Worship / Fear of the Lord (Matthew 4:10)

As has become the pattern of how He draws me into His word, I asked tonight where He would have me to read.  Initially He wouldn’t answer.  I had Thera on my heart and sensed He wanted me to stop and pray.  So I did – with pleasure. 🙂 Once done, I paused again and asked and this time got an answer – Matthew 4:10.  Seeing the original verse in the context of verses 8-10, will help clarify:

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

In verse 8, the word “world” is the Greek word “Kosmos“, which pretty much means everything – the world and universe, much like our English word cosmos does (which I’m confident comes from the same root).  The thing that’s interesting here is that He is not tempted to worship the world or the things of the world, He is simply offered the things of the world in exchange for worshiping satan.

The interesting implication I see here is that if we choose the things of this world that essentially means we are worshiping satan.  There’s basically two options – worship God or worship satan.  Worshiping anything that is NOT God is the equivalent of worshiping satan.  Wow.

So how often does God ask us to do stuff and we ignore it because we don’t want to do it.  We’ve just chosen that other thing over God… we’ve esteemed something higher than the Living God!  We’ve worshiped that which is not Him.

Another interesting thing, the “it is written” in verse 10 refers to Deuteronomy 6:13:

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Here Jesus has used the terms “worship” and “fear the LORD” interchangeably!  So to revere the Lord IS worship!  Wow, that is lovely.  So worship isn’t just a song or a dance, but it is someone living their life with all the attributes God says show a fear of the Lord.  Things like:

  • abide with the Lord
  • bless and do not curse
  • do not oppress (put down or burden) others
  • do the right thing (have integrity)
  • don’t envy sinners
  • dwell at ease (free from care or worry)
  • friends to others who fear God
  • greatly revere the Lord
  • hate a mouth that is disobedient, gossips, or stirs up trouble
  • hate arrogance
  • hate evil and evil ways
  • hate pride
  • hates covetousness (greed)
  • hold nothing back from Him
  • honest
  • honor their elders
  • honorable
  • honored
  • inherit the earth
  • kind and not cruel
  • know they are not god
  • listen to God, believe what He says, and are obedient to Him
  • listen to testimonies
  • obey His commandments and teach their children to as well
  • perfect holiness
  • ready to share their own testimony with humility and Godly fear
  • serve Him sincerely and in truth and serve no other gods
  • stay free from sin
  • submit (yield) to one another
  • tithe
  • treat their brothers and sisters fairly and kindly
  • will not leave Him
  • work as though they work for Him
  • worship (praise) Him

Selah!

This is related to what He gave me earlier today in the prayer room:

“And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” Mark 4:18- 19

So the reason He won’t share our love with the things of this world is because they draw us away from Him… we become unfruitful.

Lord, I want to bear fruit!  I ask that You would continue to grow in me a fear of the Lord.  An understanding of who You are.  Help me to display the attributes and characteristics of a woman who fears You.  I desire to serve only You – to worship only You – to have no other God but You.

Thank You that You are faithful to help me walk it out.  Change me and mold me, make me more like You.

One Reply to “Worship / Fear of the Lord (Matthew 4:10)”

  1. He is giving you so much insight in individual scriptures… it’s amazing. He is really showing you some stuff… swallow it and let it soak in deep. This is good stuff.

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