June 7 – July 5 | A series about Trust
Series Summary: Recent world events, such as ISIS beheading Christians and
murdering people in Europe, create anxiety and concern among our people. Our
people are fearful of any number of things: fear of never getting married, fear of
losing a job, fear of not be able to pay the mortgage, fear of the unknown, fear of
intimacy, fear of commitment. These are real concerns and fear seems reasonable to
a person, even when it’s irrational. But it drives us away from God and reveals our
desire to control the circumstances of our lives. The number one command in the
Bible is “Fear Not” and it’s a loving invitation to trust God.
June 7 | Fear of Being Alone | Matthew 14:22-33
Week’s Summary: The fear of being alone is real for many of our people. Many
young adults fear they will be single forever. Many believers feel they will be alone
as the only Christ-follower in their office. Many people worry about being isolated
from authentic community & meaningful friendship. During these “sinking” moments
in our lives, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, who invites us into greater faith in
Him.
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Passage: Matthew 14:22-33 (HCSB)
22
Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the
other side, while He dismissed the crowds.
23
After dismissing the crowds, He went
up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.
24
But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because
the wind was against them.
walking on the sea.
26
25
Around three in the morning, He came toward them
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were
terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.
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Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
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“Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the
water.”
29
“Come!” He said.
And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward
Jesus.
30
But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to
sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him,
“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
ceased.
God!”
33
32
When they got into the boat, the wind
Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of
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Sermon Thoughts
1
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 14:22–33). Nashville: Holman Bible
Publishers.
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Main Idea: Loneliness is only problematic when doubt replaces faith.

God may be using your loneliness so that you can be more intimate with Him
(Jesus in this passage).

God may be using your loneliness so that you can have more faith in Him
(Peter in this passage).

God may be using your loneliness so that others can worship God as a result
of your faith (boat passengers in this passage).
See also Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 which speaks about the loneliness associated with
pursuing wealth, and verses 9-12 speak to the value of friendship.
See also 1 Corinthians 7 and God working in our singleness.
Possible illustrations or scenarios to consider:

