A Book Review from Books At a Glance
by Ryan Speck
Introduction
This book is part of a series that Union (School of Theology, Publishing, Research, and Mission, www.theolo.gy) is publishing, intending to “invite readers to experience deeper enjoyment of God through four interconnected values: delighting in God, growing in Christ, serving the church, and blessing the world” (back book cover). Michaels Reeves teaches at Union School of Theology and is the series editor. In this particular book, Reeves recognizes the epidemic of fear in our world and offers the antidote—the true fear of God!
Chapter 1: Do Not Be Afraid!
Reeves begins by noting that we are “both fascinated and repelled by our fears”—consider scary movies, for example (p. 13). He suggests, “Fear is probably the strongest human emotion. But it is one that baffles us” (p. 13). The same applies to fear as revealed in the Bible. For, on the one hand, Scripture tells us not to fear: “Indeed, the most frequent command in Scripture is ‘Do not be afraid!’” (p. 14). Yet, on the other hand, God commands us to fear! “In fact, the fear of God is so important a theme in Scripture that Professor John Murray wrote simply, ‘The fear of God is the soul of godliness’” (p. 15). Yet, how can Scripture both command us not to fear and to fear? And, do we really need more fear in our lives?
For, our culture is saturated with fear and anxiety! Although we are safer than ever before, we fear more. “When your culture is hedonistic, your religion therapeutic, and your goal a feeling of personal well-being, fear will be the ever-present headache” (p. 19). Reeves cites Professor Frank Furedi, who notes a “moral confusion in society that has led to an inability to deal with fear” and “a rise in anxiety” (p. 19). Reeves maintains that the cause of our fearful and anxious society, then, is really a loss of the fear of God. Thus, the proper fear of God is actually the antidote to all other fears. While atheism promised to liberate us from fear—presuming that freedom from religion meant freedom from fear because religion was designed to terrify and so control us by fables—atheism has done the very opposite. Rather, only faith in Christ liberates us from the fear and anxiety rampant in our society: “Anxiety grows best in the soil of unbelief. It withers in contact with faith” (p. 25).
Chapter 2: Sinful Fear
Thus, Reeves turns to define sinful fear—the fear that God forbids so frequently in Scripture. He begins by suggesting with a` Brakel that “‘fear issues forth from love.’ That is, we fear because we love: we love ourselves and so fear bad things happening to us; we love our families, our friends, our things and so fear losing them” (p. 27). Further, Reeves claims: “it is not only that we fear losing those things we love; strange to say, we also fear precisely that which is lovely” (p. 28). Reeves does not cite Scripture to prove this statement, only J.R.R. Tolkien. Reeves briefly speaks of “natural fear,” which is a fear of danger and is not necessarily sinful. Rather, sinful fear does not fear God but is afraid of God, fleeing from Him: “Dreading, opposing, and retreating from God” (p. 31). Such sinful fear does not understand the kindness of God, only His wrath and judgment. Likewise, sinful fear is afraid to let go of sin (p. 17). Yet, again, to prove this point, Reeves cites only C.S. Louis and George MacDonald, no Scripture.
Chapter 3: Right Fear
The right fear that Reeves has in mind in this chapter is not the fear that the Spirit causes when convicting men of sin. That fear is a grace by the Spirit, but, once we have come to the Lord, that fear is “relieved”—as Newton puts it in the hymn, “Amazing Grace” (p. 46). Rather, the right fear of the Lord fears because of God’s goodness (cf. Jeremiah 33:8-9; Hosea 3:5; Luke 7:14-16). “As the Puritan William Gouge explains, true godly fear actually ‘arises from faith in the mercy and goodness of God: for when the heart of man hath once felt a sweet taste of God’s goodness, and found in his favour only all happiness consisteth, it is stricken with such an inward awe and reverence.’ . . . the fear of God commended in Scripture ‘does not arise from a perception of God as hazardous, but glorious. In other words, it flows from an appreciation of God.’ . . . In fact, the closer we look, the closer fear of God and love of God appear. . . . In a sense, then, the trembling ‘fear of God’ is a way of speaking about the intensity of the saints’ love for and enjoyment of all that God is” (pp. 48-49, 50, 52).
If right fear is akin to love, should we even use the word fear, and, if so, why? Reeves goes through the Greek and Hebrew words for fear used in Scripture, concluding that fear is the proper word. For, fear “suggests a physical experience: of being overwhelmed, of weak-kneed trembling, of being staggeringly discomposed” (p. 57). Thus, terms such as “respect and reverence are simply too weak and grey to stand in as synonyms for the fear of God” (p. 58).
