Fear and Fruitfulness, part I

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table. [Psalm 128:1-3]

This psalm presents us with a proverb-like principle for how a man might lead his family in spiritual vitality.

The fear of the Lord is a recurring concept in the scriptures, especially the Proverbs. It describes a kind of dread, even trembling, because of the overwhelming might and power of God, but the grandeur of God also acts like a kind of gravity that draws the beholder near in wondrous awe and reverence of his glory, majesty, and beauty.

The man who fears the Lord walks in wisdom, with both a healthy fear of the consequences of treason (sin/disobedience) against the King, but also with a deep loyalty to the King that motivates to acts of obedience.

And when a man lives in the fear of the Lord, walking according to his ways, he is likely to see a certain blessing in this life. In my next post we’ll begin to look at that blessing and what it means in a man’s own life, and the life of his family.