Kids going off to camp and feeling homesick

A diagnosis that leads you to feel no one can understand or identify with you

The effects of solitary confinement in prison

Story of the Chilean miners
Verse-by-Verse Commentary2
**Matthew is the only gospel writer who adds the tidbit of Peter’s success and
failure to also walk on water.
22. We learn from John’s account that some of the people who were there when the
five thousand were fed were so impressed that they tried to make Jesus king (John
2
Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (pp. 380–385). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester,
England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
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6:15). This was evidently the reason that he packed the disciples off straightaway
and sent them away to the other side of the lake. It was important that the Twelve
be not involved in king making and, indeed, that the whole project be squashed
without delay, and Matthew stresses this. He is quite clear that Jesus was
determined to get the disciples out of the way without delay, and this will be the
point also of his sending them to the other side.53 No destination is given; the
important thing was that the disciples be gotten out of the way until he had
dismissed (for the verb see on 5:31) the crowds (characteristically plural).
**Note: it was necessary for Jesus to be ALONE in this instance.
23. Jesus finished the task of sending the people away, then went up into the
mountain (see on 5:1; it is a Matthean word) to pray (**Note: ALONE). After the big
day with the crowds Jesus turned to his Father in prayer; the infinitive will indicate
purpose. This was done privately; Matthew has two expressions, by himself and
alone, so that he is emphasizing that what took place was between Jesus and
his Father only; Matthew is not referring to any public expression of devotion. The
day had been wearing; Jesus found solace in quietness with the Father.
24. Matthew turns his attention to the disciples. The boat (see on 8:23) was making
progress, and when he takes up the story it was quite a long way from land—many
stadia in fact. A stadion was about 600 feet (LSJ makes it 606.75 feet; this was about
185 meters); John tells us that the disciples had gone 25 to 30 stadia. The greatest
width of the lake is 61 stadia, but their crossing would have been shorter, even
though we do not know their exact route. But clearly they were well into their
journey, though with quite a way still to go. The distance was compounded by the
weather: a strong wind was blowing, and they were tossed by the waves and facing
a head wind.56 Matthew is describing a situation in which the sailors were in
some difficulty with the head wind and a rising sea. Matthew does not say how
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long they had been in making the crossing, but they had started right after the
meal finished (v. 22), so they had been battling against the elements all night.
They must have been very weary.
25. The Romans divided the night (the time between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on our
system) into four “watches,” and the Jews into three. Mostly in the New Testament
the term refers to the Roman system (cf. Mark 13:35), and this is obviously the
meaning of the fourth watch, there being no such watch in the Jewish system. The
fourth watch would cover the time “between three and six o’clock in the
morning,” as GNB translates. Somewhere in this period Jesus came to the
disciples walking on the sea. (**Note: A LONELY time)
26. But will have some adversative force; it sets the agitation of the disciples over
against the calm of Jesus as he walked on the sea in the midst of the storm. The
disciples were agitated59 and scared. They could not envisage any mortal doing what
Jesus was doing, so they gave their verdict, “It’s a ghost!” What else?
27. Jesus recognized that they were scared and immediately took steps to calm
them. He said first, “Take courage,” where the verb is one normally used in the New
Testament of being cheerful (see 9:2, 22). In all three Gospels Jesus identifies
himself with the words “it is I,” employing the emphatic pronoun commonly
used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament where God is the speaker.
The expression is sometimes used in the Old Testament where God is revealing
himself, such as “I am who I am” (Exod. 3:14). Its use on the lips of Jesus at this
point might perhaps be said to be natural under the circumstances. The
disciples were scared and in need of reassurance; it was important that they
should know right away that the one they were seeing was no ghost, so Jesus
identifies himself. But the expression has overtones of deity, and who but God
could walk on the stormy waters? At the least Matthew is giving us a hint that
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Jesus was more than a mere man. “Don’t be afraid” is a note of reassurance that
runs right through this Gospel (1:20; 10:26, 28, 31; 17:7; 28:5, 10). Matthew likes
to make the point that Jesus’ own need never fear.
28. The incident with Peter is related in this Gospel only and is part of Matthew’s
portrait both of that impetuous disciple and of Jesus, the sustainer of his people. It
is characteristic that it is Peter who calls out to Jesus. He addresses him with the
respectful, “Lord” (see on 7:21), which here will have a full meaning, addressed as it
is to one who walks on water in the middle of a storm. “If it’s you” betrays some
element of doubt, though the construction suggests reality. “Tell me” is
authoritative and sits well with the address “Lord” as Peter asks Jesus to give
the necessary command. Peter has no word like “to walk,” but speaks generally
of coming to Jesus. It is interesting that Peter is of the opinion that if this really
is Jesus, then he will enable his servant to move on the face of the waters.
29. Jesus gives a one-word command, taking up Peter’s verb, “Come” (an ingressive
aorist, “Start to come”). And Peter did. He got down from the boat and walked (the
aorist says nothing about duration as an imperfect would; it simply points to the
fact as having occurred) on the waters. There is no indication of how far Peter’s
remarkable walk went, but wherever Jesus was his servant managed to come to him.
The preposition could mean “to” or “toward” Jesus, but the fact that when Peter
began to sink Jesus took hold of him means that Peter was pretty close. We
usually remember that Peter’s faith failed and that Jesus drew attention to this.
But we should bear in mind that it took courage for the apostle to venture on
the water at all.
30. But has adversative force; over against the wonderful fact that Peter walked
on the water Matthew sets this new fact: Peter’s attention moved from Jesus to
the storm. Matthew says, he saw the wind, which means, of course, that Peter saw
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the effects of the wind; he perceived the wind; with the movements of the waves
and boat, the spray and the feel of the wind, there was no doubt that it was
boisterous. As Peter perceived all this, it came home to him that to be on the
water in a storm like the one he was experiencing and to be outside the boat
