Delight in Fear

Isaiah 11:1-5

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lᴏʀᴅ shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

The book of Isaiah contains several Messianic passages looking forward to what the Lᴏʀᴅ was promising in Jesus who would come in human form 700 years later. Isaiah 11:3 gives a glimpse of lifework of Jesus:

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ. 1

The life of Jesus, God Incarnate, was anchored in Jesus delighting to do what pleased the Lᴏʀᴅ. The ‘fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ’ is not being scared of God or cowering, avoiding, hiding away from Father God but it is a deep respect that the Lᴏʀᴅ knows not only what is best theologically (agreement with His character and being) but knows best the expression fulfilling what God desires to accomplish. When we begin to know God as Supreme, Sovereign, Just, Righteous and Holy, we see Him as trustworthy of respect for His ways above our own.

So, the passage continues that in respect (fear) for God, the Messiah (Christ Jesus) does not judge by sight or sound but uses the Lᴏʀᴅ’s standard of Righteousness in all His perceptions and establishes the Lᴏʀᴅ’s ways in staying true to God alone.

How much effort shall we give today to ‘delight in the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ’ in all that we see, say and do? Shall we be Christ-like? Let us respond to God in delight for He is worthy.

FOOTNOTE:
1 Isaiah 11:3 (ESV) – https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/isa/11/3/s_690003
Isaiah 11:1-5 (ESV) - https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/isa/11/1-5/s_690001
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