SHAPED BY FEAR

“Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered me nor taken this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?” —Isaiah 57:11

We are shaped by the people, ideas, and things we fear almost as much as we are shaped by the people, ideas, and things that we follow.

As we have seen in a number of Bible stories—and will notice in stories such as Peter’s denial of Jesus after His arrest—fear can motivate us to do things that we would not normally do—things that are often out of character and a betrayal of what we otherwise believe. This is the foundation for God’s rhetorical question to the people of Judah: “Who are you so afraid of that it caused you to deny Me?” In that question, He included the empire of Babylon in which they had been exiled, the other surrounding nations, and even the various idols and other gods that seemed to perpetually tempt the people of Judah.

So, of all of those, who or what were the people afraid of to such a degree that it caused them to be unfaithful to God, even to have forgotten Him? Again, it seems that God was prepared to question Himself: “Is it because I have been so patient or long-suffering with you that you have mistaken my silence for not caring?” It is similar to the question Paul asked: “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). God’s primary point through Isaiah was that faithfulness to Him was far better than being dominated by fear of those around them, whether of people, nations, or their gods. “Whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain” (Isaiah 57:13).