The Treaty of the Great King

              The great king sat before his court and listened as his words were read back to him:

These are the words of the Sun Mursilis, the great King, the King of the Hatti land, the valiant, the favorite of the storm-god…

The Suzerain leaned forward intently. He held many nations under his control. With each kingdom he had written a treaty, ending war and permitting peace. Each treaty would describe the history of the two nations, the rules and regulations, the consequences of disobedience, the blessings of obedience, and the witness of the gods. The hope was that the authority of Mursilis would be recognized and rebellion avoided. Sometimes pride and independence made peace a fragile thing, and unity suffered at the hands of young, head-strong kings.

Your father and your grandfather before him have loyally served me. They have enjoyed my just oversight. Remember that I have remained true to the promise I made to your father to secure the throne for you, sick and ailing though you were. Now you, O king, remain loyal to the king of the Hatti land, my sons and my grandsons forever. Do not turn your eye to anyone else.

The nations had been at peace for three generations and the great king wanted to remove any possibility of revolt. When the old vassal king had died, Mursilis had intervened to help the son rise to power. The new king owed his position to Mursilis and the latter had no desire to return to war, to destroy what had become a long-standing relationship. He hoped to maintain the harmony of two nations.

The Great King demanded allegiance. His position or authority had to remain unquestioned. The new king had to learn to fear him as his father did. Mursilis deserved nothing less. But he wanted more. Somehow, in the midst of this one-sided political alliance, a friendship could be developed. While this treaty would remind the young ruler that Mursilis was the ultimate authority in that region, it would also invite him to 'know the King' and come to ‘love’ him. The treaty would explain to the new vassal king what was due and what the consequences would be for disobedience. It would also explain the blessing that would come to his nation if he obeyed.

A copy of this tablet has been deposited before the Sun-goddess of Arinna. A duplicate has been deposited before you, O king. At regular intervals shall they read it in the presence of the king and in the presence of the sons of the country.

The Great King leaned back in his throne and sighed. He understood the import of the treaty. It meant continued peace and benevolence between their nations or a coming conflict that would mark the quick destruction of a rogue power. He knew that the answer to the future lay in the breast of the young king. Would his heart listen to the voice of humility and allow a new friendship to grow, as his father had done? Or would the voice of pride erase the progress and prosperity both countries had known and bring about destruction and bloodshed?

A Parable for Our Times

It wasn't until the middle or the twentieth century that scholars made a startling discovery. Much of the language of ancient near-eastern treaties could be found in the Pentateuch. Words like “fear,” "know," and "love" were treaty terms. Even the major sections of the treaty could be found in the book of Deuteronomy. God used the language of a treaty to communicate to his wayward nation the relationship he wanted to have with them.

Moses, late in life, set down for a second time the laws of God. His readers were a new generation. At the end of the book or Deuteronomy, he calls Israel to a single-minded obedience to the treaty. He also shudders deep within because he knows from experience that they are prone to wander.

“For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!”

                                                                                   -Deuteronomy 31:27

 

It is in this context that the word “fear” is used. It describes the submission due a conquering King. John Bunyan wrote, “The presence of a king is dreadful to his subjects, even if he carries himself ever so condescendingly. If then there is so much glory and dread in the presence of a king, what fear and dread must there be in the presence of the eternal God!”

The patriarchs understood this relationship: Twice Jacob re referred to the God of his Father with an interesting circumlocution: The "Fear" of Isaac. Fear was such an integral part of a relationship with God that it could serve as a reference to God Himself.

When Moses led the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea, they were cornered, the armies of Egypt in one direction, the Red Sea in the other. We know what happened because we've heard the story so often, but the Israelites had never heard or seen such a miracle as the parting of the Red Sea. 600,000 fighting men, along with women and children walked through the first aquarium to the other side. What is holding the walls of water on both sides? Far above their heads, fish are swimming. Mothers rush their children through while they point at this sudden window into an underwater world. No discernable power holds the water in walls, but it does not fall. When everyone is safe, they turn to watch the walls collapse in one roar as nature returns to normal:

“And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses his servant.”

