We hear about fearing the Lord a lot in the Bible. Hosea 3:4 says:

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”

Fear and goodness aren’t usually two emotions that we think about pairing together, but it’s intriguing to read about something or someone that could be so good that it puts fear in us (I’ve almost experienced that with eating too many chocolate covered coconut Oreos, but that’s a different post for a different day).

Sometimes, however, something can scare us so badly that it steers us back onto the right path. Many or most of us can say that we’ve seen a fraction of God’s wrath in some of the consequences that He has allowed in our lives as a result of sin.

In Exodus 20:18-20, we learn more about the fear of God through Moses, who explains that God has good intentions for striking fear into their hearts:

“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

What do you think it means to fear the Lord and His goodness?