How does this true fear fit with joy? Reeves explains that “the fear of the Lord is a pleasure to believers, for it is about enjoying his fearfully lovely glory” (p. 59). That is, “There is no tension between this fear and joy. Rather, this trembling ‘fear of God’ is a way of speaking about the sheer intensity of the saints’ happiness in God. . . . an enjoyment of him that is more than our frail selves can bear, which overwhelms us and causes us to tremble” (p. 61).
This right fear trembles not only at the goodness of God but also at His wisdom, holiness, greatness, forgiveness—“at all God is” (p. 62). And, this right fear “is at the heart of holiness,” inseparable from faith. This is the fear that pleases God. Therefore, even if you are in a nursing home, depressed and feeling useless, “or trapped in an apparently mundane job” (p. 66), if you fear the Lord, He takes pleasure in you!
Chapter 4: Overwhelmed by the Creator
Even within the category of the right fear of God, there are “different sorts of right fear of God” (p. 69). “The first sort of right fear is the weak-kneed and trembling response to the fact that God is the Creator. It appreciates—indeed, it enjoys—that God is splendid in his transcendence, above and beyond creation. God is holy, majestic, perfect, all-powerful, and dazzling in all his perfections. This fear considers the Creator and is left staggered . . .” (p. 70). Citing William Blake’s poem, “The Tyger,” Reeves explains: “What stands out here is that the fearfulness of the tiger leads Blake to consider how dreadful its Creator must be” (p. 73). Yet, we need not dread Him, if we know Him not only as our Creator but also as our Redeemer: “When we know God as Redeemer, we are freed from all Blake’s doubts about God’s character, and we are freed from all fears that this awesome God might be against us” (pp. 75-76). Thus, Jonathan Edwards revealed his terror at thunderstorms as a child, but, once he came to know the glory of God in Christ, thunderstorms led him “to sweet contemplations of my great and glorious God” (p. 77).
When we rightly fear God as both our Creator and Redeemer, “The grandeur of God pulls our focus up and away from ourselves. We wonder at a being greater than us. We therefore diminish. His magnificence distracts us and woos us from our daily self-obsession. We develop a taste for something other than ourselves. At the same time, our thoughts are lifted and cleansed as we consider one who is greater and purer than us. . . . Amid our hectic lives, amid all our challenges and trials, it is the fresh contemplation of the glory of God that will bring the right, bigger, healthier, happier perspective to all we are going through” (p. 80).
Yet, other religions “fear” their gods, right? What makes our fear of God different? Reeves answers: “Knowing God the Redeemer in Christ will make our Christian fear distinct from the fear shown by the devotees of other gods. It is what we need if our fear is to be specifically and happily Christian” (p. 90).
Chapter 5: Overwhelmed by the Father
Reeves writes: “The deepest revelation of God’s glory and nature is found in his identity as Redeemer” (p. 93). Therefore, if we only fear God as Creator, we have missed the deeper and sweeter fear: filial fear. As Thomas Aquinas put it: “‘There are two sorts of fear of God: (a) filial fear, by which one fears offending God or being separated from Him, and (b) servile fear, by which one fears punishment’” (p. 98). This filial fear is our delight (Isaiah 11:3). As Reeves explains: “It is not the awe of creatures before their tremendous Creator. It is the overwhelmed devotion of children marveling at the kindness and righteousness and glory and complete magnificence of the Father. . . . If there is any fear of separation from God in believers, it is not the fear of being ultimately separated; it is the fear that our sins might part us from the warmth of enjoyed communion with God” (p. 101). If men only have fear of God as Creator—and not this filial fear—then they have a truncated gospel and “come across as angry, hectoring, and unkind. God may appear great, but he will not appear good” (p. 104).
