Dreads
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Definition and Context:
In the context of the Bible, "dreads" can refer to feelings of fear, terror, or apprehension. These emotions are often associated with the anticipation of divine judgment, the presence of God, or the consequences of sin. The term "dreads" is not explicitly used in most English translations of the Bible, but the concept is prevalent throughout the Scriptures.

Biblical Instances and Themes:

1. Fear of the Lord:
The Bible frequently speaks of the "fear of the Lord" as a profound respect and reverence for God, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). This fear is not merely terror but a recognition of God's holiness and justice. In Deuteronomy 10:12, the Israelites are instructed, "And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

2. Fear as a Consequence of Sin:
Dread can also be a result of sin and disobedience. In Genesis 3:10, after Adam and Eve sinned, Adam expressed fear: "I heard Your voice in the garden," he replied, "and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." This fear stems from the awareness of having transgressed God's command.

3. Divine Judgment:
The dread of impending judgment is a recurring theme. In the prophetic books, the Day of the Lord is often depicted as a time of great fear and trembling. Joel 2:1-2 describes it as a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. The anticipation of God's righteous judgment brings dread to those who are unrepentant.

4. God's Presence:
The presence of God can evoke dread due to His overwhelming holiness. In Exodus 20:18-19, when the Israelites witnessed the thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai, they trembled with fear and stood at a distance, saying to Moses, "Speak to us yourself, and we will listen. But do not let God speak to us, or we will die."

5. Deliverance from Fear:
Despite the presence of dread, the Bible also offers assurance of deliverance from fear through faith in God. Psalm 34:4 states, "I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears." Believers are encouraged to trust in God's protection and provision, as seen in Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

6. New Testament Perspective:
In the New Testament, the concept of dread is transformed through the work of Jesus Christ. Believers are reassured of God's love and the absence of fear in perfect love. 1 John 4:18 declares, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love."

Conclusion:
While the Bible acknowledges the reality of dread, particularly in relation to sin and divine judgment, it also emphasizes the hope and peace found in a right relationship with God. Through faith and obedience, believers can experience deliverance from fear and live in the assurance of God's love and protection.
Library

Bit and Bridle: How to Escape Them
... The burnt child dreads the fire; and although his burns have all been healed,
he dreads the fire none the less, but all the more. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/bit and bridle how to.htm

"There is no Dread that Fully Pleaseth God in us but Reverent ...
... "There is no dread that fully pleaseth God in us but reverent dread" FOR
I understand [that there be] four manner of dreads. One ...
/.../julian/revelations of divine love/chapter lxxiv there is no.htm

Whether Fear is an Effect of Faith?
... In this way, then, faith is a cause of the fear whereby one dreads to be
punished by God; and this is servile fear. It is also the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether fear is an effect.htm

Five Fears
... of the Almighty drink up his spirit, the thunders of the law roll in his ears; he
feels his life to be uncertain, and his body frail, He dreads death, because ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/five fears.htm

Spiritual Declension.
... Even though reproof in itself be painful, he would not that it should be omitted
when he has been in fault, for he dreads nothing so much as doing wrong"as ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/spiritual declension.htm

The Parable of the Pilgrim
... that you go on your way courageously, they will then tell you that you may become
ill, and perhaps with such a disease as will bring frightful dreads into your ...
/.../suso/a little book of eternal wisdom/the parable of the pilgrim.htm

Compassion for Souls
... I shall speak, this morning, upon compassion for souls, the reasons which justify
it, the sight it dreads, the temptation it must fight against, the paths it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/compassion for souls.htm

The Axe at the Root --A Testimony against Puseyite Idolatry
... say, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is
the place where men ought to worship." The carnal heart dreads the contact of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/the axe at the roota.htm

Letter ix. Religious Culture and Duty.
... and instructors often forgot to make allowance for the fact that youth naturally
and rightly loves and enjoys this life, and rightly and naturally dreads death ...
/.../letter ix religious culture and.htm

The Nativity
... Winds, clouds, and lightnings! and, ye waves, whose heads,. Curled into monstrous
forms, the seaman dreads! Horrid abyss, where all experience fails,. ...
/.../translations from the french of madame de la mothe guion/the nativity.htm

Thesaurus
Dreads (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Dreads (1 Occurrence). Proverbs 10:24 The thing feared
by the evil-doer will come to him, but the upright man will get his desire. ...
/d/dreads.htm - 6k

Dreadful (23 Occurrences)

/d/dreadful.htm - 13k

Dream (82 Occurrences)

/d/dream.htm - 47k

Resurrection (42 Occurrences)
... of Meyer (B. Weiss, Bousset, Lietzmann, Bachmann, Menzies, etc.; Bachmann is especially
good) and the obvious sense of the passage: Paul dreads being left ...
/r/resurrection.htm - 93k

Resources
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Concordance
Dreads (1 Occurrence)

Proverbs 10:24
The thing feared by the evil-doer will come to him, but the upright man will get his desire.
(See RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Dreads

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Dreadlocks
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