-Exodus 14:31

 

The fear was born out of the display of the King's power. We are used to the fact that nature is predictable and when we see a power so awesome as to set the rules or nature aside, we fear.

There is more to fear of God than just marveling at His power. We must remember that we are by nature His enemies. We are rebellious vassals. Sin has made us the objects of His wrath.

“Who knows the power of Your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.”

-Psalm 90:11

 

“You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before You when You are angry?”

-Psalm 76:7

 

In case you think this is merely Old Testament sentiment, listen to the author of the Book of

Hebrews:

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

-Hebrews 10:31

 

Or the words of Jesus:

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who can kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.

Luke 12:4-5

 

We fear because we see God's awesome power. We fear because that awesome power is leveled against us by God's holiness. There are a few people who could testify to the swiftness of God's retribution. Nadab and Abihu experienced the swiftness of God's judgment when they didn't follow God's regulations in worship (Leviticus 10:1-3). When Uzzah tried to protect the ark from being defiled by the mire, God look His life for defiling the ark with sinful hands (2 Samuel 6:6-7). God took the lives of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) for lying to the Holy Spirit, and as a result, "great fear seized the whole church.”

 

A Man's Got to Know His Limitations

Now here is the crux of the matter for our purposes in the study of wisdom. According to Solomon "fear" is the starting point, the only doorway to the path of wisdom. This motto appears twice in Proverbs in slightly different forms:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

-Proverbs 1:7

 

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy one is understanding.”

-Proverbs 9:10

 

Proper fear of God is a pre-requisite for wisdom. Folly despises wisdom and instruction because at the heart it is rebellious. Without fear, wisdom is only craftiness and manipulation. Honesty, morality, and generosity all flow from a heart that fears the Lord.

Fear puts man in his proper place before a holy God. What is the proper demeanor for a sinner before a holy God? Proverbs 15:33 uses “humility” as the parallel term for fear of the Lord. If one would begin the path to wisdom, he must spread himself in humility before the Great King and bow to His authority.

God's authority is the sticking point for our modern culture. We cheer when a rebel beats the system. We respect those who have succeeded against the odds using their own power and ingenuity. If they fail, they crash into the white cliffs of Dover defiant to the end. Our culture is suspiciously similar to the lines of “Invictus”:

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

 

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

 Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the Menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

 

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

 

The poet, William Ernest Henley, had lost his health and suffered the death of a child. He never recovered from the tragedy and shook his fist at God. In his heart, he set aside Christianity. Our culture applauds his unconquerable spirit, but it is not the end of the story. He was not the master of his fate. God was.

“Therefore God exalted/Christ/to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

-Philippians 2:9-11

Even as Christians, we must be careful to fear the Lord. Because our hearts are deceitful, we will do anything to avoid bowing before Him. We would rather neuter God than approach Him in humility. But, when we take away His authority, we also take away His protection and His pardon. We are left alone.

 

The Benefits of Fear

If we work at fearing God and learning to trust Him, there are several benefits. The fear of God puts our relationship into proper perspective. Instead of trusting our own good standing, our strength and intellect, we bow before His Unconquerable power, His love and mercy to rebellious creatures like you and me. Only then will we be able to marvel in His mercy and rejoice in His grace. Humility allows us to relate to our Great King and to celebrate His provision. It makes His love for us all the more marvelous.

Fearing God also puts us into a teachable frame of mind. Now that I know who God is and who I am, I want to know Him better. How awesome is this God who bids me follow Him! "Knowledge or the Holy One is understanding," and when the mind is ready, the teacher will come.

Remember the lines to the old hymn: "prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love?" Cultivating the fear of God can be a wonderful protection.

"I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.”

-Jeremiah 32:40

God knows that the very best He can offer us is friendship with Himself. He has more love for us than to allow us to wander away. He will inspire fear, so that we are not ultimately harmed.

Finally, when we fear God, it is an exclusive fear. Fear of God and of men or circumstances cannot co-exist. We can trade in all of our fears and anxieties for one the fear of God. And in Him, there is ultimate safety.

"Fear of men will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

-Proverbs 29:25