Chapter 6: How to Grow in This Fear
Reeves denies any “self-help” approach to cultivating the fear of God, insisting, rather, that the proper fear of God arises only from the heart. Although Aquinas, influenced by Aristotelian ethics, maintained that “the cultivation of virtuous habits” was “the key to growth in holiness,” he was mistaken regarding how man’s heart works. Only the Holy Spirit can work the change in our hearts necessary to fear God, and the Holy Spirit works by the Word of God: “It is through the word of God that hearts are transformed from shaking in loathing to quaking in wonder at God” (p. 115). Although all Scripture is profitable for cultivating the fear of God, the cross of Christ especially reveals the glory of God so that contemplation of the cross best cultivates fear in us (e.g., Psalm 130:4). Thus, the minister especially should exemplify the fear of God in his own life and should preach to affect the fear of God in his congregation: “God shares knowledge of himself in order that we might be affected. Just as all theology should be doxological, so all preaching should foster sincere worship,” which is the proper fear of God (pp. 116-117). “We preachers must share the fiery intent of that word, preaching so that sinners tremble and that the hearts of saints no longer creep in dread but quake in wonder” (p. 129).
Chapter 7: The Awesome Church
How can God’s people become themselves truly awesome? By the fear of God. For, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Since the Fall, man has sought “knowledge without God,” leading to “modern man feeling adrift on a vast sea of fear” (p. 134). Even professing Christians seek knowledge apart from the fear of God. Thus, how many professing Christians are still in “‘theological puberty,’” as Helmut Thielicke put it, that is, “infatuated with new theological concepts” that do not lead to loving God more? A person’s “love dies in the devilish thrill of acquiring knowledge that means power. Then his skewed knowledge proves its own perversity in his character as he becomes a graceless theological thug, ever itching for a chance to show off his prowess. . . . We need the fear of God to steer our abilities, and without it, all our abilities are a liability” (pp. 135, 137). For, the true fear of God makes us more like God. “Joyful, loving, humble, and jealous for God, the right fear of God makes the difference between hollow, devilish religiosity and beautiful, Christlike believers” (p. 140).
Further, the fear of man weakens us, but the fear of God makes us strong. “Western culture has come to view low self-esteem as the root of our every emotional problem, holding us back in life. The normal prescription for building your self-worth on the opinion of others is to love yourself more; love yourself so much that it will hardly matter what others think. In other words, treat the disease of narcissism with more narcissism” (p. 141). The true antidote is the fear of God. “So how can the fear of the Lord free us from our anxieties and our fear of man? Essentially, it acts like Aaron’s staff, which ate up the staffs of the Egyptian magicians. As the fear of the Lord grows, it outgrows, eclipses, consumes, and destroys all rival fears. . . . It is beauty that kills the raging beast of anxiety” (pp. 143-144). Thus, the fear of God both humbles and hardens us, making us “simultaneously lamblike and lionlike” (p. 146)—making us like Christ! In this way, “we must fight fear with fear” (p. 149) to become truly awesome: it is “reflected awesomeness” (p. 153).
Chapter 8: Eternal Ecstasy
“In the presence of the Lord, everyone trembles. Before him, Abraham, Joshua, David, Ezekiel, Daniel, Paul and John all fell on their faces (Gen. 17:3; Josh. 5:14; 1 Chron. 21:16; Ezek. 1:28; Dan. 8:17; Acts 9:4; Rev. 1:17). Overcome by the tremendousness of his glory, people are so overwhelmed, they think they will die (Judg. 13:20-22)” (p. 155). Such will be the case when Jesus returns. Yet, this is not only true of men but of the creation itself: “The earth shakes with pleasure, for it is joining in with the joy of believers as their filial fear swells with delight at the presence of their God” (p. 156). The return of Christ brings fear to its crescendo, one way or the other: “That day will usher in a new age in which both the sinful fears of unbelievers and the right fear of believers will crescendo. Both sorts of fear will climax and become eternal states—an ecstasy of terror, on the one hand, and delight, on the other” (p. 157).
Thus, heaven and hell eternally fix men in a crescendo of fear: “Hell—the destiny of all unbelievers—will be a dreadful place. Death is ‘the king of terrors’ (Job 18:14), and hell will be the place of eternal death. It will be the ultimate sum of all sinful fears, heaving with a shared dread of holiness” (p. 157). Whereas, while we may rightly describe heaven as a “‘world of love’” (as Jonathan Edwards wrote), we could equally say “that heaven is a world of fear,” a world of “fearfully ecstatic joy and wonders . . . . heaven is the paradise of unconfined, maximal, delighted filial love” (p. 158). Thus, Reeves concludes his book with this summation: “filial fear of God is the soul of godliness and the essence of the new life implanted by the Spirit. It is the ultimate affection and the very aroma of heaven. It is the affection that expels our sinful fears and our anxieties. It is the affection that expels spiritual lethargy. To grow in this sweet and quaking wonder at God is to taste heaven now” (p. 168).
