Fear Not Is A Command....A Bible Study

As you know last Tuesday was Election Day.  I had already voted by mail so I decided to go for a walk.  I usually try to take a long walk at least once a week often at Kenneth Hahn Regional Park.   As I walked I was thinking about what I would teach tonight for Bible Study.  I asked the Holy Spirit what He wanted but I thought about teaching on revival.  A number of people had mentioned the fact that the church needs revival and The Church of Divine Guidance in particular needs it.  I had even taken a video that I planned to post on Instagram and Facebook of me walking and saying that I would be talking about revival tonight.

Then as Election Night wore on it became clear that there was a big surprise coming.  One which the experts and the media, and quite frankly many of us never saw coming.   It became clear that Donald Trump was going to win the election.    I could see disbelief in people of the media and in the interviews of most of the people talked to.  There was elation for Trump supporters and disappointment and even anger from many if not most Clinton supporters.  Before the election many of us talked about not being worried about who won because God was in control.  We talked big because we thought our candidate would win.  

After the dust started to settle and people started to understand what was happening I started seeing something that caused me to change my idea of what to teach tonight, and I believe that the Holy Spirit caused me to see that a lot of the anger that I was seeing and hearing, a lot of the disappointment I was seeing and hearing a lot of the uncertainty that I was seeing and hearing was actually  fear.   A lot of negative and things were said, about people of different religions, colors, ethnic origins, sexual persuasions.  Maybe they were just campaign statements meant to get people to vote a certain way but many people took these things to heart.  The other candidate while not being negative about race or religion or sexual orientation wasn’t all that clean either.  

When the person who made most of those divisive comments won many people thought that was now the mood of the country.   So what I saw then and still see a lot of now is fear.  Fear of the future, uncertainty of which way the country is going to go.  If I’m a Muslim am I going to be attacked in the streets because the leader of the country says that I’m dangerous and a potential terrorist.  Are my children going to be safe in school.  If I’m a Hispanic parent who came into this country 20 years ago and who has worked, paid taxes, had children who were born here and are citizens, I’m I going to be snatched up from work or my home sent back to Mexico or central or South America and have to leave my children here.  If I’m a child, what’s going to happen to my parents.  There are many Asians and others with those same fears.      What about the teenage African American male who worries about being stopped and frisked because the President Elect says we should bring back “stop and frisk”?  What about those parents who are afraid of getting a call that their son has been shot by police.  None of those things may happen but that doesn’t stop the fear because we don’t really know what is going to happen.  

These things are frightening, so the Holy Spirit has allowed me to talk about something that I have written about before. That thing is, with the exception of Himself, God has commanded us to “fear not”.  

Fear God Only

The number of times the phrase "fear not" is used in context differs between translations of the Bible. The King James version uses the phrase 74 times, and the New American Standard Bible uses the phrase four times.Other phrases with meanings similar to "fear not" are also present in the Bible. The King James version includes 29 instances of the phrase "be not afraid." The New American Standard Bible includes the phrases "do not fear" 57 times and "do not be afraid" 46 times.

While there is disagreement on exactly how many times we are told to “"fear not"”, the fact that we are told to not fear anyone or any circumstance other than God Himself, so many times indicates that it is important.  

Fear - : to be afraid of (something or someone): to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant)  : to be afraid and worried

Matthew 10:28 (HCSB)28  Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Bible tells us to fear God, but that fear doesn’t paralyze us. Here's the way that. R. C. Sproul describes the fear of God;

It refers to the fear that a child has for his father and who dearly wants to please him. He has a fear or an anxiety of offending the one he loves, not because he’s afraid of torture or even of punishment, but rather because he’s afraid of displeasing the one who is, in that child’s world, the source of security and love.reverence for Him.  

Proverbs 9:10 (HCSB)  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The Pastor talked about understanding on Sunday and this study is really about understanding God’s command to fear Him but not fear Satan, evil, or man.  

We are to be wise rather than to fear.  

Proverbs 4:6 (HCSB)6  Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you; love her, and she will guard you.

James 1:5 (HCSB)5  Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.

