You might be old enough to remember the way people used to
“dial” into radio stations. The tuner was a round knob that one had to turn
until one found the clear sound or sweet spot of the radio station they wanted.
Until the sweet spot was found there was static noise before, after, and
between radio stations. Similarly, televisions used to have antennas that one
would have to move into certain position to pick up the VHF or UHF signal.
Usually someone would stand by the television moving the two long antenna or
the circular antenna until another person thought the signal was good. I bring
this up so that we can remember what static is like. When we are not quite
tuned into the radio station we hear static, or when we are not quite receiving
the television station we see static. The same static happens to us, when we
are not dialed into our heart correctly. Fear causes our heart signal to have
static.
Let’s think for a moment on how we seem to be wired by
Yahweh our Creator. In a practical application, imagine we are driving our car
and our brain sees the traffic light turning red. Our brain tells our body to
use the brake and stop. While we are stopped we see an old woman crossing the
street. We sense something about her, she seems kind. Our brain is evaluating
her clothing, her cane, her earrings, her hat, while our heart is sensing love radiating
from her. We consider her love and remember those that we love. Our kidneys/reins
feel compassionate and our heart ponders or reflects on our own grandmothers,
and then our reins feel warmth and comfort. But what if the scenario was
different. Imagine we are driving our car and the traffic light turns red, our
brain signals our body to stop, but this time we see a women pushing a shopping
cart. As our brain is assessing the women, noticing her ragged coat, her messy
hair, her items in the cart, our heart senses something confusing, like static.
The women seems to be talking to herself, and our mind imagines she must not
smell nice, and may be volatile. We ponder in our heart how she may have lived
a hard life, we sense that she could have been abused. Our kidneys/reins react
with fear, fight or flight, and that fear signals our brain to lock the car
doors. Our heart may react with pity, mercy, fear, or love, but our brain is
evaluating for danger, and our body becomes tense. Our mind is wondering what
is taking this light so long to turn green. This is the way we seem to be wired
according to the Holy Spirit, the brain observes and directs our physical
actions, our heart senses, thinks, and considers, and our kidney’s respond to
either the heart or the brain. With this in mind let’s try to understand fear. There
is startling fear that subsides quickly and deep rooted fear that then causes
other reactions. Sometimes our heart can have fear, directing our thoughts and
actions to timidity and cowardice. Eventually a life lived in timidity can have
dire consequences.
Fear is self-inflicted punishment. It is something we do to
ourselves. We sometimes say people have phobias of things, such as spiders, or
monsters, or individuals. Sometimes we sense something in another person that
scares us, sometimes the look of an insect scares us, and sometimes the things
we only imagine grow into fears. Now there is a difference between fear as when
something startles us, or a fear that paralyzes us. One might jump at the sight
of a spider, but then rationalize the situation and deal with it. On the other
hand one might be afraid to speak publicly to a room full of strangers and
become frozen and unable to think or speak, so much so, one may even feel sick.
What is imagined or made up in one’s mind may not be real, such as an audience
of people hating what a speaker has to say or the ghost of a spider attacking
one in his/her sleep. A classic definition from Dictionary.com is as follows.
Phobia, noun:
A persistent, irrational fear
of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire
to avoid it.
Wikipedia says:
Specific phobias are an
overwhelming and unreasonable fear of objects or situations that pose little
real danger but provoke anxiety and avoidance. Unlike the brief anxiety you may
feel when giving a speech or taking a test, specific phobias are long lasting,
cause intense physical and psychological reactions, and can affect your ability
to function normally at work, at school or in social settings.
Specific phobias are among the
most common anxiety disorders, and not all phobias need treatment. But if a
specific phobia affects your daily life, several therapies are available that
can help you work through and overcome your fears — often permanently.
John is the one who enlightens us on this philosophical
understanding.
1 John 4:18G5401Fear G3756is not
G1510.2.3 G1722in G3588the G26love, G235but G3588the G5046perfect
G26love G1854[3outside
G9061casts G3588 G54012fear];
G3754for G3588 G5401fear G2851[2punishment
G21921holds],
G3588and
the one G1161 G5399fearing
G3756has
not G5048been
made perfect G1722in G26love
5401 LSJ Gloss: φόβοςflight
Dodson: φόβοςfear, terror, reverence (a) fear, terror,
alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect.