was to be in a position of some danger. The result was that Peter became afraid
(Phillips, “he panicked”), and the onset of fear was accompanied by the beginning of
sinking. Peter’s shifting of concentration from Jesus, who could enable him to
overcome difficulties, to the difficulties in which he found himself, was
disastrous. So he cried out for help. Save can refer to deliverance in any one of a
variety of ways; here clearly it means “save from sinking.”
31. And Jesus did. At once he stretched out his hand and took hold of him. He
could have delivered his servant by simply speaking, but Jesus’ firm grip must have
been very reassuring to the sinking apostle. The other verbs around here are in
the aorist tense, but Matthew uses the present says to him presumably for greater
vividness. Jesus bestows on Peter the epithet “Man of little faith” (this is the only
place where it is used of one individual; elsewhere it refers to disciples as a whole).
“Why did you doubt?” Jesus asked him. The leading apostle might have been
expected to trust more wholeheartedly, more especially since he had already taken
some steps in his alien environment. He was learning that problems arise when
doubt replaces trust.
32. Matthew does not say that Peter ceased to sink and resumed his place on
top of the water, but that is implied. The two of them proceeded to get up into
the boat, and then the wind dropped. Matthew does not say that Jesus caused the
wind to cease its raging, but he may imply that this happened.
33. Matthew rounds off the story with the effect all this had on the rest of the
apostolic band. The experiences of seeing Jesus walk on the water and then of
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seeing him call Peter to walk there and of delivering that disciple when his faith
failed made a profound impression; as a result they worshipped Jesus. The verb
betokens the worship that should be offered to deity and thus shows us the effect
the incident had had on those who saw it all. They gave utterance to what it all
meant to them with “Truly you are the Son of God.” Truly is a strong affirmation of
certainty. They leave no room for doubt. They affirm that Jesus is the Son of God,
which means that they are putting him in the highest place, though it is not easy to
see precisely how they would have understood the expression at this time (after the
resurrection it would have had a fuller significance for all Christians). But at least
they are saying more than that Jesus is one among many whose godliness entitles
them to be classed as “sons of God.” They are saying that Jesus is uniquely related
to the one God.
Illustrations, Articles, Etc.
Charles Woods’ Sermon Outline
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Introduction:
“O thou of little faith”—repeated four times in Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8, and
all four times it was said to disciples. “Great faith” is commended twice (Matt. 8:10;
15:28). There is a gulf between no faith and little faith, but there is only a distance
between little faith and great faith.
I. Christ gently censures little faith.
A. It is often found where we might expect greater things.
3
Wood, C. R. (1994). Sermon Outlines on Great Doctrinal Themes (pp. 17–18). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel
Publications.
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1. We see it in Peter and the disciples as a whole.
2. These men had seen and known too much to be like this.
B. It is dependent on appearances.
1. Peter’s faith did not become little; it was little, and the situation merely
revealed it.
2. Little faith wants a “token for good”; strong faith believes God’s bare
Word without sign or token.
C. It is affected by surrounding circumstances.
1. Peter tended to live by feeling and sight; Peter was okay until he focused
on the storm. Weak faith limits us by our environment.
2. Strong faith knows where its true standing is and focuses there—on God
and His Word.
D. It tends to exaggerate its peril.
1. Peter never thought of swimming; it was walk or sink for him.
2. Little faith tends to build “worst case” scenarios.
E. It tends to be unreasonable.
1. Faith is reasonable; unbelief is unreasonable.
2. If it is worth trusting at all, it is worth trusting to the full.
F. It often gets a wetting.
1. Weak faith is a great fabricator of terrors.
2. Peter got wet, but it was his own little faith which was responsible for it.
II. Christ tenderly commends little faith.
A. It is faith—the weakest faith is still faith.
1. Jesus Himself acknowledges that it is faith.
2. He rebuked Peter because of little faith but smiled on him because of
faith.
B. It attempts to get to Jesus.
1. Peter did not step out just to walk, but to walk to Jesus.
2. “He who seeks Jesus has his face turned in the right direction.”
C. It usually turns to prayer in time of trouble.
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1. It knows where its help lies.
2. Peter didn’t try swimming; he turned to prayer.
D. It is always safe because it brings us near Jesus.
1. Peter was not saved by strength of faith but by the hand of his master.
2. It senses turning toward Him and responds.
E. It tends to recover and renew itself.
1. For all his little faith, Peter walked on water.
2. Take heart in the darkest of nights—the sun will shine again.
III. Christ earnestly commends great faith.
A. It is sometimes found where we least expect it.
1. It is found among those outside Israel.
2. It is sometimes found in unexpected places.
B. It perseveres in seeking the Lord.
1. The woman would not take “no” for an answer.
2. Great faith doesn’t stop until it has an answer.
C. It sees light in the deepest darkness.
1. It is not dependent on indications.
2. It believes in God for God’s sake.
D. It enters into prevailing prayer.
1. Great faith does not let go until it has found assurance.
2. Great faith has the keys of heaven on its chain.
E. It delights our Lord.
1. He smiled at the woman but probably not at Peter.
2. He said, “Be it unto thee as thou wilt.”
F. It confers great benefits on others.
1. Woman secured salvation for her child.
2. We could accomplish much more for others with great faith.
Conclusion:
What kind of faith do you have? What kind of faith do you want to have? How will
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you move on to achieve it?
A Secular Understanding of Monophobia
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Monophobia is the extreme or abnormal fear of being along. Many people as well
as animals are known to suffer from monophobia and it is not an easy fear to
overcome. Monophobia is also known by other names such as Isolaphobia or
Autophobia. It is characterized by extreme insecurity, anxiety and depression when
the individual suffering has to be alone, even for short duration. As a result, s/he
refuses to sleep, eat or even go to the bathroom alone. Persons suffering from
monophobia are unable to do many simple tasks that most can do easily. The fear
of being alone also leads to bad relationships as the individual prefers abuse to
being left alone.
As with other types of phobias, the fear of being alone also triggers several physical
and emotional symptoms:
Physical symptoms:

