Let Him be your dread

One of my favorite books of all time is Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments, by Geerhardus Vos. I'm sure a few of you are rolling your eyes right now because I have mentioned it more than a couple times during discussions. I think he does a wonderful job of explaining the deeper meaning of things, whether it be a specific word, text, or a recurring theme in the Scriptures. Whether he is right or not (I'm sure in some instances, he's not!), he still makes a very compelling argument. And he never ceases to capture my adoration - not in his abilities but in the great and wonderfully extravagant God we love and serve and under whose dominion we live.

More specifically, for the purpose of this post, I was captured by his explanation of the meaning of the name ascribed to God, "Elohim." Vos says in his book, "Elohim is probably derived from a root 'alah,' no longer found in the Hebrew, but believed to exist in Arabic. It means 'to fear, to be perplexed, and so to seek refuge.' From that, there is but one step to the notion 'dread,' and this would be objectified in the sense of 'the One to be dreaded,' or 'the One to whom one comes in fear or dread.'"

I don't know why, but I just love that explanation! Probably because it reminds me so much of what is said in Scripture about God. Isaiah 8:13 says, "But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." So terrifying was the presence of this dreadful Destroyer at Mt. Sinai that Moses declared, "I tremble with fear" (Hebrews 12:21). His very voice is louder than a trumpet blast sent throughout the earth. He is shrouded in mysterious clouds and lightning (Exodus 19:6). We are warned to not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul - there is One greater than these that can destroy both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). He is our fear and dread.

And yet, we still seek refuge in him, don't we? Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" If our God is the great Destroyer, Judge, and Terror of all of creation, and he is for us (Romans 8:31), what else can we possibly be afraid of? The apostle Peter asks this same question: to whom shall we go for shelter and sanctuary and life (John 6:68-69)? He is said to be both lawgiver and judge, who is able to both save and destroy (James 4:12) - and yet, in Christ, we are absolutely certain that we have nothing to fear (Romans 8:1). We seek refuge in the God of fear and dread because Christ has redeemed us from the sin that enslaved us, satisfied the wrath that inevitably awaited us, and in his perfect life, death, and resurrection, enabled us to become the righteousness of God.

Each day, we are confronted with the God of Terror, in whom even the demons believe...and shudder (James 2:19). And each day, we remember that long ago a Son of Man climbed the Calvary hill, willingly clothed himself in the sins of his brethren, and died in our stead. In an inconceivable act, he subjected himself to the winepress of His terrible fury. On the third day, he was raised for our justification, that we today might find the God of peace and comfort and grace.

SDG