THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE we find courageous figures threatened with overwhelming fear when faced with the challenges that progress demands. So it is that the Biblical injunctions, "Fear not," and "Be not afraid," feature throughout the Old and New Testaments. And those obedient to these commands, grappling with and overcoming their fears, proved their worthiness to be in the service of God and victors in His cause.
The Old Testament includes depictions of many historical figures who did just that. David, who was to replace Saul as king of Israel, had reason to fear when the angry and jealous king pursued him relentlessly. Moses and Joshua, who took on major responsibilities in unfamiliar leadership roles, apparently both feared their own inadequacy. Yet each of these individuals was able to overcome his fear through a connection to God, regardless of the severity of the external situation.
Recall that a psalm attributed to David says the following: "I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy." Ps. 59:16, 17.
And few Christians are unaware of the great comfort and assurance that can be found in the opening verse of the 91st Psalm. To dwell "in the secret place of the most High" thus abiding "under the shadow of the Almighty" indicates David's understanding of and trust in a permanent aura of protection within God's love.
These examples suggest that the truest antidote to fear of any kind is an awareness of the presence of our loving and omnipotent divine Parent. So the question is: How does one gain this awareness at times when fear might overwhelm?
Let us consider how those two great leaders of the Israelites—Moses and Joshua —confronted fear during their conflicts with evil in many forms.
Although fear often appears most threatening when one is feeling inadequate to face a particular situation, in the case of Moses it was in this very inadequacy that the solution to fear was found. As a young man, Moses took the law into his own hands and slew an Egyptian for his cruelty to a fellow Hebrew. This brazen act forced Moses to flee the wrath of Pharaoh. However, when called by God to meet Pharaoh and plead for the freedom of his fellow Hebrews, Moses' earlier self-confidence dissolved into timidity. "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" God promised to be with Moses in his task and made Himself known as the great "I AM." Ex. 3:11, 14. Moses, however, was still not convinced. "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice," he replied: "for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." Ex. 4:1.
In that instant, God demonstrated to Moses the false mask of fear, and showed him how to deal with its threat. He told Moses to cast the rod in his hand to the ground. It immediately became a serpent. This terrified Moses, and he fled from it. However the next command of God, to take the serpent by the tail, emboldened Moses to obey,and the threatening image returned to its rightful appearance —a harmless rod.
The book of Numbers says that Moses was "very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." Num. 12:3. This meekness before God seems to have been the basis of Moses' remarkable strength and courage as a leader of his people. And one can't help but equate this meekness with willingness to trust in God, regardless of how fearful and threatening a particular situation might have seemed.
Moses' successor, Joshua, a mighty warrior under Moses' command, had to assume his leadership immediately following Moses' death. There was no time to learn how to lead. But God assured Joshua, "as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Then he bolstered Joshua with these words: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Josh. 1:5, 9.
Joshua soon had an opportunity to demonstrate trust in God when his people approached the waters of Jordan to cross over into Jericho, for they had to enter the water before the river began to part. But his courage and conviction, along with the resulting good effects, earned him great respect as a leader. "That day," the book of Joshua relates, "the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses." Josh. 4:14 (NIV).
How much Joshua must have learned learned from his years of close association with Moses, witnessing Moses' great faith in God and the courage it brought him! And how well he demonstrated such faith himself as he listened to God's guidance and led his people into the Promised Land of Canaan!
Of course, tales of God-centered courage are not restricted to the Old Testament. In fact, few figures in the Bible can match the fortitude and bravery expressed by the early followers of Jesus. Consider just one example from the dynamic life of that intrepid early Christian, Paul. Following his strong denunciation in Philippi of an evil spirit of divination, Paul and his companion, Silas, were thrust into jail by local magistrates.
The Bible conveys in one simple verse their response: "At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." Acts 16:25. This brief statement shows that these men had reached the zenith of prayer: joyous praise of God's eternal power and presence; personal fear replaced by a conviction of each individual's unbreakable relationship with his heavenly Father.
Although Paul and Silas were probably well aware of the danger facing them, they didn't let fear stop them from pursuing their evangelical mission. And rather than simply being comforted by the presence of God in the confines of the prison, these men actively praised and proclaimed it. Through this act, Paul and Silas proved that nothing could stop their real work—the glorification of God. And almost immediately, an earthquake brought Paul and Silas their freedom.
Just because the words of great Biblical leaders were spoken with great conviction doesn't mean that they were not sometimes also spoken with great fear and trembling. But ultimately, the recognition of their absolute inseparability from the one divine source, God, enabled these individuals to come through perceived dangers and, time and again, to triumph over such evils for the greater glory of God.
