PRÉCIS ON THE FEAR OF GOD VS. THE FEAR OF MEN

SCRIPTURE. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in not fail you or abandon you.” – DEUTERONOMY 31:6, AMP

KEY TERMS:

• “BE STRONG!” ‘Chazaq’ [חִזְק֣וּ]: “A primitive root, ‘To fasten upon, hence, to seize;’ to be courageous; to strengthen, help, repair, fortify, cure; to be obstinate; to cleave (and continue to cleave); to harden [against falsehood or corruption]; to be mighty, to prevail; ‘to play the man;’ to be sure, and behave oneself valiantly; to withstand; to grow firm; of or by royal power; of the sound of a trumpet [to battle].”

• BE COURAGEOUS! ‘Amets’ [וְאִמְצ֔וּ]: “A primitive root, ‘To be alert, stout, strong;’ of good courage by being steadfastly minded; to be firmly established or fortified [in truth]; to be obstinate and hardened [against compromise]; to be Brave; bold; daring; intrepid; hardy to encounter difficulties and dangers; adventurous; enterprising.”

QUOTATION. “‘To each,’ WINSTON CHURCHILL would say, ‘there comes in their lifetime a Special Moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very Special Thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that Moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.’” ― RYAN HOLIDAY, Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, 2021; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Be strong and of a good courage.’ – The Septuagint Version is, ’Play the men, and be strong!” Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might, trusting and relying on Him that goes before you; and so take heart, and be of good courage, and act the manly part; the Apostle seems to refer to this passage, 1 Corinthians 16:13 [‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong’].

‘Fear not, nor be afraid of them.’ – Their enemies, though so numerous, so mighty, and some of them of a gigantic stature, and their cities strong and well fenced: ‘For the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee.’ In comparison of whom, numbers of men, their strength of body, and fortified places, signify nothing.

‘He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ – Not fail to fulfil His Promises to them, not leave them till He had given them complete victory over their enemies, put them into the possession of their land, and settled them in it. This Promise, though made to literal Israel, belongs to the Spiritual Israel of God, and is made good to every true believer in the Lord; see Hebrews 13:5.” – JOHN GILL, An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 9 vols., 1746-1763; edited

DK’S TAKE. I came very close to citing a quotation from my possibly least favorite author ever, J.K. ROWLING, but it applied so powerfully and directly to me recent personal struggles that I could not, not quote her about here.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1997; edited

It has been rightly said that it is your friends who can hurt you the most, and that is absolutely a universal (and recent) truth brought home to me. ‘Since the Rise of Donald Trump’ into American politics, culture and religion, I have Lost the great majority of my lifelong friends, some family members and most of the entire American Church leaders.

And yes, it hurts – very much.

CODA. But if the reason for such Loss involves standing for Christ and Canon more than for friendships – and presuming self-righteousness is not present here – then it is worth it, beloved. JESUS WARNED:

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple.” – LUKE 14:26-27, AMP

We must therefore band together to lift up one another’s arms, beloved, even as in the Days of Moses. To keep each other strong in the Coming Days.