Strong's: φόβος alarm or fright Derivation: from a primary
φέβομαι (to be put in fear); KJV Usage: be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.
Thayer:
1) fear, dread, terror
1a) that which strikes terror
2) reverence for one's husband
1a) that which strikes terror
2) reverence for one's husband
φόβος phobos fob'-os From a
primary φέβομαι phebomai (to be put in fear); alarm or fright
KJV Usage: be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.
2851 LSJ Gloss: κόλασις chastisement, correction,
punishment
Dodson: κόλασις chastisement, punishment chastisement,
punishment, torment, perhaps with the idea of deprivation.
2192 LSJ Gloss: ἔχω to have
Dodson: ἔχω I have, hold, possess.
Thayer:
1) to have, i.e. to hold
1a) to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as
2) to have i.e. own, possess
2a) external things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc.
2b) used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship
3) to hold one's self or find one's self so and so, to be in such or such a condition
4) to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to
4a) to be closely joined to a person or a thing
1a) to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as
2) to have i.e. own, possess
2a) external things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc.
2b) used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship
3) to hold one's self or find one's self so and so, to be in such or such a condition
4) to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to
4a) to be closely joined to a person or a thing
ἔχω echō ekh'-o A primary verb (including an alternate formσχέω scheō skheh'-o used in certain tenses only); to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession, ability, contiguity, relation or condition)KJV Usage: be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can (+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do, + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.
5399 LSJ Gloss: φοβέω to put to flight
Dodson: φοβέομαι I fear, am terrified I fear, dread,
reverence, am afraid, terrified.
Strong's: φοβέω to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be
alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere
Derivation: from G5401; KJV Usage: be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.
Derivation: from G5401; KJV Usage: be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.
Thayer:
1) to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away)
1a) to put to flight, to flee
1b) to fear, be afraid
1b1) to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm
1b1a) of those startled by strange sights or occurrences
1b1b) of those struck with amazement
1b2) to fear, be afraid of one
1b3) to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm)
1c) to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience
For Synonyms see entry G5841
1a) to put to flight, to flee
1b) to fear, be afraid
1b1) to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm
1b1a) of those startled by strange sights or occurrences
1b1b) of those struck with amazement
1b2) to fear, be afraid of one
1b3) to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm)
1c) to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience
For Synonyms see entry G5841
φοβέω phobeō fob-eh'-o From G5401; to frighten, that is, (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy to be in awe of, that is, revere KJV Usage: be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.
The first thing John says is that fear is not in love. If
we have fear in our heart we do not have love in our heart, they do not
co-exist. It is similar to light and dark unable to co-exist. Light dispels
dark, love dispels fear. This is not the startling kind of fear like surprise,
but instead this is deeper fear. Fear arises at times when we believe something
endangers us that is bigger than spiders, but will infringe on our well-being,
our health, or our future. If we feel threatened, we become fearful. Why?
Because our focus is on ourselves and not on loving others.
Just as David prayed for Solomon to have a perfect heart,
so then it must be available to have a perfect heart; it is true for being made
perfect in love. We can be made perfect in love which will dispel fear. If we
meditate, ponder, and think on the words that the Holy Spirit gave us, we will
develop trust, confidence, and faith in our Heavenly Father and Jesus’
completed works to redeem us. Isn’t this idea developed nicely by Paul who said
that in whatever situation he was in, whether rich or poor, having plenty or
being in need, he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him? It
doesn’t matter what government we live under, or when financial markets rise or
fall, or whether an enemy threatens or bullies us, we can handle all situations
through Christs’ strength, but only if we know it in our heart. Otherwise, like
the rest of the unsaved world, we may faint. Perfect love throws out fear.
Fear holds punishment. Fear possesses torment. Fear
inflicts penalty. The question we must ask ourselves or others who are fearful
is, are we allowing fear into our hearts over love? Are we tormenting ourselves
with fear, inflicting punishment on ourselves because we are not putting
perfect love into our heart? Fear contains punishment. If one knew that eating
a certain food would adversely affect their own intestines, one would avoid
eating it, because that particular food has punishment, whether it is due to
spicy seasoning, un-cooked meats, or indigestible dairy proteins. Instead of
tormenting ourselves with something that makes us sick we should endeavor to be
made perfect in the thing that heals us, love.
