The Fear of Aslan

I just wrote a little section in my dissertation on the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:7 reads, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Fear (יִרְאָה) in this verse is certainly used often in the phrases “fear of God” or “fear of the Lord,” but it is also the common Hebrew word for dread of a possible future occurrence—the standard-issue, universal experience of emotional fear. God promised the Israelites in the wilderness, “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear (יִרְאָה) of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you” (Deut 2:25). It seems that there is a purposeful ambiguity on the part of God when He commands people to fear Him. It is hard to think that He means for us to live in active terror [I’m working on this sentence…]. But mere respect would not do as a rendering, because it leaves out key components of meaning, the components C.S. Lewis had in mind when he narrated the first time the Pevensie children ever heard of Aslan:

“Ooh!” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”