Introduction
Review different kinds of prayer taught by the Psalms. These two are praise/thanks psalms (read 33:1-3; 34:1-3). But these two Psalms also share another common theme – the "fear of the Lord" (are they grouped together because of this?). The exhortation to "fear God" is expressed 6 times – twice in Ps. 33 (read 33:8a,18a) and four times in Ps. 34 (read 34:7,9a,9,11). This emphasis is illustrative of the scores of other Old Testament references.[1] And this is not just an Old Testament theme. Luke commends it as a key quality in healthy churches (Acts 9:31). Paul, who emphasizing how Christ frees us from fearing man, death, Satan, etc., also commends and/or commands the fear of God/Christ (quote 2 Cor. 5:11; 7:1; Eph. 5:21; etc.).[2] See also 1 Pet. 1:17.
Fearing God has a very negative connotation in our culture, for reasons we cannot go into today. Because of this, we probably shouldn't use the term when talking with non-Christians. Later I will suggest some synonyms which we can use.
And even in our own church, most of us know what the fear of the Lord is not (i.e., relating to God in dread of His condemnation vs. being motivated by His love – see 1 Jn. 4:18[3]). But most of us do not know what it is (beyond a vague "reverence") and/or have any positive aspiration to live with this focus. (When was the last time you heard anyone cite as one of their spiritual goals: "I want to grow in healthy fear of God this year?") Let's study these two Psalms topically to understand what it looks like to fear God, and then describe some of the benefits that result from fearing God . . .
What fearing God looks like
The fear of God is a very rich, multi-faceted spiritual concept – more than we can explore this morning. But these two Psalms reveal the three aspects of the fear of God that are probably most emphasized in the rest of the Old Testament.
The first aspect is standing in awe of God's greatness. Read 33:8 and explain Hebrew parallelism. We stand in awe of someone/something when we are super-impressed with how superior they are to us (e.g., STORM; ATHLETE; GENIUS). Fearing God involves cultivating a sense of wonder concerning how great He is, and (by comparison) how small we and other people are. The Psalmist emphasizes two foci for this awe of God: His activity in creating the universe and especially the earth (read 33:6,7,9), and His rulership over human history (read 33:10-12).
If you want to grow in this aspect of fearing God, make time to prayerfully ponder God's creation (e.g., immensity and intricacy and beauty). Consider taking a regular daytime walk, and attending to the sky and plants and animals. Or get outside regularly at night and attend to the moon and stars and planets. Also ponder biblical prophecy by studying a biblical book like Daniel, which demonstrates God's rulership over human history and extols Him for it. This kind of pondering will probably require reducing practices that distract us from pondering God's awesomeness (e.g., TV; social media; internet shopping; etc.). But the benefits (see below) will be more than worth it!
It's important to turn this pondering into praise of God. Follow the trail of creation's beauty and magnitude and complexity back to its Source – and praise Him ("What kind of beauty/power/intelligence must You have if You created this?"). Follow the trail of God's wisdom in human history back to its Source – and praise Him (read Rom. 11:36-38). Praising God not only reflects our view of God's bigness and excellence; it also reinforces it. Praising God humbles us in a healthy way.
Second, fearing God involves depending on/trusting in God's lovingkindness. Read 33:18 and note the parallelism). "Lovingkindness" (hesed) refers to His committed and faithful love for His people. It is similar to the New Testament term "grace," because it emphasizes God's mercy and undeserved favor. This involves acknowledging our own sinfulness and weakness and need for God's merciful deliverance (read 33:16,17).
If you want to grow in this aspect of fearing God, begin by receiving His forgiveness (read Ps. 130:4). Just come to Him in humility, acknowledge that you have rebelled against Him, that you have loved yourself first instead of Him, that you have knowingly violated His will for your life. And then affirm that He is full of mercy, and that He extends mercy to you through His Son Jesus Christ. When you humbly receive God's forgiveness, your heart will begin to be grateful for God's mercy (e.g., SCROOGE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING).
And as you go on, continue to deepen your appreciation of God's mercy – how much more He forgave you than you realized, how many times He has delivered you from your own folly, how much undeserved goodness He has poured into your life, etc. Like Paul, turn this pondering into praise/thanksgiving (read 1 Tim. 1:12-17).
Third, fearing God involves heeding His revealed moral instruction (read 34:11-14; read Deut. 10:12,13). Because we trust His wisdom and goodness, we trust and obey His moral guidance over our own and/or our culture's wisdom. 34:13,14 especially emphasizes turning away from speaking deceit or doing evil, and doing good and pursuing shalom (harmonious relationships). FOG connotes integrity – following God's moral guidance when no one is watching – living this way because you trust Him, because you live as unto Him, because you want to please Him, etc.
If you want to grow in this aspect of fearing God, ask Him to deepen both your trust in His moral wisdom and your mistrust of your own moral wisdom (which is folly and results in self-deception; read Prov. 3:5-7). Offer yourself to be used by God in His plan, and turn away from trying to use Him to facilitate your plans. Ask Him to help you grow in sensitivity and responsiveness to His moral guidance (read Ps. 32:8,9).
SUMMARIZE: So awe before God's greatness, grateful dependence on His mercy, and willingness to heed His moral leadership are important aspects of the fear of God. "Humility before God" is perhaps the best synonym for the fear of God – and God promises to exalt the humble (1 Pet. 5:6). What does this "exaltation" look like? Let's see how these two Psalms answer this question . . .
The benefits that result from fearing God
God will deliver you from/through your troubles (read 33:19,20b; 34:7,18,19). This does not mean that He will exempt you from sufferings or their emotional impact. Rather, it means that in His own timing and ways, He will bring you through them, encourage you in in the midst of them, work for good through them, and ultimately bring you safely into His kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18).
God will deliver you from you other fears (34:4). We live in a culture of exploding fears (over what people think, what people might do, what might happen, etc.). The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated these fears. Medication and therapy may play a helpful role, but they will never get at the root of this problem. The way to decrease such crippling fears and anxieties is to increase another fear – the fear of God (read Isa. 8:13,14a). The fear of God crowds out/expels these other fears. As God "grows bigger," people and circumstances shrink to their proper size.
God will abundantly provide for you (34:9-12). This provision is not necessarily financial wealth or popularity, but it includes material provision and fellowship with other godly people. It is not being in want of any good thing – having true life and seeing good during your days. In other words, it is having a spiritually and relationally abundant life – and experiencing this increasingly as you grow older.
You will personally experience God's goodness (read 34:8; 33:21). This is more than experiencing blessings from God, which can easily turn into idolatry – loving the gifts more than the Giver. This is actually "tasting" and "seeing" that God is good – and good to you – so that you rejoice in Him as your ultimate Blessing.
SUMMARY: Notice how we tend to focus on pursuing and/or asking God for these blessings. But the psalmists are advocating an indirect path – focus on growing in the fear of God, and these blessings will surely come to you!
[1] E.g., 55 times in Psalms; God as "Isaac's Fear" (Gen. 31:42); Job 1:1; Prov. 9:10 & parallels in Ps. 111:10 & Job 28:28; Eccles. 12:13; etc.
[2] Why is the fear God not used more in the New Testament? One reason may be because Gentile Christian converts would have been raised in a different (slavish) kind of fear of their pagan deities.
[3] Kolasis means retributive punishment or torment in its only two usages in the New Testament (1 Jn. 4:18; Matt. 25:46).