Fear and Idolatry.

 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: 6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me. (Deuteronomy 5)

We worship Who we fear.  When we worship, we focus our attention on someone or something. We think, speak and act as if that person or thing holds sway over our lives, and even has the power of life.  As God here reminds His people at the restating of the Law, they had misplaced their fear. They feared the fire instead of Him.  Then what had they done? Built the golden calf. They chose to worship something else. Often in the Old Testament the people feared some other nation and ended up in idolatry. When we fear something other than God more than Him, we also remove ourselves from Him. In His presence we find not only a healthy fear; we find a loving Father and Creator Who cares, Who watches out for us, Who guides us to abundant life.  What fear overshadows our fear of God, and removes us from the Comfort that fear brings?