Feeling unsteady, experiencing lightheadedness or dizziness

Feeling of choking

Rapid heart rate, palpitations or pounding heart

Sweating

Chest pain and discomfort

Nausea or gastrointestinal distress
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
Trembling or shaking

Numbness or tingling sensations
Other symptoms

Inability to distinguish between reality and unreality

Fear of dying

Fear of losing control

Hot/cold flashes

Fear of fainting
Monophobia is often combined with other kinds of phobias. For example, many
people who suffer from Agoraphobia (fear of open/public places) or Thanatophobia
(fear of death) may also suffer from Monophobia.
The fear of being alone can occur due to various reasons. As with most types of
phobias, the origins of Monophobia can often be traced to the individual’s
childhood wherein one might have had a frightening experience. Long term stress,
anxiety, bad relationships, poor housing and other socio-economic factors can also
lead to Monophobia.
It has now been established that most anxieties and phobias occur in people who
have less well-developed strategies for coping with difficult situations in life.
Children raised by anxious relatives/parents are also more likely to suffer from the
common kinds of phobias. They inherit the anxiety which makes them react
negatively to stressful situations and events.
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A person suffering from the true fear of being along is also likely to lack confidence
and belief in the fact that activities can be carried out alone. S/he feels that having a
trustworthy person along at all times is essential and failure to do so could lead to
death or her/him acting ‘out of control’ when panic-causing situations arise.
Many individuals suffering from Monophobia develop coping strategies and selfhelp techniques to help themselves. Alternatively, one can also seek treatment from
a psychiatrist/psychologist who can recommend therapies such as talk therapy,
cognitive behavior therapy (that is known to cure nearly 75% of people suffering
from different phobias) or counseling etc. Hypnotherapy is also effective for treating
many kinds of phobias.
Medications generally do not cure one’s fear of being alone; however, short term
drug therapy is known to be effective for dealing with the symptoms. Beta blockers,
anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications etc can be taken under the guidance
of a doctor for dealing with stress and panic caused by one’s monophobia. It is
important to note that there are many withdrawal symptoms one might experience
when weaning off these drugs and the process should be done gradually and under
medical supervision.
Relaxation and breathing techniques are the more natural forms of treatments
recommended for dealing with the extreme fear of being alone. Guided mental
imagery, meditation, deep breathing, muscle relaxation and soothing self talk are
some of the effective ways of coping with monophobia.
Likewise, desensitization and gradual exposure therapy also help the individual
slowly experience the fear of being alone, first in the form of images and
visualization and then in reality. This can help one get desensitized so that s/he no
longer reacts with uncontrollable panic when faced with being alone.
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CONCEPT STUDY: Fear in our Culture
American’s Greatest Fears
The Chapman Survey on American Fears included1,500 participants from across the
nation and all walks of life. Underscoring Chapman's growth and emergence in the
sciences, the research team leading this effort pared the information down into four
basic categories: personal fears, crime, natural disasters and fear factors.
The survey shows that the top five things Americans fear the most are:
1) Walking alone at night
2) Becoming the victim of identity theft
3) Safety on the internet
4) Being the victim of a mass/random shooting
5) Public speaking
"What initially lead us into this line of research was our desire to capture this
information on a year-over-year basis so we can draw comparisons with what items
are increasing in fear as well as decreasing," said Dr. Christopher Bader, who led the
team effort. "We learned through this initial survey that we had to phrase the
questions according to fears vs. concerns to capture the information correctly, so
that is how we present it," Bader continued.
The top five things Americans worry or are concerned about are:
1) Having identity stolen on the internet
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2) Corporate surveillance of internet activity
3) Running out of money in the future
4) Government surveillance of internet activity
5) Becoming ill/sick
Turning to the crime section of the Chapman Survey on American Fears, the team
discovered findings that not only surprised them, but also those who work in fields
pertaining to crime.
"What we found when we asked a series of questions pertaining to fears of various
crimes is that a majority of Americans not only fear crimes such as, child abduction,
gang violence, sexual assaults and others; but they also believe these crimes (and
others) have increased over the past 20 years," said Dr. Edward Day who led this
portion of the research and analysis. "When we looked at statistical data from police
and FBI records, it showed crime has actually decreased in America in the past 20
years. Criminologists often get angry responses when we try to tell people the crime
rate has gone down."
Despite evidence to the contrary, Americans do not feel like the United States is
becoming a safer place. The Chapman Survey on American Fears asked how they
think prevalence of several crimes today compare with 20 years ago. In all cases, the
clear majority of respondents were pessimistic; and in all cases Americans believe
crime has at least remained steady. Crimes specifically asked about were: child
abduction, gang violence, human trafficking, mass riots, pedophilia, school
shootings, serial killing and sexual assault.
Chapman's growth in global climate change research and extreme events led
another portion of The Chapman Survey on American Fears into the area of natural
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disasters and people's preparedness. The findings showed that despite widespread
fear, the vast majority of those surveyed do not have emergency kits -- even in
regions hardest hit by natural disasters.
The top five most feared natural disasters by Americans are:
1. Tornado/hurricane
2. Earthquakes
3. Floods
4. Pandemic or Major Epidemic
5. Power Outage
Despite these fears, only 25 percent of Americans have a disaster preparedness kit
that includes food, water, clothing and medical supplies.
"Our research indicated that Americans are aware, but better communication
strategies are needed to encourage the nearly 75 percent who are unprepared for
catastrophe," said Dr. Ann Gordon, who led this portion of the survey. "We are
conducting follow-up studies to examine why so many Americans remain
unprepared despite lessons learned from recent natural disasters," Gordon
continued. "And, we are also taking a closer look at 'preppers' -- a community that
takes preparedness to the extreme."
Dr. Gordon's work includes maps of America that breaks down the fears of natural
disasters by region, which can be seen athttp://www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey
The remainder of The Chapman Survey on American Fears looks at fear factors.
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"Through a complex series of analyses, we were able to determine what types of
people tend to fear certain things, and what personal characteristics tend to be
associated with most types of fear," said Dr. Christopher Bader, who performed the
analysis.
Factors Bader and his team looked at included: age, gender, race, work status,
education, income, region of the country, urban vs. rural, political preference,
religion, TV viewing, and gun ownership.
Through their analysis two key factors emerged: having a lower level of education
and also high frequency of television viewing were the most consistent predictors of
fear.
Top 100 Fears in the World
These are the top 100 phobias in the world, with the most common ones listed from
the top. You can click on each phobia to learn about causes, symptoms and
treatments.