The one fearing is not made perfect in love. When we are
fearful we do not trust Yahweh with our life or future. When we are fearful we
forget our future is secured. When we are fearful we behave badly,
self-centered, and self-focused, forgetting others. But we are to lay our lives
down for others, how can we say we are doing what Jesus asked when we become
protective of our own lives. There may be people who physically harm us or
threaten us, but we don’t have to live in fear beyond that incident. We can
choose to dwell in the past and relive all our past hurts but that is not being
made perfect in love. It is punishing to continually think on evil incidents
and evil people. We cannot help the evil that attacks us in this world, but we
can choose how much time we give it in our heart. Perfection in love is
attainable, but how much effort we put into it is our decision.
To switch gears for a moment, in ancient times the planet
Mars had a slightly different orbit, which caused natural disasters on the
earth. People of those times could see the two moons of Mars, Phobos and
Deimos. They also noticed that Phobos appears to orbit differently, rising in
the west and setting in the east. Here is an explanation as to why Phobos
appears that way.
Phobos lies only 9378 km (less
than three planetary radii) from the center of Mars and, as we saw earlier, has
an orbital period of 7 hours and 39 minutes. This orbit period is much less
than a Martian day, so an observer standing on the Martian surface would see
Phobos move "backward" across the Martian sky—that is, in a direction
opposite the apparent daily motion of the Sun. Because the moon moves faster
than the observer, it overtakes the planet's rotation, rising in the west and
setting in the east, crossing the sky from horizon to horizon in about 5.5 hours.
Deimos lies somewhat farther out, at 23,459 km, or slightly less than seven
planetary radii, and orbits in 30 hours and 18 minutes. Because it completes
its orbit in more than a Martian day, it moves "normally," as seen
from the ground (that is, from east to west), taking almost 3 days to traverse
the sky. http://lifeng.lamost.org/courses/astrotoday/CHAISSON/AT310/HTML/AT31007.HTM
The two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos are named after the characters Phobos (panic/fear)
and Deimos (terror/dread) who, in Greek mythology, accompanied
their father Ares, god of war, into battle. We derive the word phobia from phobos, meaning fear. With a
slight adjustment to the consonant “m” we derive the word for timid, from deilos/deimos. We understand that in the
pre-Grecian world Mars was the planet of war and it’s near orbiting approach
caused natural disasters on the earth, and the ancients understood that the
moons of Mars caused fear in people. Later, the Greeks invented the story of Ares,
Phobos, and Deimos to communicate war and fear. Today, when we look at these
two words in scripture we can understand their significance in what Yahweh is
telling us regarding fear and timidity to be a self-imposed punishment. Mars
and its moons may look scary and intimidating, but if we have a heart filled in
love, made perfect in love, we will not find ourselves intimidated at all. In
other words, we can stand with our shoulders back and our head held high in the
face of a scary or intimidating situation because perfect love casts out Phobos
and Deimos. And that is just love, which is not to mention our spiritual authority
over spiritual situations. With this in mind, let’s take a look at fear from an
above or dominant position of a heart filled with love and see what we find. Joshua ben Sirach writes:
Ecclus 40:1-11 Great labour is created for all men, and a
heavy yoke is upon the children of Adam, from the day of their coming out of
their mother's womb, until the day of their burial into the mother of all.2
Their thoughts, and fears of the heart, their imagination of things to come,
and the day of their end:3 From him that sitteth on a glorious throne, unto him
that is humbled in earth and ashes: 4 From him that weareth purple, and beareth
the crown, even to him that is covered with rough linen: wrath, envy, trouble,
unquietness, and the fear of death, continual anger, and strife,5 And in the
time of rest upon his bed, the sleep of the night changeth his knowledge.6 A
little and as nothing is his rest, and afterward in sleep, as in the day of
keeping watch.7 He is troubled in the vision of his heart, as if he had escaped
in the day of battle. In the time of his safety he rose up, and wondereth that
there is no fear:8 Such things happen to all flesh, from man even to beast, and
upon sinners are sevenfold mere.9 Moreover, death, and bloodshed, strife, and
sword, oppressions, famine, and affliction, and scourges:10 All these things
are created for the wicked, and for their sakes came the flood.11 All things
that are of the earth, shall return to the earth again, and all waters shall
return to the sea. Douay-Rheims
People are in fear from birth to death, no matter whether
they are rich kings wearing purple or poor people who wear rough linen
garments, all people are born into a world of fear and dread. People are
troubled in the visions of their heart, why? Because without the Holy Spirit
residing within, prior to Jesus’ coming to earth, all there was for man was
wrestling with the devil’s kingdom. Today, with Jesus’ accomplishment on the
cross, we can have the Holy Spirit within, giving us the spiritual authority on
the earth and a heart that can contain perfect love. We do not have to
entertain fear and dread in our heart, we do not have to lack trust or confidence
in our Savior, we are not subject to the fear and dread of this world. Solomon
writes this:
Wisdom 17:12-13 For fear is nothing else but a betraying of
the succours which reason offereth.13 And the expectation from within, being
less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment. KJV
Fear is a betrayal of the relief or respite that intellect
and reason offers. Do not betray what you know is right. Lower expectations
elevate ignorance more than the thing that torments. This is one of the most
profound statements on fear ever written next to John’s description of fear
being self-inflicted punishment. What reason and logic tell us is that we have
a Savior, a Messiah who died for us to be able to redeem us. Who is bigger than
our Creator? Who has more power than the one who created all spiritual and
physical beings? So fear is a betrayal of that reason and the comfort that
reasons provides us. We read our own failures and the failings of those who let
us down into Yahweh. That is only an elevation of our own ignorance. That
exultation of our own wrong thinking about Yahweh allows something to torment
us that should not. David writes us a great reminder.
