Fear of the Lord: Why are people overcome with fear when they encounter the Lord?

One time I was getting back in the car from a place and somehow a wasp got into the car. Let me tell you, I was afraid. This encounter with a wasp got me thinking about why we feel fear when we encounter God. So, I did some exploring in the Bible.

People feel fear when experiencing God either because they have a reverence and respect for God, or they realize just how much God is transcendent. God is all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere. There are things about God we can never know or understand. This creates a healthy respect, or fear, of God.

Bible Stories and Verses where People Fear the Lord Mention the Fear of the Lord

The bible is full of verses and stories where people experience fear when encountering the Lord. The Bible even discusses a “Fear of the Lord” that we as Christians are called to have. Here is a list of verses and stories that illustrate this experience.

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve had a close relationship with God. They walked with him in perfect harmony. Until one day, they sinned. They severed their relationship with God. So, when God comes walking in the garden again Adam and Eve hide out of fear (Genesis 3:10).

Sarah

Sarah was the barren wife of Abraham. On one occasion the Lord and some angels visit Abraham and tell him he will have a son through Sarah. Sarah overhears this and laughs. So, the Lord asks her why she was laughing.

Her response? She said she wasn’t laughing. She was so afraid she lied to the Lord (Genesis 18:15).

Moses and the Burning Bush

The story of Moses and the burning bush should be a familiar one. Moses is out tending the flocks when he runs across this bush that is on fire but not burning up. So, he goes to investigate. Then the voice of God speaks from the bush.

The bible says that, “At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:6).

Crowds of people

Crowds of people followed Jesus and watched him perform miracles. He healed the blind, deaf, mute, etc. He even cast out demons.

On one such occasion, after Jesus cast out a demon, “the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid (Luke 8:35).”

John

John was a disciple and close friend of Jesus. Late into John’s life he was given a vision by God of the end times. We call this the Revelation of John. In this vision he sees Jesus in all His glory.

John records, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”

Genesis 22:12

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Deuteronomy 10:12–13

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

Job 2:3

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

Psalm 19:9

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 128:1–6

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. 5 May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. 6 May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

Acts 9:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

What is the Fear of the Lord?

There are countless more stories and verses in the bible that relate to people experiencing fear when they encounter the Lord. We’ll explore more on that later. But first, we need to address that phrase that kept popping up: the Fear or the Lord.

What is the Fear of the Lord? What does it mean? What does it look like?

The Lexham Bible Dictionary, which you can get in the for free in the Logos Bible Software App, defines the fear of the Lord as, “A religious expression conveying either devotional piety or the dread of punishment.”

In other words, the fear of the Lord is a response of love toward God that expresses itself in obedience to Him. In this sense, we could describe the Fear of the Lord as Faith + Works.

Faith + Works = Fear of the Lord

This is the most typical meaning of the phrase “Fear of the Lord.” But it doesn’t answer the question why people experience fear when they encountered God. So, why is fear an appropriate response?

Fear is an Appropriate Response to Encountering the Lord

Fear is an appropriate response for everyone when they encounter the Lord. Let’s take a minute to think about it.

God is transcendent. That means He is completely different and unlike anything else in existence. He’s so different and unlike us that there are things we can’t comprehend.

There are things about God that we can never know. If you are anything like me, then you tend to have a fear of the unknown. There are things about God we cannot search, cannot understand, so there may be a fear of the unknown aspects of God.

God is also omniscient. God is so smart that He knows everything. God knows absolutely everything about us. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. We have no secrets from God. We stand 100% exposed and vulnerable before God.

Not only is God omniscient, but He is omnipotent. God is so strong that He can do anything. God created the world by speaking it into existence. He defeated sin and death in three words, “It is finished.” Imagine what He could do to us just by breathing.

Lastly, God is omnipresent. God is so big that He is everywhere. There is nowhere we could go to outrun God or hide from Him.

We have this great, big, strong, smart, powerful Presence in our lives constantly.

And its not AI.

It’s far, far greater. It’s God. So, yes, fear is a reasonable and expected response to an encounter with God. If you want to know more about experiencing God check out these recent articles:

I’d love to know what other feelings you have experienced, or someone may experience, when encountering the Lord in the comments below. For me, it’s been a deep unconditional love that seems to radiate all around. What about you?