The Fear of the Lord - Shiphrah and Puah

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The fear of the Lord is he beginning of wisdom...

Proverbs 9:10

...a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

Fear is a powerful feeling, and can have power to make us do something we wouldn't or couldn't normally do - sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. 

Often times we see leaders in positions of power fearing people who are different than they are - Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, the Sanhedrin, Hitler - all of these powerful men were motivated by their fear of people - and their fear had forever consequences.  These leaders also used fear tactics in the way they governed their people to get their way.

But when our fear is of the Lord, we become empowered and blessed.  Shiphrah and Puah were midwives, and they feared their God more than they feared a man.  They went up against a ruthless king and made a way for the Israelite boys to survive.  These women became empowered by God with bold actions and dauntless faith.  They knew the risks of what they were doing, but they were willing to risk their own lives in order to save the lives of others.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego feared God and trusted in Him no matter what their outcome would be (this story is in Daniel 3, and it is one of my very favorites - especially verses 17-18: ^"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”)

And the New Testament is full of examples of men and women who fear God more than they fear men - and God uses them for greatness in His Kingdom - ever heard of a guy named Paul (formerly known as Saul...)!

Wikipedia (a super "reliable" source, I know...) defines the Fear of God in this way:

Fear of God is the idea of living in respect, awe, and submission to a deity.

Wikipedia goes on to define the Fear Emotion that we exhibit when we fear man:

Fear is an emotion induced by a threat perceived by living entities, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing from traumatic events.

To fear God is to respect Him and submit to His authority.  

To fear man is to feel threatened.

I am NOT a brave girl.  I'm actually FULL of fear.  But I long to be the kind of woman who may not have it all together, but who loves God, loves others, and fears my God enough to live with authentic intention, bold actions, and dauntless faith.


You can read more about Shiphrah and Puah's story at She Reads Truth.  Also read Exodus 1:8 - 21; Proverbs 9:10; 31:30.