Do not be afraid of man, who can just kill the body, or Satan because he can’t do anything to the believer without God’s permission.  We all know the story about Job where Satan had to have God’s permission before he could do anything to Job.  It’s the same with us Satan can’t do anything to us unless God allows it.  Now we can get ourselves into situations where God does allow Satan to p, to use a word that Pastor used Sunday, vex us and even then God’s purpose for allowing it is for our good because we really called according to His purpose which is to be conformed to the image of Christ.  Even then we are to “fear not”.

Fear paralyzes and controls us, it hinders or dictates every move and decision we make.  Jesus gave His life to set us free from sin, but also from fear.  

John 10:10 (HCSB)10  A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Galatians 5:1 (HCSB)1  Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Timothy 1:7 (HCSB)7  For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

He has also given us some equipment.

Ephesians 6:13-17 (HCSB)13  This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

14  Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,15  and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.16  In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17  Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.

Why Did God Command Us to “Fear Not”?

There are reasons for commands.  They aren’t there just there with no basis in reality.  If God commands us to do something, there are good reasons for it.  

Reasons to “Fear Not”

Fear not because God will not leave or forsake you

When Moses was giving his farewell address to Israel before he died and turned the reins over to Joshua to lead them into Canaan he said this;

Deuteronomy 31:6 (HCSB)6  Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Then he told Joshua;

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (HCSB)7  Moses then summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land the LORD swore to give to their fathers. You will enable them to take possession of it.8  The LORD is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

Then God Himself told Joshua the same thing.

Joshua 1:1-5 (HCSB)1  After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses:2  “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites.3  I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.4  Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea.5  No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.  

Just before he died David gave Solomon instructions about building the temple;  

1 Chronicles 28:20 (HCSB)20  Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the LORD’s house is finished.

Just in case you are thinking that was only for those Old Testament folk the writer of Hebrews, Jews who were followers of Christ and who were being persecuted and in fear of their lives;

Hebrews 13:5-6 (HCSB)5  Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.6  Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

He was talking about money here but the point was Instead of taking comfort in possessions, Christians are to derive their comfort from God's own presence and provision, for he neither leaves them nor fails them. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.

Fear not because God will help you

Isaiah 41:8-14 (HCSB)8  But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, My friend—9  I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are My servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you.10  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.11  Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish.

12  You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing.13  For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you.14  Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel: I will help you— ⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah was writing about the time that Israel was exiled to Babylon and would be returned to the land.  He wrote what God had given tell His people.  He asked if they were weak and if so He would strengthen them;  He would uphold them with His right hand.  That even though there were those who sought their ruin they were not to worry about them.  In fact they would even be able to find them if they looked for them.  

Just in verse 10 alone there are 5 reasons to not fear;

1) I am with you; 2) I am your God; 3) I will strengthen you;  4) I will help you; and 5) I will hold you with my righteous right hand.

No matter the circumstance don’t fear but wait and trust

Psalm 33:20 (HCSB)20  We wait for Yahweh; He is our help and shield.

Psalm 37:39-40 (HCSB)39  The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD, their refuge in a time of distress.40  The LORD helps and delivers them; He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in Him.

Psalm 72:12 (HCSB)12  For he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.

Fear not because God knows you by name

This is encouragement that no matter what’s going on in your life that God has not abandoned or forgotten you but that His love is more than even your mother’s love.

Isaiah 49:14-16 (HCSB)14  Zion says, “The LORD has abandoned me; The Lord has forgotten me!”15  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.16  Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.

Isaiah 43:1 (HCSB) Now this is what the LORD says— the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

John 10:3 (HCSB)  The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Fear not because God is our refuge

Psalm 46:1-3 (HCSB)1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.2  Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas,3  though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil.Selah

God is present and we can trust Him in any circumstance it doesn’t matter if it’s an illness, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, loss of an election,  or a national or international catastrophe whether a natural disaster or one that is man made.  

This psalm is what inspired Martin Luther two write “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”.

A mighty Fortress is our God, A Bulwark never failing; Our Helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.

Fear not because God will give us peace

Philippians 4:6-7 (HCSB)6  Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.7  And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace is the freedom from disturbance; it’s quiet and tranquility.  The peace of God that passes all understanding is not just a psychological state of mind; this peace is spiritual peace…the peace of the God of all Creation.   This is the peace of people whose sins are forgiven.  The peace that comes from being in a right relationship with Jesus doesn’t depend on everything going well.

