The Gospel: Fear God

What does it mean to fear God?  Or, to fear the Lord?  Or, the fear of the Lord?
Does it mean to be afraid of God, like "fear and trembling?"  Does it mean respect, like, "yes sir!?"  Does it mean to be in awe, like, "wow!?"


In Psalms and Proverbs there are many verses that tell us what the fear of the Lord is...
Ps 19:9 it is clean
Ps 111:10 it is the beginning of wisdom
Prov 1:7 it is the beginning of knowledge
Prov 14:26 it is strong confidence
Prov 14:27 it is a fountain of life
All helpful, but do they help to define what to do to "fear God?"


Perhaps another question to ask is "what do people do with things they are afraid of?"  Maybe this is too simplified, but it seems that they either try to run from it, or they try to conquer it.  It is like children who are afraid of the dark.  They want to run from it, but their parents try to convince them that there is nothing to be afraid of.  What is it about a dark room that is so frightening?  Not knowing what is there.  The unknown.  The same may be true for how people handle God if they do not know him.  They run from him, or they try to conquer him.  Ps 14:1 and 53:1 say, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." or Ps 10:11 "He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it."  The interesting thing here is that God can be known...
Romans 1:20 says, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"  And yet we are to fear God...
Rev 14:7 "Fear God and give glory to him,...."
1 Peter 2:17 "Honour all men.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honour the king."
Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

So what does it mean to fear God?
Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil..."

The difference between this verse and the ones listed earlier is the word "to" after "is." 
To "fear God," is to "hate evil." But to avoid filling our hearts with hate, look at it this way.  The opposite of evil is righteousness.  Then to "fear God," is to love righteousness.  Or as Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, "...keep his commandments..."


"Fear God ...(hate evil and keep his commandments)... for the hour of his judgment is come"