Fear itself

I've been reading through the The Chronological Study Bible: New King James Versionpublished by Thomas Nelson. It's got all sorts of archeological and cultural notes along with the ordering of the Scriptures by their time frame, rather than the traditional canonical orderings.

One of those tidbits caught my eye today. On the passage relating to Exodus 15, with the victory songs of Moses and Miriam, the writers of this particular note make this statement:

"Terror, or fear, was assumed to be a separate substance which went before the deity, defeating enemies even before the god arrived."(p. 87, "God Among the Warrior Deities)

Those who are familiar with Franklin D. Roosevelt's inaugural address in 1932 might recognize the same sentiment: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

How often do we let fear defeat us? We're afraid things might not work out so we don't even try. We let fear or uncertainly slow us down when we've been given the go-ahead. And yet one of the most common injunctions in the Bible is "Fear not."

Maybe today we need to buck the trend that dates all the way back to ancient times; to see fear as something in and of itself that is capable of defeating us. Instead, let's remember,

"I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (CEV)