1G2962The lord
G5462is my
illumination G1473 G2532and G4990my
deliverer, G1473 G5100in
whom G5399shall
I fear? G2962The lord
G5231.5is the defender
G3588 G2222of my
life, G1473 G575from G5100whom G1168shall
I be timid?
Who should we fear/phobos?
Who should we become timid/deimos over? Phobos #5399 and Deimos #1168,
the two spiritual brothers who, when we become weak, cause us to fear and then
become timid. It is time to shine the love of Jesus on Phobos and Deimos. Our
deliverer is coming for us. There is no need to have nightmares over the evil
one. In the context of Wisdom 17, Solomon is writing about the Exodus and the sons
of God and in contrast the unjust and unthankful. Solomon says it is His word
that preserves those who put their trust in Him.
Wisdom 16:26 That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovest,
might know, that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man: but that
it is thy word, which preserveth them that put their trust in thee. KJV
Remembering our study on rhema, logos, laleo, and grapho, we see the benefit of putting His words in our heart. Those
words which are living and active energize our heart so that we trust in Him.
Solomon notes the unthankful.
http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/11/speaking-by-spirit-dumb-speak.html http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/11/swords-ambi-daggers-multifunctional.html http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/11/brainwashing-war-on-knowledge-sophistry.html http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/11/our-emotional-center-examining-our.html
Wisdom 16:29 For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away
as the winter's hoar frost, and shall run away as unprofitable water. KJV
The unthankful have no hope, they did not put the words of
Yahweh on in their heart. Un-thankfulness is like frost, there is no hope of
collecting water from frost. As for the unjust, they relied on magicians and
those who promised their incantations would help them. This is what Solomon
says about them.
Wisdom 17:7-11 As for the illusions of art magick, they
were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace.8 For
they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were
sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at.9 For though no terrible thing
did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of
serpents,10 They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of
no side be avoided.11 For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very
timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous
things. KJV
Look at verse 11, wickedness is condemned by its own
behavior and is very timid and fearful. In other words if someone behaves in a
bad or sinful manner, the sinner is condemned by their sinful behavior, and
that makes that sinner timid. Then that sinner will forecast or prophesy
horrible and terrible things. Think that through, have we ever known a doom and
gloom modern day prophet? That may be due to the modern day prophet being
condemned by their own sin. Isn’t that a helpful bit of insight for us today!
Solomon is saying that the people who were promoting themselves as help for the
unjust were in as much fear as anyone else. They were just as lost as the lost
they were trying to help. Isn’t that what the old saying of the “blind leading
the blind” means? These people became superstitious and their “help” was a joke
to those who know the Creator, the children of the Lord. Stephen told us they worshiped the Cherubim
in the wilderness. They were still carrying their old thinking with them to the
Promised Land. Then Solomon goes on:
Wisdom 17:12-16 For fear is nothing else but a betraying of
the succours which reason offereth.13 And the expectation from within, being
less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment.14
But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and
which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell,15 Were partly vexed
with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a
sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them.16 So then whosoever there fell
down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars, KJV
The unjust had nightmares, and evil spirits scared them,
and they feared in their heart. This fear became a prison for them. They couldn’t
leave without being tormented by fear. Isn’t this what fear does, it punishes?
