Exodus 15:14-16 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be still as stone; till thy people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
The unbelieving earth-dwellers and pagan false gods of the surrounding peoples respond to God’s mighty act of Judgment and Deliverance with fear and dread. The mighty judgments of God during the Exodus Event certainly produced fear and dread in the Egyptians, so much so that they pushed Israel out, even giving them gifts to just leave.
Fear of God’s judgments fell not only on Egypt, but also on the nations of Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan, and their gods. The purpose of the Judgment was to bring about the Salvation of the people of God. In the same way, the purpose of the judgment on Sin, Death, and the Devil suffered by the innocent Son of God and Son of Man on the cross and the victory of the tomb was to deliver all people and set them free.
Another purpose of the judgments was to bring about repentance and faith, but that was not successful then, nor is it now, nor will it be at the end. Even the severe judgments of Revelation did not bring about repentance for most people: ”The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent [Revelation 9:20).” Instead the earth-dwellers hid themselves from the presence of God and from the wrath of the Lamb [Revelation 6:15-17]. However, a few pagan people did repent and join with God’s people.
The Fear of God is designed to bring people to the Gospel for faith and salvation, and it works when folks are led to seek safety and comfort in Jesus. Even the demons, who cannot be saved, believe in God, and tremble. We, too, may respond to a holy, just, and righteous God with fear and trembling, shock and awe when convicted of sin through the Law. Then we are gently led to the Gospel that tells of our gracious, merciful, forgiving, and loving God. We respond to that Message with faith that saves from the justly deserved wrath of God.