Divine Terrorism
“and the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 2:19c NASB
Dread– Of course God is the God of love. Certainly He desires to forgive. Without a doubt, He is gracious and merciful. Yes, He sent His son on our behalf. Definitely He cares. It is undeniably true that He is the saving God.
But don’t forget paḥad.
“pāḥad serves as a strong verb of fearing with emphasis either on the immediacy of the object of fear or upon the resulting trembling.”[1] The ESV translation “the fear of Me” isn’t strong enough, particularly these days. This is not yārāʾ, the usual verb for fear. This is far more intense. Terror is the sense of it. YHVH complains that His people are no longer terrorized by His presence. Yes, He is the loving God committed to a covenant with Israel. That doesn’t go away. But He is GOD, the absolute monarch of all creation, the source of everything, the producer of good and evil, able to snatch away life in a split second. Israel forgot Who it was dealing with. The people counted on the covenant promise without recognizing the character of the Promiser. Instead of trembling, they presumed.
So do we.
When was the last time you heard anyone speak about the dread of God? That wouldn’t attract many attendees, would it? No, instead of listening to the words of Jeremiah, we have converted a warning into a welcome. “Go to the altar ‘Just as I am’ so you will feel better.” “He has a wonderful plan for your life.” “You’re so valuable God gave everything to save you.” Don’t you think statements like these are a bit egocentric? Do you really imagine that God can’t make it without you? Where is the “on your face in mortal fear” attitude these days? We have been taught a truncated stereotype of YHVH. We have divorced wrath from mercy and gone on to proclaim the end-of-the-rainbow kingdom. We don’t think it’s possible that God would actually destroy us. We skip over YHVH’s declaration of Jeremiah’s role, “to pluck up and break down, to destroy and to overthrow . . .” Our God is not a terrorist.
And He isn’t the biblical God either.
Okay, now you can stop thinking about this truth and go on pretending that God wants to make you happy.
Topical Index: paḥad, terror, dread, Jeremiah 2:19
[1]Bowling, A. (1999). 1756 פָּחַד. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (720). Chicago: Moody Press.
Comfort Comfort my people….not sedate. Sedating is the world’s opt out of reality mode & the church has adopted this approach often whilst making men tremble before other gods ways.
The power of God to comfort is also the same power to create and the same power to destroy. All part of proving truth and reality.This power will be used to create perfect comfort which will mean destruction of much of what we have created apart from God.
Too few want a whole God or indeed a Holy one but more of a pet that is also neutered & as impotent, easier to manage as an otherkind companion for them. One that they can readily put in a kennel and go away on holidays without and one who is dependent on them to call the shots. God should wag his tail and be delighted with us no matter how we neglect Him.
Haven’t we all or most of us all desired to be the Alpha of the pack? We as usual forget the whole sentence & who it applied to and what the cost of completing the sentence to acquire personally ….the internal meaning, of EMET. So our creations are limited and unfinished…not perfect.
One of the greatest blessings a person can receive in their wake up call of chesed to see spiritually, is the reverential fear of the Holy One.
Being forgiven means nothing substantial in a life unless It is opened and used to aid in the blowing up of the dam of unreality that we have drawn from. Who wants to break down the storage places of convenient and relative ‘truths’ except the one who is inspired by the awe and majesty of such power from the only real fear there should be. The fear to make the ground soft for the seed to grow into actual God formed love is a gift too few want to open. Peering in costs so much. Our families our friends our status our old life……..
Trembling is the good exercise and burns away the fatty deposits of our false thinking minds. Trembling being The Refiner’s fire on the inside….from our Healer so we don’t have to suffer loss in the fire of torah judgment as will those unwilling to tremble by quenching the Spirit. Choose life. Choose it abundantly and build with gold, silver and metals not stubble and hay.
Blessings to all. FJ Too Few & in Shade Boys Apparel at times.
Well said. If we serve a God like this who can heal us?
Hi Babs
It is the very same God in perspective and given dimension to show all His character. Just got to grab hold of that refiner’s fire by faith for in there (that relationship) is transformation not destruction. We fear from wrong motives because of our own created things full of pain and distortion which is the same as saying we don’t trust. With our own experience of distorted use of power both toward us and from us we have to struggle through this to see the Purity of Reverential Fear in the relationship too. Does God blow torch those who are humbled and hurt , ignorant and lost or those who are defiant in intended ignorance? Do we see unbridled, unpurposed wild power? Do we see this God who can do as He wills but waits and creates all sorts of situations to save the objects of His mercy? Salvation came to seek and save the lost. That is those that needed the healing offered and I trust that. Just as the Majesty that will destroy the enemies of truth who determined they did not require healing. Exactly how that turns out I am not sure. Could be wrong but I think we still see in Scripture the dogs and murders outside the New Jerusalem…. so I have head scratching about the degree and intensity of refinements for those who rejected the offer of renewal/healing in today being the day of Salvation. Off the top of my head I am not sure if it is those folk who are around for the 8th day when the gates are opened every day but perhaps eternal suffering is not partaking of the state of those who have eternal life through responding to Salvation positively & are perfected to receive the full version with the all area access whereas those left outside after the judgment get purified to some degree in the lake of fire and are only permitted to partake the leaves of healing from the trees that live by the waters flowing out. I still have much to study out. But I know hope lives where it is given a home & it is God who gives us the Holy Spirit which is the home of hope for me. Peace and Deep Honour as Reverential Fear are all connected to a fullness of trust in the acknowledging the potentiality of God to swat us but His nature to show mercy & the joy of knowing that returns the kiss of peace from me to Him as trusting abiding love even in my imperfect individual expression of it.