It creates bars for us to live within. The fear of darkness doesn’t
discriminate as to who one is, a king or a poor person.
Wisdom 17:17-21 For whether he were husbandman, or
shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that
necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain
of darkness.18 Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds
among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently,19
Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of
skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding
echo from the hollow mountains; these things made them to swoon for fear.20 For
the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their
labour:21 Over them only was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness
which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more
grievous than the darkness. KJV
The light of the world came, Jesus; but before Jesus the
whole world shined with a clear light of the Holy Spirit, but sin caused them
to live in fear and that was worse than the image of darkness, the evil one. But
not for all the exodus people, only for the unjust. The saints were not in fear
as the unjust were.
Wisdom 18:1 Nevertheless thy saints had a very great light,
whose voice they hearing, and not seeing their shape, because they also had not
suffered the same things, they counted them happy. KJV
Solomon says that the saints had a great light, and they
heard its voice. They were not in fear because the light and voice provided
relief, succor, and they did not count Yahweh as men, incapable and fallible to
let them down. They instead had trust that Yahweh could see them through, and
confidence that wherever they roamed, no matter for how long the journey
continued, Yahweh would uphold them. Who did they need to fear? The saints cast
away phobos and deimos.
This is the fear that resides deep in one’s heart. But
there are other instances of fear such as startling fear. When Jesus entered a
room through the walls after his death, it was a surprise. The first thing
Jesus says to John in Revelation 1:7 is “Fear not; I am the first and the
last”. The Angel of the Lord who spoke to the Shepherds surprised them and said
fear not.
Luke 2:9G2532And G2400behold,
G32an
angel G2962of the Lord
G2186stood
by G1473them, G2532and G1391glory G2962of the Lord
G4034shone
about G1473them, G2532and G5399they
feared G5401[2fear
G31731a
great].
10G2532And G2036[3said
G14734to
them G35881the G322angel],
G3361Fear
not! G5399 G2400for
behold G1063 G2097I
announce to you good news -- G1473 G5479[2joy
G31731great]
G3748which G1510.8.3shall
be G3956to all
G3588 G2992people
This is fear that alarms or shocks us, but then our heart
and mind bring in the reasonable thoughts that comfort us and we are not
afraid. Clearly we can be surprised but not have deep fear. But deep fear is
punishment that we bring on ourselves because we are not made perfect in love
by way of putting on His words, rhema,
logos, laleo, or grapho, in our
heart. Phobia’s can be paralyzing and keep us from living in freedom in Christ.
Phobos is the first order of fear and terror that causes us to become Deimos,
fearful and timid.
The disciples were afraid of what they saw, the storm, phobos. Then Jesus asked them why they
were deimos, timid?
Matthew 8:26G2532And G3004he
says G1473to
them, G5100Why G1169are
you timid, G1510.2.5 G3640O ones
of little belief? G5119Then G1453having
arisen, G2008he
reproached G3588the G417winds G2532and G3588the G2281sea; G2532and G1096there
became G1055[2calm
G31731a
great].
1169 LSJ Gloss: δειλός cowardly, craven
Dodson: δειλός cowardly, timid cowardly, timid, fearful.
Strong's: δειλός timid, i.e. (by implication) faithless Derivation:
from δεός (dread); KJV Usage: fearful.
Thayer: 1) timid, fearful
δειλός deilos di-los' From δέος deos (dread); timid, that is, (by implication) faithless KJV Usage: fearful.
Remember how David asked who should he fear and who should
he be afraid of? Well the disciples were afraid of the storm. Jesus’ answer
clearly expects them to not be timid of the weather. Today we have authority
over whatever the devil throws our way. If we have fear in our heart we will
become timid instead of bold. What would
happen if we were bold in the Lord instead of timid? The possibilities are endless.
There is a danger to becoming timid. The timid ones find themselves in the Lake
of fire. We have to ask why?
