How does Job 4:15 illustrate the fear of God's presence? The Night Visitation “Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.” (Job 4:15) Setting the Scene • Eliphaz recounts a nocturnal encounter (Job 4:12-16) in which a “spirit” approaches with an oracle from God. • The context is sobering: the message underscores God’s purity and man’s frailty (Job 4:17-19). • Scripture records the event as literal history, revealing how a mortal reacts when the unseen realm breaks into the visible. A Physical Reaction to Holiness • “The hair on my body bristled” describes an involuntary, bodily response to God’s nearness. • Fear here is not terror of an enemy but awe before absolute holiness; the body involuntarily testifies that flesh cannot casually stand before the Divine. • Similar bodily reactions appear elsewhere: – Isaiah: “Woe to me… my eyes have seen the King” (Isaiah 6:5). – Daniel: “No strength remained in me… my face turned pale” (Daniel 10:8-9). – John: “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17). Parallels in Scripture • God’s presence often produces trembling: Exodus 20:18-19; Psalm 114:7. • Even righteous men fear: Peter cried, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). • Angels evoke the same reaction because they reflect God’s glory (Judges 13:20-22; Luke 2:9). What Job 4:15 Teaches about the Fear of God’s Presence • God’s holiness is profoundly other; when it brushes human experience, fear is the first and fitting response. • The verse shows fear as spontaneous, not manufactured—evidence that the encounter is genuine. • True fear of the Lord is inseparable from revelation; as light exposes, it also humbles. Right Fear Leads to Reverent Living • Proverbs links fear with wisdom (Proverbs 1:7); Job 4:15 illustrates the moment that wisdom begins. • Proper fear guards against presumption (Ecclesiastes 5:2). • The believer’s confidence never negates reverence (Hebrews 12:28-29); both coexist in worship and obedience. |
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