© 2013 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)
“That’s so awesome!” Such exclamatory statements are made about everything from job promotions to tasty toothpaste. Do you know what that word, “awesome,” actually means?
The Hebrew word translated “reverend,” in the King James Bible, means “awesome.” It depicts one worthy of holy awe, or fear. The English word, “reverend,” occurs only one time in the King James Bible and applies to God, alone. “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name” (Psalms 111:9).
Is your toothpaste or job promotion deserving of such awe? Is even your Christian minister worthy of such honor? God’s word indicates that only God, Himself, deserves this kind of reverence. Only His name commands such respect. Every Bible verse that uses both the Hebrew word for “reverend” and the Hebrew word for “name,” speaks of deep reverential fear of God’s Holy name. These two words, used together, never refer to anyone else.
How awesome is God? Scripture repeatedly teaches that the foundation of all true wisdom and knowledge is a proper awe of Him. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever” (Psalms 111:10). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
How awesome is God? Jesus, God the Son, explains. Listen: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4-5). Only God can redeem a repentant sinner, and only He can cast an unrepentant sinner into Hell.
It is essential to understand something of the awesomeness of God before you can seek His forgiveness by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. He offered Himself as the blood sacrifice for repentant sinners on the Roman cross at Mount Calvary.
Do you understand how awesome God is?
For related articles on God’s name see the following:
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