The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his confidence in Jehovah is protected.
Two forces compete for control of a life: the pressure of what people may think, say, or do, and quiet confidence in God. This proverb calls the first a trap and the second a shelter. But how does something as ordinary as caring what people think become a trap?
Where the fear comes from
One writer traces this fear back to its root and follows it forward into the habits it breeds:
The fear of man is born of unbelief. The Christian who fears man shows clearly that he is not looking to the Lord, but to man. The fear of man surely brings a snare; it leads to men-pleasing and men-praising. The person seeks the honour that comes from man, not the honour that comes from God only. So he fears man — his approval or his disapproval.
A trap you set for yourself
The word "snare" pictures a hidden trap. The trapper here is not the person you fear; it is your own fear, and it tightens the more you owe to others:
The more I put myself under obligation to man, the more the fear of man will influence me. I am trapped by my own fear. But what a dreadful thing! For fear of offending a mere man, I may end up truly offending God. The only safety from such snares is a dependent, genuine trust in the Lord.
What it costs a man in authority
Israel's first king, Saul, used this very excuse after he disobeyed God. One writer takes his confession at face value and draws the verdict:
Saul says in 1 Samuel 15:24, "I feared the people and obeyed their voice." The chief priests and elders feared the people in our Lord's day. By their own confession, all such people are completely unfit to hold power… But in the meantime, should we not seek to walk in the fear of God? Should we not seek above all things to do what pleases Him?
Pilate, the Roman governor who tried Jesus, is the other classic case. One writer looks past the moment of the choice to what comes later:
Pilate was not the last who has agreed to what was wrong for the sake of temporal interests. Such a course, however successful it may appear at the time, very often turns out anything but happy for the person in the end. Sooner or later, conscience will speak and make itself heard. And those he tried to please at the expense of righteousness may in the end turn round and attack the one who acted to please them.
The failure of natural courage
Peter, one of the disciples closest to Jesus, loved his Master deeply — and still failed Him. One writer asks what defeated him:
What powerful enemy so weakened this fervent, affectionate follower of the Lord Jesus? Simply "the fear of man," which "lays a snare"… In the things of God, natural courage will fail. Only God's divine power and grace can sustain us and keep us from fear. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you" (Psalm 56:3).
A greater fear
The cure is not the absence of fear but a greater fear:
"The fear of man lays a snare," and it is closely connected with "the leaven of the Pharisees" — their hypocrisy. But "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." It makes a man always carry himself — think, speak, and act — as in the full blaze of the light of Christ's judgement seat. This would give immense dignity and elevation to the character.
What safety makes possible
Trust does more than calm the heart; it frees the mouth. The same writer links bold witness to a heart raised above people's opinions:
Suppose my heart rises above the influence of the fear of man. Suppose the assurance that God counts the hairs of my head calms it sweetly. Then my soul is in a fit state to confess Christ before men… The only proper ground of testimony for Christ is this: full deliverance from human influence, and settled confidence in God with no reserve. When God fills the heart, there is no room left for man.
Summary
- Root — the fear of man grows out of unbelief. It shows that a man is looking at people, not at the Lord.
- Snare — every debt you owe a person pulls the trap tighter, until dodging one man's displeasure means offending God outright.
- Cost — Saul lost his fitness to rule. Pilate learned that those he pleased at the cost of righteousness may turn on him later.
- Weakness — natural courage collapses, as Peter's did. Only God's power and grace hold a person steady when afraid.
- Safety — trust in the Lord puts the fear of God in place of the fear of man. A heart full of God has no room for a rival. That soul is free to confess Christ before people.