Good morning everyone - lovely people. I wish you all the best too. To
continue on my blog about the “fear of G-d” I have gleaned from an old book by a Rabbi Nilton Bonder titled
“The Kabbalah of Envy - Transforming Hatred, Anger, and Other Negative Emotions.” Please do not be thrown off by the word Kabbalah. It simply means to dig into hidden meanings and research them out - not the magical red string thinking heard about in the media which is a perversion of the true Kabbalah type commentary on Biblical truths. It’s not some evil abstraction out to get you. It’s an old Hebrew word referring to wisdom that comes with spiritual maturity. This book has been a tough read not translated from the Hebrew comfortably for English speakers. I have gleaned some wonderful Faith ideas from it. So here goes - more on the subject of”Fear of G-d.” And it’s long. Get what you like and discard the rest.
The term “fear of G-d” is not about terror. It’s about having a great intimacy with G-d.
When we are influenced by abstract, subtle principles we can detach ourselves from what we observe in the obvious that doesn’t add up to what we know about Faith and G-d.
What abstract and subtle principles? The causes and effects captured in the term karma, the universal principle of cause and effect, where every action, thought, and word (the cause) creates consequences (the effect) that eventually return to the doer, shaping their destiny. As Scripture states: the principle of sowing and reaping, where actions (causes) directly produce consequences (effects), such as in Galatians 6:7 (“whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”).
To arrive at the “fear of G-d” we need to leave the cult of the god of rewards, the god of necessary, god of power, god of personal veneration (which can be a romanticized element of belief.)
All of that adds up to a symbolic perception of G-d - the idea that things represent other things.
What was the danger of an “idol”? Attributing to “a thing” the power to bless or curse and so veneration of the “thing” was necessary. The nations around Israel in its beginning made things they could see and name that represented what was believed to be their “god.” So Israel was warned - “Do not adopt the practices of the peoples around you.”
We must cast off the fear of others, fear of self, fear of pain and allow ourselves to fear only that which is possible to fear. Fears are not paralyzing emotions, but spur us on to action - mobilizing.
That mobilizing - we do what we know to do that is right. As Scripture tells us how to Love G-d - that first commandment. “If you love Me you will obey Me”
That is the beginning of developing a great intimacy with G-d and is the crown of wisdom.
To obey is becomes another conundrum because our emotions direct us to do what benefits us the most. So we rationalize what we know, “to do” with what we feel should be done for immediate gain.
This shows us where humility is the foundation to grasping the “fear of G-d that becomes wisdom - it’s ankle.
Humility is a deep internalization of our capacity to transform spirituality into a skill that becomes a way of life.
We can live the “Fear of G-d” without a sense of wisdom or any proud awareness of being wise.
To become wise is to be able to erase the fool within us. To become humble is to erase the traces of any wickedness in ourselves. Eliminate jealousy which opens the dimension of envy, aptly described as one of the 7 “deadly sins.” Proverbs 22:4 “The effect of humility is fear of the Lord, wealth, honor, and life.”
To me the “fear of G-d” is a comforting emotion. It’s comforting to know I don’t have to be in control of the world. I don’t have to fear the actions of others because SomeOne bigger than me knows the end of everything from its beginning. And that SomeOne all knowing, tells me to rest in what that end will be even when I don’t understand all the steps leading up to it that might cause me to suffer. Accepting discomfort is necessary to kill “the old man” within us and brings about the realization of a real joy in serving our Beloved Lord. That’s possible to experience even in the face of seeing so much ungodliness in the world. What little bit I can do in the way of right action and prayer is going to have a positive effect I may not see. That just means SomeOne wiser than me sees it and tells me to keep on truck’en on that path of holiness that is a quiet rebellion to any evil inclination.
Holiness - another word we have a hard time relating to because of the enemy out to shame us!