Hello everyone, my wife and I just last night we’re talkin about Robert Frost poem about the Two roads Into the Woods the connection I see it,,, the overlapping of today’s post would be….. If something looks good to the natural eye…. Beware,. Caution, Do not enter, even if your friends and loved ones have gone this way ! Do not let your curiosity get the best of you ! But with the other way that is less traveled is ,,,the way to go!!!!
Join the discussion…Very well said! Thank you.
Inspired words from experience! Thank you. I need to go work on some of my “fatty deposits” with a little trembling today!
Love without judgement is for the Hippies and Flower Children.
If we remember the robots warning, danger Will Robinson, or Henny Penny, the sky is falling for the boy who cried wolf, I love these became doll in the listener’s ears, due to false advertising, but when the time really came, no one was ready. I attempt to connect with the era of doing Judi Baldwin and flower children…
Hi Brett…since I have no idea what you mean, I have no idea how to respond. Sorry buddy. ?
I have heard it put this way: this is the ORDER of redemption. 1. Plucks- what involves paganism, what you cry over. 2. Break down – this is love. Breaks our weaknesses, may involve isolation. 3. Destroys – it’s gone! 4. Overthrow – things in your life that you will wrestle with God and lose. 5. Builds up – NOW God can build you up.
We want all the accouterments of God without the presence of God. We want all the advantages of his power without, well, His power. We want to walk in love without actually touching or being touched, and while we are at it, we would like all the authority without any of the responsibility. Wait: doesn’t that describe the wicked?
The presence of God: His power; His connections; His will, well, that’s all terrifying to those who are sitting in the seat of God, acting like Him, and claiming authority of will that only He can wield. We would hope so! How else would He be able to protect those who humble themselves before Him and who love their enemies and who are willing to continue to love those who persecute them? Whose side are we on, anyway?
Thank you Laurita, always excellent input !
Isn’t this where the problem lies? We want to “know” Him without paying the price to experience him! We say not, but we live yes! The head trumps the heart and as a result we are not transformed! The wisdom of man is foolishness with God. Only the Holy Spirit can make these things real to us as we submit ourselves to Him.
From one who was taught to fear at a young age, it’s difficult to wrap my mind around fearing God. It’s more similar to Eve and Adam hiding from God because they didn’t know his nature. As a child, my siblings and I debated over who would be the one who could approach my dad. We never knew what he was going to do to us or how he was going to react to us.
I loved and feared my earthly father.
His love demanded accountability. My fear
won his approval.
The same can be said for my heavenly Father.
His will is perfect.
(To choose otherwise is hell.)
Here’s a good one to throw into the conversation. Matthew 10:28
James 2:19 “You believe that there is ONE God; you do well. The demons also believe and tremble”. Tim 1:7 “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”.
GOOD NEWS: There has been a CHANGE since Jeremiah’s word was Today’s Word! HE doesn’t want us to tremble anymore, and be in the same camp with the demons. Our sins are forgiven. All of them…… Don’t be afraid…just believe!
Humm. I think you need to make a distinction between “afraid” and “dread. It is common to “believe” that NOW God is all love and kisses. But even Yeshua speaks about the coming Judgment. We don’t have to be afraid, but we do have to dread God. After all, He is GOD!
Surely, if God would ONLY be loving, kind and merciful, – there had to be another God who is capable of wroth, anger, and revenge. But since there is ONE God – it’s a whole big “package” of ALL in ALL. In the same way, the lion who is all loving and cuddly towards his cubs but sometimes tough when it comes to the disciplining, will turn into ravaging beast if anyone will try to mess with his offspring. We just need to know what side we are on – children or enemies, so that we can, as Paul said in Hebrews: “come BOLDLY {not trembling} unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.
As for the “coming judgment”… for God’s children it’s the time and place of the rewards dispensation, and not punishment. The word used for the “judgment throne of Christ” is bema, translated as “judgment seat”, comes from the tradition of athletic games in Greece where the victor who “played by the rules” was lead to the platform called Bema and given a wreath to be placed on his/her head as a symbol of victory. That’s why John said: “Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, that you may be fully rewarded”.
So, I would respectfully disagree that we have to dread HIM…After all, the first and the great commandment is “You shalt love (NOT dread) the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind”.
XXX
Most people are hurting so much from life’s traumas, so they think they need the (made up) God of books like “The Shack”, the God who just loves and is your best buddy. The world has changed Him into a false god for their self healing. I agree with you, that we need the real GOD of Scripture. We need to dread Him again, because He is that God.