The Fear of the Lord

Order of Service

• Announcements
• Prayer of Preparation
• Call to Worship — Matthew 11:28-30
• Hymn — May Jesus Christ Be Praised
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin — Isaiah 53
• Assurance of Pardon — 1 John 1:9
• Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 24
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
• Sermon
• Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
• Benediction — 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

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Sermon Title: The Fear of the Lord

Scripture: 1 Samuel 6

I. The Fear of the Lord Tested (vv. 1–9)

A. The ark has been in Philistia for seven months, bringing devastating judgment — the destruction of Dagon, plague, and mice ravaging the land

B. The Philistine priests and diviners recognize this as a spiritual war and instruct the people to return the ark with a guilt offering

1. Five golden tumors and five golden mice correspond to the five cities of the Philistine pentapolis
2. The judgment against Dagon — god of grain and harvest — is compounded by mice ravaging the crops, demonstrating Yahweh's total supremacy

C. The Philistines devise a test using two unyoked milk cows separated from their calves — against every natural instinct, the cows go straight toward Beth-shemesh, confirming Yahweh's hand

D. Application: The pagan Philistines respond with more godly wisdom than Israel — and perhaps more than the church today in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

1. This pandemic, whatever its scientific explanation, comes from the sovereign hand of God
2. God may be placing his people in his classroom to school them in the fear of the Lord
3. We must not allow pagans to outdo us in wisdom and reverence before God

II. The Fear of the Lord Remembered (vv. 10–18)

A. The ark arrives at Beth-shemesh, a Levitical city (Joshua 21:16), where it is received with joy and the people offer burnt offerings to the Lord

B. In verses 17–18, the author pauses to address his original audience: the stone at Beth-shemesh stands as a witness to Yahweh's acts of judgment against the Philistines and against Israel

C. Application: God uses hard providences — days of want and disruption — to place us before the mirror so we see ourselves clearly before a holy God

1. In days of suffering we often learn the fear of the Lord, but in days of plenty we forget those lessons
2. We must take inventory of what God teaches us in difficult seasons and not allow prosperity to veil our true nature before a holy God

III. The Fear of the Lord Forgotten (vv. 19–21)

A. Joy turns to sorrow when 70 men of Beth-shemesh are struck down for gazing upon the ark of the Lord

B. This violation goes back to Numbers 4:6, where God gave explicit instructions that the ark was not to be uncovered or gazed upon — the Levites of Beth-shemesh, of all people, should have known this

C. The covenant people of God respond identically to the pagan Philistines: Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? — and send the ark away

1. Whether inside or outside the church, approaching God outside of his Word turns joy into sorrow
2. Excitement and exuberance can cause forgetfulness of obedience — illustrated by the behavior of children, and equally true of God's people

D. The proper response is a fearful joy — not irreverent excitement, but reverent, obedient rejoicing

1. Psalm 2:11 — Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling
2. Philippians 4:4 — Rejoice in the Lord always — but it is a reverent, obedient joy
3. Irreverent joy is fleeting; the joy of heaven is the joy of saints and angels prostrate before the King of kings in fearful adoration

E. Conclusion: We are not prepared for heavenly worship if our worship lacks proper fear before a holy God; Christ restores to us the obedient, reverent joy lost in Adam, by his Spirit