” first appears in 1 Samuel.
1 Sa 26:21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
King Saul speaks it the fist time in scripture. Not hard to accept looking at the whole story of Saul as a whole. Chronologically, the next time it is used is by King David. AND HERE IT IS….
Psa 14:1 [[To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good.
The next time the term “fool” is used in this concept in
Psa 53
1 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, [A Psalm] of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: [there is] none that doeth good
Notice that both verses the “there is” was inserted by the KJV guys. Interesting. 14:1 adds They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good: while 53:1 says Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: [there is] none that doeth good. Both explain how GOD sees those who deny that HE EXISTS, that GOD IS EXACTLY WHO HE IS, and how they will act. Sort of tells us what kind of FRUIT we will find when we come across this type of “tree”.
So I sit now with the concept of “wrongness in the church”, which we all can discern, if we live and move in THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT. THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT said that this “wrongness” is based on one thing “THERE IS NO FEAR OF THE LORD”. Basically, all those who will be caught up on the DAY OF JUDGMENT in their sins; will be shouting “LORD, LORD” to no avail. Having no FEAR OF THE LORD, means they all were doing what they wanted to do because they really did not believe there was A HOLY GOD. A GOD OF POWER and MIGHT who would not be pleased that all they did was “IN HIS NAME”, and was done outside of ABBA’S PLANS.
Imagine that to all who did the “LORD, LORD” thing were nothing more than con men “fleecing suckers”. Seems sort of cruel and petty to dump them all into the same category, but that is what happens in Matthew 7. THE SON OF GOD, THE KING OF KINGS labels them all as workers of iniquity. This is the SAME JESUS many preach as so “loving” that HE FORGIVES ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. This is the SAME JESUS about which many preach was not really GOD, THE SON OF GOD, or is COMING BACK as prophesied. (I will be dealing with this in the near future.)
So what do we do?
I just placed it all before you. What you must do is to SEEK THE TRUTH, OBTAIN UNDERSTANDING and ACT IN WISDOM. To do so requires us to FEAR THE LORD. Frankly, all revolves on the concept of “revelation knowledge”. Exactly what has been revealed to you by GOD ALMIGHTY about HIM SELF. Now no one can actually be “SAVED” without THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT bringing conviction of your sins to you. Sort of in your face, Almost impossible to ignore. Many fight it, fight it long and hard. Some will harden their hearts and cut themselves off for eternity. JESUS said that MANY are CALLED, but FEW are CHOSEN. Without THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT guiding us it is hard to HEAR. Especially THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD which is the ultimate litmus test. IF WE DO NOT HEAR HIS VOICE, AND FOLLOW HIM we are all goats. HE KNOWS IT. HE WARNED US.
THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY is that there are people who deny GOD, HIS SON, and HIS MOST HOLY SPIRIT, yet have the gall to use it to make money. Quite frankly, they appear to be servants of GOD, but they WORSHIP MAMMON.
Who do you WORSHIP? HOW DO YOU WORSHIP? Does it matter?
That is the next road I am to travel… and an issue each of us must answer.
Selah
Olddog
Bob Neumann
Marion. NC
Up Next: True Worship