A. Duties towards God.
(a.) Duties of the Heart.
1. Fear of God. יראת השם—The true knowledge of God, of His Wisdom and Greatness, as visible in His works, leads us to fear God; that is, to fear doing anything that might displease Him and make us unworthy of His love. It is not a fear that terrifies us and drives us away from His presence; on the contrary, it draws us nearer to Him, and causes us to try to become more and more worthy of His love.
“And now, O Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God?” (Deut. x. 12).
“If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this name which is to be honoured and revered, the Lord thy God; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful” (Deut. xxviii. 58).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. i. 7). [[274]]
“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (Ps. cxi. 10).
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Prov. viii. 13).
“The fear of the Lord prolongeth days” (Prov. x. 27).
“Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccles. xii. 13).