1. Arachnophobia – The fear of spiders affects women four times more than
men (48% women and 12% men).
2. Ophidiophobia – The fear of snakes. People avoid certain cities only because
they have more snakes.
3. Acrophobia – The fear of heights. Five percent of the general population
suffer from this phobia.
4. Agoraphobia – The fear of open or crowded spaces. People with this phobia
often refuse to leave home.
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5. Cynophobia – The fear of dogs. This includes everything from small Poodles
to Great Danes.
6. Astraphobia – The fear of thunder/lightning. AKA Brontophobia,
Tonitrophobia, or Ceraunophobia.
7. Claustrophobia – The fear of small spaces like elevators, trams, small
rooms and other enclosed spaces.
8. Mysophobia – The fear of germs. It is also rightly termed as Germophobia or
Bacterophobia.
9. Aerophobia – The fear of flying in air planes, hot air balloons etc. 25 million
Americans fear this.
10. Trypophobia – The fear of holes. This unusual but common phobia associates
holes with danger.
11. Carcinophobia – The fear of cancer. People with this develop extreme diets to
avoid cancer.
12. Thanatophobia – The fear of death. Talking about death can be enough to
trigger panic attacks.
13. Glossophobia – The fear of public speaking. Being afraid of or not being able
to make speeches.
14. Monophobia – The fear of being alone. This may include daily tasks like
eating and sleeping.
15. Atychiphobia – The fear of failure. This phobia is for most people the greatest
barrier to success.
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16. Ornithophobia – The fear of birds. Some individuals suffering from this phobia
only fear some species.
17. Alektorophobia – The fear of chickens. You may have this phobia if images of
this bird makes you panic.
18. Enochlophobia – The fear of crowds, which is closely related to Ochlophobia
and Demophobia.
19. Aphenphosmphobia – The fear of intimacy. Involves the fear of being touched
and fear of love.
20. Trypanophobia – The fear of needles. I used to be extremely afraid of needles
(that and death).
21. Anthropophobia – The fear of people. Being afraid of people in all situations,
not just social ones.
22. Aquaphobia – The fear of water. Being in water or near water affects people
with this phobia.
23. Autophobia – The fear of abandonment. The constant fear of being
abandoned by other people.
24. Hemophobia – The fear of blood. The sight of blood can cause fainting or
severe panic attacks.
25. Gamophobia – The fear of commitment is about being afraid of committing
to another person for life.
26. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – The fear of long words. Believe it
or not, it’s a real phobia.
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27. Xenophobia – The fear of the unknown. Fearing anything or anyone that is
strange or foreign.
28. Vehophobia – The fear of driving. This phobia can drastically affect your
personal and work life.
29. Basiphobia – The fear of falling. In extreme cases, people refuse to walk, use
stairs or stand up.
30. Achievemephobia – The fear of success. The opposite to fear of failure, but
can be just as bad.
31. Theophobia – The fear of God. It causes an irrational fear of The Lord or
religion in general.
32. Ailurophobia – The fear of cats. This common animal phobia is also known as
Gatophobia.
33. Metathesiophobia – The fear of change. Sometimes change is good, even if it
sounds terrifying.
34. Globophobia – The fear of balloons. Although balloons are fun, Oprah
Winfrey is not laughing.
35. Nyctophobia – The fear of darkness. Being afraid of the dark or the night is
very common among kids.
36. Androphobia – The fear of men. Usually seen in younger females, but it can
also affect adults.
37. Phobophobia – The fear of fear. The thought of being afraid of objects or
situations scares you.
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38. Philophobia – The fear of love. Being scared of falling in love or getting
emotionally attached.
39. Triskaidekaphobia – The fear of the number 13. It is often associated with bad
luck and evilness.
40. Emetophobia – The fear of vomiting. Loss of one’s self control is often the
biggest fear here.
41. Gephyrophobia – The fear of bridges. Crossing even the smallest bridge may
seem impossible.
42. Entomophobia – The fear of bugs and insects or Acarophobia, which is the
fear of biting insects.
43. Lepidopterophobia – The fear of butterflies. This often means fear of most
winged insects.
44. Panophobia – The fear of everything. A constant fear that something terrible
will happen.
45. Podophobia – The fear of feet. Some people fear touching or even looking at
feet, even their own.
46. Paraskevidekatriaphobia – The fear of Friday the 13th. About 8% of Americans
suffer from this phobia.
47. Somniphobia – The fear of sleep. Being terrified of what might happen right
after you fall asleep.
48. Gynophobia – The fear of women. Usually occurs when men have unresolved
mother issues.
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49. Apiphobia – The fear of bees. Many people fear bees because they are afraid
of being stung.
50. Koumpounophobia – The fear of buttons. Clothes with buttons are
often avoided by phobics.
51. Anatidaephobia – The fear of ducks is the fear that somewhere in the world, a
duck is watching.
52. Pyrophobia – The fear of fire. Although a natural and primal fear, it can be
debilitating for some.
53. Ranidaphobia – The fear of frogs is often caused by a negative past
experience from childhood.
54. Galeophobia – The fear of sharks. Many children have a deep fear of sharks in
swimming pools.
55. Athazagoraphobia – The fear of being forgotten or forgetting. Often
experienced by dementia patients.
56. Katsaridaphobia – The fear of cockroaches. This can easily lead to an excessive
cleaning disorder.
57. Iatrophobia – The fear of doctors. If you tend to delay visits to the doctor,
you may have Iatrophobia.
58. Pediophobia – The fear of dolls. Anyone who has seen Chucky knows what
this phobia is about.
59. Ichthyophobia – The fear of fish. This phobia involves fear
of small, large, dead and/or living fish.
22
60. Achondroplasiaphobia – The fear of midgets. Some are afraid of anything that
looks different.
61. Mottephobia – The fear of moths. These insects are beautiful to some, but are
feared by others.
62. Zoophobia – The fear of animals. Being afraid of vile and dangerous but also
harmless animals.
63. Bananaphobia – The fear of bananas. Are bananas scary? They sure are if you
have this phobia.
64. Sidonglobophobia – The fear of cotton balls or plastic foams. Even the sound
can feel terrifying.
65. Scelerophobia – The fear of crime involves being afraid of burglars and
attackers or crime in general.
66. Cibophobia – The fear of food. This phobia often comes from a bad
episode while eating, like choking.
67. Phasmophobia – The fear of ghosts. Also known as Spectrophobia. Who you
gonna call? Ghostbusters!
68. Equinophobia – The fear of horses. Animal phobias are pretty common,
especially for women.
69. Musophobia – The fear of mice. Some people find mice cute, but phobics
find them disgusting.
70. Catoptrophobia – The fear of mirrors. Being afraid of seeing something
horrifying in the mirror.
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71. Agliophobia – The fear of pain. Being afraid or anxious that something painful
will happen soon.
72. Tokophobia – The fear of pregnancy involves giving birth or even hearing the
word delivery.
73. Telephonophobia – The fear of talking on the phone. Many phobics prefer
texting or emailing.
74. Pogonophobia – The fear of beards. Being afraid or very uncomfortable
around men with beard.
75. Omphalophobia – The fear of belly buttons. Touching or looking at navels
feels really terrifying.
76. Pseudodysphagia – The fear of choking. The phobia often comes from a
negative experience while eating.
77. Bathophobia – The fear of depths can be anything associated with depth, like
lakes, tunnels, caves etc.
78. Cacomorphobia – The fear of fat people. Induced by the media. Affects some
anorexics/bulimics.
79. Gerascophobia – The fear of getting old. Aging is the most natural thing, yet
many of us fear it.
80. Chaetophobia – The fear of hair. Phobics tend to be afraid of other peoples
hair and animal hair.
81. Nosocomephobia – The fear of hospitals. Let’s face it, no one likes hospitals
