How does Isaiah 57:11 challenge us to examine our fear of God? Laying Out the Verse “Whom have you dreaded and feared, that you have lied and have not remembered Me, nor taken it to heart? Have I not kept silent for a long time, so you do not fear Me?” — Isaiah 57:11 Context in Brief • Isaiah confronts Judah for blending idol worship with lip-service to the Lord. • The nation’s real “fear” has shifted from God to the surrounding powers and idols. • God exposes this misplaced dread and His own deliberate silence that reveals it. Key Phrases That Probe the Heart • “dreaded and feared” — an emotion meant for God alone (Deuteronomy 10:12). • “you have lied” — fear of man breeds deception and hypocrisy (Proverbs 29:25). • “have not remembered Me” — forgetting God is the root of wandering (Psalm 106:7). • “I have kept silent” — His patience tests whether we will still revere Him (Romans 2:4). How the Verse Challenges Our Fear of God • It exposes substitute fears: reputation, finances, safety, cultural pressure. • It links those fears to sinful coping—lying, compromise, half-truths, idolatry. • It shows that forgetting God is not a lapse of memory but a choice of loyalty. • It warns that God’s silence is not absence; it is a merciful interval inviting repentance. • It insists that genuine fear of the Lord remains even when He withholds immediate discipline. Signs We Have Slipped into False Fear • We shade the truth to avoid conflict or loss. • We weigh human opinions more heavily than divine commands (John 12:42-43). • We rationalize sin because judgment has not fallen quickly (Ecclesiastes 8:11). • We plan and worry without prayer, as though God were uninvolved (James 4:13-16). Marks of Healthy, Scriptural Fear • Reverent awe coupled with love (Psalm 130:4). • Quick obedience that does not wait for visible consequences (Luke 6:46). • Transparent truth-telling, trusting God with outcomes (Ephesians 4:25). • Steady remembrance of God’s works and character (Psalm 103:2). • Joyful worship that dethrones every rival affection (Matthew 4:10). Practical Steps to Re-align Our Fear • Meditate daily on God’s holiness—Isaiah 6:1-5 keeps perspective clear. • Confess any lie or compromise sprung from fearing people (1 John 1:9). • Recall specific past mercies; thanksgiving fuels remembrance (Psalm 77:11-12). • Embrace God’s silence as a call to self-examination, not self-assurance (Lamentations 3:40). • Surround yourself with believers who model bold obedience (Hebrews 10:24-25). Reinforcing Scriptures • Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” • Matthew 10:28 — “Do not fear those who kill the body… rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” • 2 Corinthians 7:1 — “Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” • Hebrews 12:28-29 — “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Takeaway Isaiah 57:11 presses us to ask not whether we fear, but whom. God’s patient silence is a proving ground: it reveals whether our hearts still tremble, trust, and obey when immediate consequences are withheld. The call is clear—turn from lesser fears, remember the Lord, and walk in the liberating, life-giving fear that honors Him alone. |
    |