Let’s look a little more closely at the order of the words God uses in explaining His way to His people – the discipline He requires of them. 

First, we are to fearHim, as we have seen. If we truly fear the Lord we will listen to His wordswhen He speaks to us, for we do not want to be found to be indifferent or neglectful of His Law, knowing that adverse consequences can ensue.

As we listen to His Word and understand His will for us, we will then, in obedience, walk in all His ways.

We walk in His ways out of fear of God and in order to avoid the discipline that, we suspect, will fall to us if we do not heed His Law (Heb. 12.3-11).

What happens when we obey the Lord – because we know Who He is, what He is capable of, who we are, what we deserve, and what God the Almighty has nonetheless done for us in redeeming us from slavery? When we walk in the ways of the Lord we find that His favor surrounds and sustains us, so that we begin to enjoy the blessings of His presence and promises.

We discover, as we walk in the obedience of faith, that our fearsome God is also a God of great mercy and abundant grace. Rather than chide or chasten us, He meets us in His glory to confirm our obedience, unfold His promises, and guide us further in the way of life.

Knowing this, how can we help but lovethe Lord? Love for God grows out of fear, obedience, and gratitude. As we begin to love the Lord, fear does not subside; rather gratitude and love increase, and all the desires of our hearts begin to strain toward knowing the Lord and enjoying His promises increasingly.

Then, when we love the Lord, we will serveHim with all our heart and soul – mind and conscience as well. We will think about Him continually, value what He values, seek what He commands, and devote our words and deeds to bringing His glory to light through our lives.

The fear of God and the love of God are two sides of the same coin; they are the basic currency of life in God’s covenant. And we must train – discipline – our hearts, and all our souls, to fear and love the Lord as He requires. The work of spiritual discipline is ever focused on these two affections.

T. M. Moore

The book of Ecclesiastes is a crucial resource for understanding the Biblical worldview against the backdrop of our secular age. Follow T. M.’s studies in Ecclesiastes by downloading the free, weekly studies available in our Scriptorium Resources page at The Fellowship of Ailbe. Click here to see the weekly studies available thus far.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.