The lack of fear of, or respect for, people of authority is a common phenomenon today, eg: students do not respect their teachers, children disobey their parents, etc. This phenomenon can also be seen among many Christians where they have no fear and reverence to God Almighty by the manner in which they worship God in church and in their lives. In Exodus 20:1-17, God had given His children the Ten Commandments. The responses of the children of God upon hearing the commandments were that of fear. There are three things we can learn from their responses towards God.

(1) A trembling fear (Exod 20:18-19)

Having seen the thunderings and lightnings when God gave them the laws, the children of God were afraid and trembled in fear, and “they removed, and stood afar off” (Exod 20:18). Their trembling fear of God led them to want to withdraw themselves from God. (The root meaning of the Hebrew word for “remove” is to shake or tremble, to stagger uncontrollably backwards.) This is not the kind of godly fear that Christians are to have (Ps 4:4). Godly fear does not drive us away from God. It helps us to draw closer to God. The awareness of the purity and holiness of God makes us realise our weaknesses and sinfulness, and thus our unworthiness before God. Our unworthiness will then drive us towards our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the remission of our sins.

(2) A deliberate and conscious fear (Exod 20:20-22)

Moses, seeing that the people responded in a trembling fear that drew them away from God, wanted them to have the right kind of fear, i.e. a godly and reverential fear towards God. He wanted them to have a fear that is “before your faces” (Exod 20:20), i.e. to have the fear of God in front of them so that they view everything through the fear of God. Such a fear of God will result in them being conscious of God’s presence in every part of their lives. Thus, we must deliberately and consciously put the fear of God in everything that we do and in every area of our lives as this will prevent us from sinning against God. This godly fear can be learnt and cultivated. Hence, parents are to teach their children this godly fear (Ps 34:11).

(3) An obedient fear (Exod 20:23-26)

Godly fear will lead to obedience. The holiness and purity of God will drive us to desire to live our lives in holiness and obedience to God’s Word as we do not want to do anything that will tarnish the name of God, including His holiness, power, glory, grace and greatness.