Rev 21: 8G3588But to
the G1161 G1169timid
ones, G2532and G571unbelieving
ones, G2532and G268sinful
ones, G2532and G948ones
being abhorrent, G2532and G5406murderers,
G2532and G4205fornicators,
G2532and G5333dealers
in potions, G2532and G1496idolaters,
G2532and G3956to all
G3588the G5571liars,
G3588 G3313their
part G1473 G1722is in
G3588the G3041lake G3588 G2545burning
G4442with fire
G2532and G2303sulphur,
G3739which G1510.2.3is G3588the G2288[2death
G3588 G12081second]
Those who are cowards and timid do not trust Jesus’ blood
enough to be saved and redeemed by Him. Those who are timid do not have
confidence that all the things the Holy Spirit has told us by way of the
written word are true. Those who are timid do not believe and do not have
faith. Those who are timid, deimos or deilos are not truly believing in their
heart that Jesus is Lord. That is why these people are in Hades during the
millennial reign and then are cast into the lake of fire, the second death,
because they never truly believed Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. The first
brother of fear, Phobos, cause them to become like the second brother of fear,
Deimos.
David writes that those who say there is no God are timid
with fear, but the just do not have fear because God is with them.
Psalm 14: 5G1563There G1168they
were timid G5401with
fear, G3739of
which G3756there
was no G1510.7.3 G5401fear; G3754for G3588 G2316God G1722is with
G1074the generation
G1342of the just
1168 LSJ Gloss: δειλιάω to be afraid
Dodson: δειλιάω I shrink, am fearful I shrink, am fearful,
timid, cowardly.
Thayer: 1) to be timid, fearful
Jesus says he leaves us with his peace. This is something
that the unbeliever does not have.
John 14: 27G1515Peace G863I
leave G1473with
you, G1515[2peace
G3588 G16991my] G1325I give
G1473to
you; G3756not G2531as G3588the G2889world G1325gives,
G1473give I
G1325 G1473to
you. G3361Let
not G5015[3be
disturbed G14731your G3588 G25882heart],
G3366nor G1168be
timid!
Jesus says don’t be disturbed in your heart, don’t be
timid. All sorts of crazy political things were about to happen to Jesus, but
he wanted them to be at peace in their heart. David had fear, think of his life
as Saul hunted him. Yet it did not cause timidity, instead he called out to
Yahweh.
Psalm 55:4G3588 G2588My
heart G1473 G5015was
disturbed G1722in G1473me, G2532and G1167dread G2288of
death G1968fell G1909upon G1473me.5G5401Fear G2532and G5156trembling
G2064came G1909upon G1473me, G2532and G2572[2covered
G14733me G46551darkness].
….16G1473I G4314[2to
G3588 G23163God G28961cried
out], G2532and G3588the G2962lord G1522listened
to G1473me.
1167 LSJ Gloss: δειλία cowardice
Dodson: δειλία cowardice cowardice, timidity.
When David cried out to God, God listened to him and saved
him. This was not a startling fear but a fear that was attempting to get into
David’s heart. However, David knew the prophecy of Samuel, and the anointing he
received as King. So this fear was more like a fear that the devil was
attempting to trick David into believing. And if David could be tricked into
believing this lie, he could cause himself to be tormented and punished. He
could self-inflict a wound that would cause separation between he and Yahweh.
Paul tells us that fear is a spirit, deimos/deilos and that
it is not given to us by God. If Yahweh is not giving us this deimos pneuma,
then who is?
1 Tim 1:7G3756[3did
not G10631For G13254give G14735to us G3588 G23162God] G4151a
spirit G1167of
dread, G235but G1411of
power G2532and G26of
love G2532and G4995of a
sound mind
Instead of timidity, we are given dunamis, miraculous power, agape, love, and sōphronismos, self-discipline/self-control. If we have
self-control, we can control our thoughts in our heart. We can have a perfect
heart, made perfect in love.
We can put into our heart the things that generate perfect
love and fear will be driven out. The static of fear can be tuned out. We don’t
have to live with the static of phobos and deimos. Then we will not become
timid, and instead we will trust Yahweh, and be confident in Him. Timidity,
deimos, keeps us from believing that Jesus is Lord and keeps us from
redemption. This is the key for us to unlock fear in others who are without God
and without hope. Fear, phobos, has self-inflicted punishment, but instead we
can have perfect love. We can be wary of doom and gloom prophets that speak out
of the guilt of their own sins. We can recognize that fear is a betrayal of the
relief and respite that reason and intellect offers and that our lower
expectations of Yahweh elevate ignorance more than the thing that torments us. What
our heart will then give out in EKG waves will be right and perfect and draw
others toward Yahweh’s perfect love.