and some fear them.
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82. Ligyrophobia – The fear of loud noises. We all have an instinctive fear of noise
to some degree.
83. Didaskaleinophobia – The fear of school. This phobia appears most commonly
in preschoolers.
84. Technophobia – The fear of technology involves deep anxiety about anything
technologically.
85. Chronophobia – The fear of the future. A persistent fear of what is to come
and time passing.
86. Spheksophobia – The fear of wasps. You panic when you see a wasp and fear
getting stung by it.
87. Ergophobia – The fear of work. Social anxiety or performance anxiety may be
the real cause of this.
88. Coulrophobia – The fear of clowns. Some people find clowns funny, but
coulrophobics certainly don’t.
89. Allodoxaphobia – The fear of opinions. Being afraid of hearing what others
are thinking of you.
90. Samhainophobia – The fear of Halloween often affects children and
some superstitious people.
91. Photophobia – The fear of light. Induced by medical conditions, disorders or
traumatic events.
92. Disposophobia – The fear of getting rid of stuff triggers extreme collecting
or hoarding of things.
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93. Numerophobia – The fear of numbers. The mere thought of doing heavy
calculations is horrible.
94. Ombrophobia – The fear of rain. Many fear the rain because of accompanying
stormy weather.
95. Coasterphobia – The fear of roller coasters. Movies like Final Destination 3
makes this worse.
96. Thalassophobia – The fear of the ocean. Salty water, waves and unexplored,
unknown spaces.
97. Scoleciphobia – The fear of worms is often caused by an underlying fear of
unhygienic conditions.
98. Kinemortophobia – The fear of zombies. Being afraid that zombies will attack
you and turn you into one.
99. Myrmecophobia – The fear of ants. Not as common as Arachnophobia, but it
can feel just as intense.
100. Taphophobia – The fear of being buried alive by mistake and wake up in a
coffin
deep underground.
CONCEPET STUDY: Fear in the Bible
“Phobeo” in the ESV New Testament
26
The Concept of Fear in the Bible
5
See separate PDF for a list of passages in the ESV with this word or a variation of it
(OT and NT).
One way to define “fear” is “emotional foreboding or dread of impending distress or
misfortune.” Often spoken of as the source of religion. Yet fear alone can never
account for true religion, since men are impelled to draw near unto God, the object
of their worship. One does not desire to come close to the being he fears.
The biblical conception of fear embraces a much wider dimension than our common
English word, which simply denotes some sort of dread or terror. While this meaning
forms an essential part of the scriptural picture, it is by no means the primary
5
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (pp. 781–783). Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Book House.
27
significance, especially when the fear of God—an awe-inspiring reverence—is
referred to.
There is, of course, a legitimate place for the fear of God in the lower, anxious sense.
We are told, “It is a fearful (terrible) thing to fall into the hands of the living God”
(Heb 10:31). Jesus taught that we should fear him (God) who has power to punish
sin and consign men to utter destruction (Lk 12:4, 5). Fear has a constructive role to
play in enabling men to realize both the degeneracy of their souls and their need of
divine forgiveness. The first occurrence of such fear may be found in Genesis 3
where Adam and Eve recoiled from the presence of the Holy God whose
commandment they had blatantly spurned. Their fear was entirely reasonable for
they had been sternly warned that disobedience would incur a grave judgment. Fear
is quite naturally the logical consequence of sin (Gn 3:10; 4:13, 14; Prv 28:1). The
Bible presents an array of people who are plagued with deep-reaching anxiety (e.g.,
Cain, Saul, Ahaz, and Pilate). Anxious fear seizes the wicked (Jb 15:24), surprises the
hypocrite (Is 33:14), and consumes evildoers (Ps 73:19), whose faithless lives are
characterized by fear (Rv 21:8). Pharaoh’s mighty host was virtually paralyzed by fear
as God moved against them (Ex 15:16), and Job’s associate Bildad spoke of men
driven to their knees by the judgments of God (Jb 18:11).
Fear has a tendency to either immobilize men or seriously affect their activity. This is
especially true of the spiritually uncommitted. Saul’s fear of the people caused him
to transgress the commandment of God (1 Sm 15:24). The parents whose blind son
was miraculously healed by Jesus were afraid to support Christ because they feared
the Jews (Jn 9:22). In the parable of the talents Jesus told of a man whose fear
prevented him from doing his reasonable duty (Mt 25:25).
Jesus Christ, by his atoning death, resurrection, and heavenly intercession for
believers, is the unique liberator from fear. The apostle Paul encouraged the Romans
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by informing them that in their conversion to Christ, they received the Holy Spirit,
not as a spirit of fear and bondage, but as the spirit of adoption, whereby they
could address God as “Abba” (Rom 8:15; the Aramaic word commonly used by
Jewish children to address their fathers). This is the word by which our Lord Jesus
addressed his heavenly Father and which Christians, by virtue of their adoption into
the family of God, may also use in speaking to God (Gal 4:6). Recipients of God’s
love have received a dynamic force for casting out their anxieties (1 Jn 4:18). A sense
of God’s intimate love inspired Paul to say, “If God is for us, who is against us?”
(Rom 8:31).
Unwarranted fear may harm the efforts of the people of God. Jeremiah was warned
by God not to fear the faces of his opponents (Jer 1:8) lest God allow calamity to
befall him (v 17). Similar calls to courage were given to Jeremiah’s contemporary,
Ezekiel, and to a great many others (Jos 1:7, 9; Ez 2:6). We realize that even godly
people are tempted to fear and may be temporarily overwhelmed (Ps 55:5). So God
repeatedly counsels his people not to succumb to that temptation (Is 8:12; Jn 14:1,
27). He tells them to heap their anxieties upon the God of their redemption, whose
care for his sheep is infinitely great (1 Pt 5:7). Faith, then, is the indispensable
antecedent of fearlessness as seen in the words of Isaiah: “Thou dost keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee” (Is 26:3).
The psalmist repeatedly stresses the role of faith in conquering fear (37:1; 46:2;
112:7).
Genuine faith is expressed in, and animated by, a reverential awe, and this is the
basic meaning of the biblical idea of the fear of God. Unless there is personal
awareness of the awesome and majestic sovereignty of God, it is impossible to have
a meaningful faith existing in one’s heart (Pss 5:7; 89:7). When God was called “the
fear of Isaac” (Gn 31:42) it showed the patriarch’s understanding of the immutable
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greatness of Yahweh. Isaac’s father, Abraham, anxiously observed the absence of this
holy fear in the people who dwell in Gerar (20:11). Even Jesus carried out his
ministry in the fear of God (Is 11:2, 3; Heb 5:7). Though Christians are to be liberated
from the fear of men (Heb 13:6), death (2:15), and life in general (2 Tm 1:6, 7), they
must never lose their sense of the awesomeness of God. Such awareness not only
leads to true wisdom (Ps 111:1) but also provides direction for the child of God
throughout life (Phil 2:12; Eph 5:21).
Godly fear is characterized by total allegiance to the one true God. The Samaritans,
in attempting to serve Yahweh and their idols simultaneously, were rejected by God
(2 Kgs 17:33, 41). Those who love God learn of wholesome fear by searching the
Scriptures (Prv 2:3–5), the Word of God, which the ancient Israelites were
commanded to cleave to and obey as evidence of their reverence for God (Dt 6:2).
In Acts 10:2 Cornelius and his family were called “God-fearers” because of their high
regard for the God of Israel and because they stood in awe of his person. True
reverence for God must invariably express itself in good works and holy living (2 Cor
7:1). To truly revere the Lord entails avoiding sin (Ex 20:20) and translating the
directives of the Word of God into everyday experience (Eccl 12:13). This holy fear is