Six characteristics of holiness often cited include humility, love, obedience, self-control (temperance), faithfulness, and purity of heart, reflecting a life SET APART for God,
Good morning everyone - lovely people. I wish you all the best too. To
continue on my blog about the “fear of G-d” I have gleaned from an old book by a Rabbi Nilton Bonder titled
“The Kabbalah of Envy - Transforming Hatred, Anger, and Other Negative Emotions.” Please do not be thrown off by the word Kabbalah. It simply means to dig into hidden meanings and research them out - not the magical red string thinking heard about in the media which is a perversion of the true Kabbalah type commentary on Biblical truths. It’s not some evil abstraction out to get you. It’s an old Hebrew word referring to wisdom that comes with spiritual maturity. This book has been a tough read not translated from the Hebrew comfortably for English speakers. I have gleaned some wonderful Faith ideas from it. So here goes - more on the subject of”Fear of G-d.” And it’s long. Get what you like and discard the rest.
The term “fear of G-d” is not about terror. It’s about having a great intimacy with G-d.
When we are influenced by abstract, subtle principles we can detach ourselves from what we observe in the obvious that doesn’t add up to what we know about Faith and G-d.
What abstract and subtle principles? The causes and effects captured in the term karma, the universal principle of cause and effect, where every action, thought, and word (the cause) creates consequences (the effect) that eventually return to the doer, shaping their destiny. As Scripture states: the principle of sowing and reaping, where actions (causes) directly produce consequences (effects), such as in Galatians 6:7 (“whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”).
To arrive at the “fear of G-d” we need to leave the cult of the god of rewards, the god of necessary, god of power, god of personal veneration (which can be a romanticized element of belief.)
All of that adds up to a symbolic perception of G-d - the idea that things represent other things.
What was the danger of an “idol”? Attributing to “a thing” the power to bless or curse and so veneration of the “thing” was necessary. The nations around Israel in its beginning made things they could see and name that represented what was believed to be their “god.” So Israel was warned - “Do not adopt the practices of the peoples around you.”
We must cast off the fear of others, fear of self, fear of pain and allow ourselves to fear only that which is possible to fear. Fears are not paralyzing emotions, but spur us on to action - mobilizing.
That mobilizing - we do what we know to do that is right. As Scripture tells us how to Love G-d - that first commandment. “If you love Me you will obey Me”
That is the beginning of developing a great intimacy with G-d and is the crown of wisdom.
To obey is becomes another conundrum because our emotions direct us to do what benefits us the most. So we rationalize what we know, “to do” with what we feel should be done for immediate gain.
This shows us where humility is the foundation to grasping the “fear of G-d that becomes wisdom - it’s ankle.
Humility is a deep internalization of our capacity to transform spirituality into a skill that becomes a way of life.
We can live the “Fear of G-d” without a sense of wisdom or any proud awareness of being wise.
To become wise is to be able to erase the fool within us. To become humble is to erase the traces of any wickedness in ourselves. Eliminate jealousy which opens the dimension of envy, aptly described as one of the 7 “deadly sins.” Proverbs 22:4 “The effect of humility is fear of the Lord, wealth, honor, and life.”
To me the “fear of G-d” is a comforting emotion. It’s comforting to know I don’t have to be in control of the world. I don’t have to fear the actions of others because SomeOne bigger than me knows the end of everything from its beginning. And that SomeOne all knowing, tells me to rest in what that end will be even when I don’t understand all the steps leading up to it that might cause me to suffer. Accepting discomfort is necessary to kill “the old man” within us and brings about the realization of a real joy in serving our Beloved Lord. That’s possible to experience even in the face of seeing so much ungodliness in the world. What little bit I can do in the way of right action and prayer is going to have a positive effect I may not see. That just means SomeOne wiser than me sees it and tells me to keep on truck’en on that path of holiness that is a quiet rebellion to any evil inclination.
Holiness - another word we have a hard time relating to because of the enemy out to shame us!
Six characteristics of holiness often cited include humility, love, obedience, self-control (temperance), faithfulness, and purity of heart, reflecting a life SET APART for God,