Conclusion
The fear of God is certainly a much-neglected topic in our current age. Reeves does well to write an accessible, insightful, and valuable book on this subject. While weaving many wonderful Puritan quotes into this book, he also effectively cites modern literature and exposes the follies of modern thinkers, who are vainly seeking to cure the ill of fear. It is certainly a book worth reading.
At the same time, it is an imbalanced book in my estimation. For Reeves almost exclusively focuses upon the fear of God as a weak-kneed wonderment filled with unspeakable joy. I think he makes the case that the true fear of God may well include the experience of joyful, overwhelming wonderment. However, in focusing upon this experience as the essence of true fear, Reeves appears to at least diminish how the fear of God is often presented in Scripture.
Even Reeves acknowledges that the fear of God means that “people are so overwhelmed, they think they will die (Judg. 13:20-22)” (p. 155). Death is part of the wrath and curse of God against sin. If men fear death, they are fearing God’s wrath and curse due to their sin. Thus, when John experienced the fear of the Lord, he “fell at his feet as dead” (Rev. 1:17). It is difficult for me to believe that this overwhelming and deadly experience was from joy, not from “the apprehension of impending danger,” as Webster (1828) generally defines “fear” (although Webster also differentiates between filial and slavish fear in Scripture). When John fell down as dead, was this fear not connected to the curse of death due sin? Likewise, in Isaiah 6, confronted with the thrice-holy God, Isaiah declared, “Woe is me, for I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips.” Isaiah immediately pronounced a woe against himself for his sin. What was Isaiah’s fear of God? It arose due to his sin exposed before the face of the holy God.
In fact, if, as Reeves claims, true fear trembles “at all God is” (p. 62), are not justice and wrath characteristics of Who God is? Does one part of right fear not tremble at the justice and wrath of God, then? Time and again, in Scripture, this seems to be presented as one clear part of true fear that God desires to see in His people, in believers. Thus, in Deuteronomy 13:10-11 (cf. 17:13; 19:20; 21:21), when a severe punishment is executed, it is done publicly so that all would “hear and fear.” What sort of fear is in view there? Surely, it is the fear of like punishment that humbles men to obey God. The command to “hear and fear” can hardly refer to joyful wonderment in this context, can it? This sort of fear is not an isolated incident in Scripture, nor is it exclusive to the OT (cf. Psalm 119:120; Acts 5:11; Romans 11:19-22; Ephesians 6:5; Hebrews 4:1; Hebrews 12:20-21; 1 Timothy 5:20; Jude 22-23; etc.). In fact, the only time the word “trembling” is used in the Westminster Confession, it is used to describe how saving faith trembles at the threatenings of God (WCF 14.2). There seems to be little room for such fear in Reeves’ definition of true fear.
Rather, Reeves seems to redefine the word fear itself to mean something different than it generally does, making it mean joyful, loving wonderment instead (e.g., pp. 56-59). Why use the term “fear,” then—since, in general, it clearly means something else? Reeves’ suggestion that Scripture uses the word “fear” because this term describes a physical experience (“weak-kneed trembling”), I find to be entirely unsatisfying (p. 57). Why not simply use a more neutral word, such as “staggering” or “trembling,” then? The real question is why a man is “weak-kneed” and “trembling.” The word “fear” provides the reason. It does not describe especially the physical experience, but the reason for it. There are a number of reasons to be weak-kneed and trembling. Love and joy may certainly cause weak-kneed trembling, but if Scripture meant love and joy, then why not use those words and simply describe the physical effects of that love and joy? Thus, while included in true fear of God may well be a true joy in and loving adoration of God, I do not think that is even necessarily the majority of true fear. I think the fear of God is more sobering than ecstatic, more awful reverence than bright joy. In fact, it is fear that tempers and deepens joy. Thus, in Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu did not have the proper reverence for God that would have tempered and deepened their superficial joy (cf. 2 Samuel 6). Thus, I find his thesis to be imbalanced.
Further, one wonders what motivated Reeves to write and publish this view of the fear of God at this time. Does he believe that Christians today (the majority of his readers) are too sober and too reverent in their fear of God? Perhaps, some in our Reformed camp are. However, does that describe the majority of professing believers? In my estimation, his thesis is not only imbalanced but his timing is off.
Nonetheless, Reeves makes a number of excellent and accessible points, insightfully exposes error, and rightly drives his readers to consider the importance of fearing God. This, and more, makes his book well worth reading.
Ryan Speck