actually a source of joy (Ps 2:11) and a veritable fountain of life (Prv 14:27). The fear
of the Lord is more valuable than the greatest material riches (15:16) because the
Lord takes pleasure in those who hold him in such high regard (Ps 147:11).
Eugene Merrill on Fear
6
6
Elwell, W. A., & Elwell, W. A. (1996). In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed.).
Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
30
Of some ten Hebrew nouns and eight verbs that are regularly translated “fear,” “to
fear,” “to be afraid,” and the like, only one of each is commonly used in the Old
Testament and they both spring from the root yr˒ (the noun being yir˒ â or môrā˒
and the verb yā rē ˒ ). The New Testament employs phobos and phobeō almost
exclusively as noun and verb, respectively, and these are the terms consistently used
by the Septuagint to translate Hebrew yir˒ â/môrā˒ and yā rē ˒ .
The fundamental and original idea expressed by these terms covers a semantic
range from mild easiness to stark terror, depending on the object of the fear and
the circumstances surrounding the experience. There is no separate Hebrew of Greek
lexeme describing fear of God so presumably such fear was from earliest times, the
same kind of reaction as could be elicited from any encounter with a surprising,
unusual, or threatening entity. In time, however, fear of God or of manifestations of
the divine became a subcategory of fear in general and thus developed a
theological signification pervasively attested throughout the Bible. While the normal
meaning of fear as dread or terror is retained in the theological use of the terms, a
special nuance of reverential awe or worshipful respect becomes the dominant
notion.
Fear of God or of his manifestations appears in the Bible either in the abstract, in
which just the idea of God alone generates this response, or in particular situations
such as theophany or miracle, the occurrence or performance of which produces
fear. Examples of the latter are Israel’s fear of the Lord following the exodus
deliverance (Exod. 14:31) and the fear of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, when
he saw the angel of the Lord (Luke 1:12). More common by far are the reactions of
fear by God’s people as they contemplate who he is and what he has done.
Fear as a response to God and his deeds is so important an aspect of biblical faith
and life that Fear actually occurs as an epithet of God himself. Jacob describes the
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Lord as the “Fear of Isaac” his father (Gen. 31:42; cf. v. 53), suggesting that Isaac had
such reverential submission to the Lord that the Lord, to him, was the embodiment
of fear. Usually, however, the fear of the Lord is an inducement to obedience and
service: to fear God is to do his will. This equation appears most prominently in
covenant contexts, especially in Deuteronomy, where the appeal is to serve the Lord
as evidence of proper recognition of his sovereignty. The Lord as King demands and
deserves the awesome respect of his people, a respect that issues in obedient
service.
Fear of God also lies at the heart of successful living in the world. Wisdom literature
makes it clear that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a fear equated
with the “knowledge of the Holy One” (Prov. 9:10; cf. 1:7; Ps. 111:10). To fear God is
to know him and to know him is to fear him. Such healthy fear enables one to
praise God (Ps. 22:23; Rev. 14:7); to enjoy benefits and blessings at his hand (Pss.
34:9; 103:11, 13, 17); to rest in peace and security (Ps. 112:7–8); and to experience
length of days (Prov. 10:27; 19:23). But fear of God also produces fear of wrath and
judgment in those who do not know him or who refuse to serve him. There are,
thus, two sides of the fear of the Lord—that which produces awe, reverence, and
obedience, and that which causes one to cower in dread and terror in anticipation of
his displeasure.
Kahoe on Fear
7
Fear. This most constricting emotion contrasts with other intense negative states:
anger, anxiety, phobia. Anger incites attack against a threatening object; fear incites
7
Kahoe, R. D. (1999). Fear. In D. G. Benner & P. C. Hill (Eds.), Baker encyclopedia of psychology &
counseling (2nd ed., pp. 451–452). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
32
withdrawal. Fear relates to an identifiable object or event; anxiety is interpreted as
free-floating apprehension and probably incorporates other emotions with fear.
Normal fear addresses a realistic danger, phobia a relatively persistent and irrational
fear.
Fear ranges from uneasiness to abject insecurity, with threats to one’s physical
and/or psychological self. Intense fear constricts perception, thinking, and motor
processes. The frightened person simultaneously wants to investigate and escape
from the threat; this conflict may cause one to freeze or panic. Compared to anger,
fear is more strongly associated with increases in respiration rate, skin conductance,
and peaks in muscle tension. These signs relate to the hormone epinephrine
(adrenalin) and sympathetic nervous system arousal.
Physiological characteristics of different emotions vary widely among individuals and
receive less study than in earlier years. Facial expressions are more reliable and
display fear with relatively straight, raised eyebrows; inner corners of brows drawn
together; horizontal wrinkles covering most of the forehead. Eyes are wide, lower
eyelids tensed and upper lids slightly raised; the mouth is open, lips tense and
drawn back tightly.
Much recent research has studied the overprediction of fear. Overpredicting how
much fear one might experience in a given situation has implications for phobias
and panic attacks but also occurs in the context of relatively normal levels of fear.
Such overprediction may be adaptive (e.g., to avoid target situations) in the short
run but dysfunctional in the long term (Rachman & Bichard, 1988).
Clinicians should know normal developmental trends in fear, to distinguish normal
from abnormal fears (anxieties, phobias). Fear typically differentiates from
generalized distress in the child’s sixth month as an innate response to sudden,
33
intense stimuli. In the first year children come to fear loud noises and threats of
bodily harm. By one year a child fears strange or unexpected stimuli, especially of
objects that differ strikingly from a familiar object—for example, the father in an
unaccustomed hat. Such fears are not learned per se but are maturational (i.e.,
based on prior internalized precepts).
In the second year children fear their mother’s departure. They gain many fears in
the third year—mostly auditory but also large objects, rain, wind, animals, and the
dark (a fear that often lasts until age six). Visual fears predominate in the fourth
year, auditory fears in the fifth. Five-year-olds show less fear, but the end of the
sixth year may bring more fears—sleeping alone and auditory stimuli.
Some of the numerous fears at age six may be learned: fears of ghosts, witches,
large wild animals, loud weather, bodily injury. At seven fears become more
personal: wars, new situations, being late for school, burglars. By eight children
increasingly cope with fears and have fewer but more variable fears, especially
school failure and self-esteem threats (Ilg & Ames, 1955).
Children learn fears several ways, including identification with adults or peers who
model fears of objects or events. By classical conditioning, fear of an originally
neutral stimulus may develop when the latter is associated with a fear-producing
stimulus (see Conditioning, Classical). However, some neutral stimuli are more prone
to formulation of conditioned fear responses than others. Some individual
differences in intensity and number of fears depend on temperament and proneness
to emotional conditioning.
Fear occurs naturally in all neocortical animal species and serves adaptive functions.
A fearless animal is likely to become a predator’s dinner or roadkill. In people,
moderate fear is adaptive; patients with intermediate levels of presurgery fears
34
respond to the surgery better than those with either little or great fear. Fear keeps
social mammals in protective groups and bonds infant primates more tightly to their
mothers. Maternal bonds paradoxically provide a security that allows infants more
readily to explore their world. However, extreme fear produces exaggerated bonds