This peace is the opposite of anxiety.   It is the tranquillity that comes when you commit all your cares to God in prayer and don’t worry about them anymore.  You are confident that God can and will do what is best for you.

This  peace guards you from anxiety, fear, and worry like a sentry guards the entrance to a military installation or the ones who stand guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Washington,  DC.   

Choose faith over fear

As I said earlier to “fear not” is a command which means we can choose to do or not do it.   You can’t avoid making the choice between faith and fear.  You are either walking in faith of fear.  You can’t do faith and fear at the same time.  

6 Steps In Choosing Faith Over Fear

1. Know the Word

Psalm 119:66 (HCSB)66  Teach me good judgment and discernment, for I rely on Your commands.

God’s word is our foundation in choosing faith over fear.  It’s not enough to attend church on Sunday, attending Bible Study, or attending Prayer Meeting.  To really understand that promises of God to never leave or forsake you and to protect you takes study the kind of study that causes His Word to soak into your  spirit.   

2. Obey the Word

James 2:22 (HCSB)22  You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected.

The more often we walk by faith and not sight in obedience to God’s Word the more our faith grows because we see that He always keeps His promises.  

2 Corinthians 5:7 (HCSB)7  For we walk by faith, not by sight,

Deuteronomy 7:9 (HCSB)9  Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.

3. Speak the Word

Deuteronomy 30:14 (HCSB)14  But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.

There’s something about speaking God’s Word aloud.  It’s not so God can hear it.  Yes, it’s so your enemy Satan can hear it.  Jesus, when tempted by Satan in the wilderness spoke God’s Word and Satan left Him.  

Matthew 4:10-11 (HCSB)10  Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.”11  Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.  

When you speak God's Word you hear it too..  There's just something about repeating God’s Word that pushes you when you feel like giving in to fear and anxiety.   

4. Pray the Word

Hebrews 4:12 (HCSB)12  For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.

Some of the best prayers come straight from the Bible and are wonderful examples of how to move from fear to faith.

.Exodus 33:13 (HCSB)13  Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.”  - Moses

Psalm 3:1-8 (HCSB)1 LORD, how my foes increase! There are many who attack me.

2  Many say about me, “There is no help for him in God.”Selah3  But You, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.4  I cry aloud to the LORD, and He answers me from His holy mountain.Selah5  I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me.6  I am not afraid of the thousands of people who have taken their stand against me on every side.7  Rise up, LORD! Save me, my God! You strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked.8  Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people.Selah - David

Jonah 2:2-9 (HCSB)2  I called to the LORD in my distress, and He answered me. I cried out for help in the belly of Sheol; You heard my voice.3  You threw me into the depths, into the heart of the seas, and the current overcame me. All Your breakers and Your billows swept over me.4  But I said: I have been banished from Your sight, yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple.5  The waters engulfed me up to the neck; the watery depths overcame me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.6  I sank to the foundations of the mountains; the earth with its prison bars closed behind me forever! But You raised my life from the Pit, LORD my God!7  As my life was fading away, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came to You, to Your holy temple.8  Those who cling to worthless idols forsake faithful love,9  but as for me, I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD!

There are many more find them, memorize them, pray them when you feel fear creeping in.

5. Live the Word

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)4  But He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

James 1:22 (HCSB) But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

If you know, obey, speak and pray the Word of God, you will live out your life in faith and not fear.

6.  Trust the Word

Psalm 91:1-16 (HCSB)1  The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.2  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”3  He Himself will deliver you from the hunter’s net, from the destructive plague.4  He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.5  You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day,6  the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon.7  Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you.8  You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.9  Because you have made the LORD—my refuge, the Most High—your dwelling place,10  no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent.11  For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.12  They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.13  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.14  Because he is lovingly devoted to Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows My name.15  When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor.16  I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation.

Fear brings worry, stress, anxiety and torment, but the love of God, His perfect love drives it away.

1 John 4:16-18 (HCSB)16  And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.17  In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world.18  There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.  

As you know, obey, speak and pray the Word of God His love will become even more evident. Your faith is built on the foundation of God’s love for you.

Accepting God’s love and having His Word abide in is choosing faith over fear.

​ You only have one life to live, choose to live it boldly and never let fear steal God’s best for you!

Bible Study Audio