On the Road to Pentecost: The Spirit of the fear of the Lord

 

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—” – Isaiah 11:2 (NIV)

While on the road to Pentecost, we have touched just a little on the sevenfold flow of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Believers. Not necessarily in any particular order, we have looked at six – Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge and Piety.

As you must have noticed from the above verse, piety isn’t included in this translation, however, in the Latin Vulgate’s corresponding verse we read,

et requiescet super eum spiritus Domini spiritus sapientiae et intellectus spiritus consilii et fortitudinis spiritus scientiae et pietatis 

“Pietatis” is translated “Piety” in English, so the verse reads,

"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety." 

Okay, something else you probably noticed in both translations, there are only six listed; so how is it seven-fold?

Roman Catholicism.

Made popular by the 13^th Century Catholic theologian Bonaventure as a devotional practice, the concept of seven gifts infused by the Spirit based on Isaiah 11:2 was adopted by the global church.

Piety and fear of the Lord are intertwined as they both speak of similar if not the same qualities. Even so, let’s still take a look at the last to be touched, The Spirit of the fear of the Lord.

Beloved, there’s a fear which bears no torment; a fear without terror; a fear that has no dealings with fright – this fear is characterized by awe and wonder and honour and respect and bowed hearts in adoration and in love. This fear of which Isaiah spoke is not craven fear and timidity but reverential fear.

Paul in his second letter to Timothy tells him of the kind of Spirit that we have been given,

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (1:7 NIV)

When we are united with Jesus, we become the recipients of the same manifestations that rested on Him through the same Spirit now living inside us. Just as He did with Jesus, the Holy Spirit pours into us, all that He is.

To be fear-filled dependents of God is to belong to Him. God enjoys our company when we have the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.

The Spirit of the fear of the Lord affords us a conscious awareness of God’s holiness and a deep desire not to offend Him in any way. It enables us to forgive quickly and not hold grudges or seek vengeance. It gives us access to the mysteries of Christ. It is our privilege to be exposed to the mysteries, secrets and thoughts of God. We gain a revelation of God, and when God is revealed to us, holy fear is born in us – it is to hold God in reverence.

Too many Christians are excited about the blessings and activities of God, but do not respect and honour Him – there is no reverence for God.

More respect is shown for other human beings than is shown for God. We continuously do the right things, but our spirits are not involved in our actions, there is no reverence for God; we operate from a place of religious duty and expectation instead of heartfelt honour, love and adoration.

Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah says that the attributes of the sevenfold Spirit will be embodied by Him. And for us, as receivers of Jesus’ inheritance, they are embodied by us through the sanctifying grace of God and possess the potential to forge us into a greater depth of a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life if we open our hearts in contrition.

As believers it’s our birthright to operate in the fullness of the sevenfold spiritual gifts. Fearing the Lord is to be in a place of His Spirit’s perpetual flow.

Here are a few verses that will give you a better understanding of what the fear of the Lord affords you…

Proverbs 9:10a (ESV) says,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

The fear of the Lord, though it comes at the end of Isaiah’s list, it is the beginning of the first Spirt gift. As seen in a previous post, these Spirit-infused manifestations are all connected – interrelated.

Proverbs 19:23 (NIV)

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Psalm 31:19 (AMP)

How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You…

Acts 9:31 (GNT)

And so it was that the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. Through the help of the Holy Spirit it was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord.

Jesus delighted in the fear of the Lord according to Isaiah 11:3 which states, “And He will delight in the fear of the Lord…” (NASB)

We, as sojourners on the road to Pentecost, must also delight in the fear of the Lord – this manifestation of the Spirit keeps us fiercely true to God, causing us to do what is right for the right reason no matter what the cost.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: The Spirit of the fear of the Lord” © 2025 June 1, 2025