that interfere with formation of other social relations (Suomi & Harlow, 1976).
Some parents try to control children’s behavior by recourse to fear of the
bogeyman, the devil, or “your father.” Adult versions of socialization by fear (e.g.,
slowing your car when you see a patrolman) usually mix guilt, shame, or other
emotions with fear. Instead of provoking fear, parents who tolerate fear may teach
children to accept and master irrational fears. A further step encourages positive
action in the face of fear—facing the dentist courageously despite apprehension.
Excessive fear may be controlled cognitively by reinterpretation of supposed threats,
assurances of security, and strengthening of incompatible behaviors: “Do not fear,
for I am with you” (Isa. 41:10, niv); “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18, NIV).
RC Sproul Jr. on Fear of God
8
Have you ever wondered how Christian martyrs faced death so fearlessly? To be sure
they must have been granted a powerful measure of grace to look down the gaping
jaw of a lion. I would suggest, however, that there was another element we, in our
comfortable age, overlook. I believe these heroes went to their death not without
fear, but with a fear properly directed. They must have known that falling into the
hands of the living God would make a date on the coliseum floor look like a picnic.
There is true terror.
8
Sproul, R. C., Jr. (1996). Coram Deo. Tabletalk Magazine, October 1996: Fearing God, 2.
35
For them the question was not if they would fear, but what they would fear, or
rather, Whom they would fear. In our day I fear, we have no fear of God. We have
chosen to fear the visible, the tangible, the immediate.
Few of us will ever be faced with the same clear choices the early martyrs faced. It is
unlikely that in our lifetime we will be forced directly to either deny the faith, or
forfeit our lives. Instead we face more subtle choices. We must choose between
obedience and the disdain of our peers, or weakness and acceptance by the world.
When our view of God is anemic, that tends to make our choices easy. As we weigh
our decisions the scales barely move with the addition of the possibility of
provoking the wrath of God. And so the balance is too often tipped toward sin and
we are found wanting. We have become so comfortable in what God has done for
us that we have forgotten who God is.
A strong people require a strong God. And a strong God is a fearful God. Courage,
for the Christian, like wisdom begins with the fear of God. The God who is, is indeed
a fearsome God, omnipotent, jealous, pure, omniscient, and wrathful. Only a fool
would fail to fear Him.
Our job then is to keep the invisible reality of His wrath before our eyes. We must
not allow the petty but visible things which cause us to fear to cloak that which is
truly fearful. We must, in other words, strive to live coram Deo, before the face of
God. As we act in His presence we will not be so tempted to forget His wrath. As we
remember His gaze upon us we will in turn gaze upon Him, and witness His regal
fearfulness. When we fear Him we will, like the heroes of yore, spit in the face of
lions, both earthly and diabolical. When we fear the good, then we fear no evil.
36
John Heaton on Fearing God and No One Else
9
FOURTH GRADE WAS A BAD YEAR for me. I got along with my classmates well
enough but I seriously disliked my teacher, Mrs. Davis. I disliked her not because she
was a rigid disciplinarian, but because she was not. Her class generally functioned at
a low boil, with children talking, laughing, and generally not paying attention. The
decibel level reached a crescendo about five times a day, at which points Mrs. Davis
would raise the large wooden paddle on her desk and slam it down on the teacher’s
edition math book that rested beneath it. I will never forget that sound, or how
quiet the class became immediately after these displays of anger.
As a result of her teaching style, we actually got into more serious trouble than we
otherwise would have. I remember my own trips to the principal’s office, and today I
can almost feel the queasiness in my stomach developed by the knowledge of
impending doom. Once there, I was certain to face not the crack of the paddle on a
math book, but the crack of the paddle on my backside, which, of course, was where
it belonged in the first place. Looking back, the spankings were actually not the
worst part. The worst part was the fear that gripped my body and soul as I walked
down the hallway, the dry mouth that disabled my speech in the presence of
ultimate authority, and the emotion that made my voice sound high pitched and far
away. In the fourth grade I knew what it meant to be afraid.
Most of us think of fear this way. We tend to define fear exclusively in terms of that
feeling produced by adrenaline hitting our nervous systems when we feel threatened
or endangered. We think of fear as a reflexive emotion that we cannot control, a
weakness in the knees, or the rapid thumping of a heart that we cannot quell.
9
Heaton, J. (1996). A Pastor’s Perspective: Fear God and No One Else …. (R. C. Sproul Jr.,
Ed.)Tabletalk Magazine, October 1996: Fearing God, 54–55.
37
This aspect of fear is real and the Scriptures record occasions when God’s enemies
and His people were so stricken. One has only to consider Belshazzar witnessing the
hand writing on the wall, Israel at Mt. Sinai, or Isaiah in the presence of God’s
holiness to understand fear in this sense. Christians who are wholly committed to
the goodness of God generally tend to view these events as anomalies, exceptions
to the rule of God’s grace. Perhaps they are right. After all, I haven’t seen any
detached hands, smoking mountains, or pillars rattling down around my feet lately.
These events, however, are recorded in part to serve as signposts to God’s nature.
They set the stage for the deeper treatment of fear in God’s Word. In the final
analysis, God does not normally confront us in ways that evoke strong emotions of
fear; rather, He commands us to fear Him, as though it were a choice. Touch the
Bible in either Testament and you will find it replete with exhortations to fear God
and keep His commandments. When read in isolation we miss the burden of these
warnings and are tempted to take God less seriously than He intends. We satisfy
ourselves with errant notions that God really doesn’t want us to be afraid. Such
ideas lead to anemic Christianity.
The apostles and prophets unanimously teach us that fear is a choice, something we
must will to do. The Scriptures urge us to decide what we will fear and what we will
not fear, indicating that fear is something we consciously control. At bottom,
Scripture teaches that we must fear God and no one else.
In Isaiah’s day the ancient Syrians conspired with Israel to threaten Judah with
annihilation. Under the circumstances King Ahaz and his people “were moved as the
trees of the woods are moved with the wind” (7:2). They felt fear the way we
normally experience it, as raw emotion. In the face of slaughter, however, Isaiah
boldly commanded both king and people, “Do not … be afraid of their threats, nor
38
be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let
Him be your dread” (8:12–13).
By calling his people to regard God as holy, and to fear Him, the prophet was
establishing the fact that fear is fundamentally an ethical choice. In other words, we
conform our lives to the mandates of those whom we fear. If on the one hand we
fear others, we will seek to appease them or defend ourselves improperly. Ahaz
himself feared both men and other gods. Not surprisingly, we find him making
unholy alliances with Assyria, and sacrificing his firstborn son to Moloch. Such
extremes serve to illustrate that misplaced fear leads to ethical chaos. Failure to fear
God leads to moral disorientation, and subjects us to the tyranny of whatever else
we fear in His place.
If, on the other hand, we fear God, we need not fear anything or anyone. Fear is an
appropriate motivation in Christian piety; in fact, it is essential to true piety, and it is
commanded by God. The Hebrew midwives feared God and fearlessly ignored
Pharaoh’s orders to kill their male children. So the issue is never to fear or not to
fear; the question is rather, Whom shall I fear? Over and over the Scriptures teach us
to fear God, and no one else.
39