Class is in session. The topic is ‘the fear of the LORD’

Psalm 34:11-12

11        Come, O children, listen to me;

                        I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12        What man is there who desires life

                        and loves many days, that he may see good?

            This is the time of the year when schools go into session. Preschools have begun, elementary through high school have students in their desks, and universities are welcoming the new incoming freshmen and returning students. This is the time to gear up for more learning.

            How about you? Are you enrolled in a class? You might be reading this and saying to yourself, “I’ve done my time in school. I graduated high school. I’ve done what I needed to do to get on with my life. So, no. I’m not enrolled in any class at the moment.”
            Well, not so fast! The second half of Psalm 34 goes into teaching mode. The word “children” here means “students” or “pupils.”[1] Are you a Christian? Are you one of God’s children? Then guess what? You’re in class!

            The class subject is the fear of the LORD. In the first half of the Psalm, we learned that there were two kinds of fear in this world. There’s the fear and afraidness that Satan likes to use to gain control over peoples, countries, etc. This kind of fear and afraidness steals the joy that God wants people to have in life. To be sure, there are realities in this world of which to be afraid. If you’re walking down a dark street and an unsavory looking character is approaching, good fear will move us into action. However, fear itself should never take over our lives and enslave us to itself.

            The other kind of fear is the fear of the LORD. This is the kind of fear that God’s people have. This is the kind of fear that governs and surrounds your life. The Christian honors and reveres God and knows that He’s always in control, even when circumstances might seem otherwise.

            The topic for class is verse 12: the meaning and purpose of life. Now, one would think that this class would be filled with a waiting line. After all, who doesn’t desire life and long, good days? However, This is God who asks the question. To find out the meaning of life and meaning for your life, we need to visit the Professor of the class, and that Professor is Jesus. He’s got the unique Ph.D. in the meaning and purpose of life. No one else possesses this degree, and no one else will ever possess this Ph.D. Only Jesus.

            To learn the meaning and purpose of life, you need to go to the front of the class and visit with the Professor. You need to sit at the feet of the Professor. There you will see Him, not wearing an academician’s Ph.D. miter. You will see Him wearing the miter of sinners. When you sit at the front of the class you will see the Professor’s hands used for instructing us in sin where His crucified hands wipe away our sins recorded on the whiteboard/chalkboard. When you sit at the feet of the Professor, you will see that His feet likewise are nailed to the cross for you. The classroom is the cross from which the Professor instructs us.

            This now is the classroom. Jesus is the Professor. Are you sitting in the back of the class? Move forward to the front of the class. You are one of His most prized students!

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[1] Craigie, Peter C. Psalms 1–50. WBC 19. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.7. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983. 280.