His name when truly understood cannot help bringing about a certain response in his people: ‘Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy.’ Those who do not fear the Lord and do not worship him in reverence have not truly known God, or else their knowledge has become corrupted and is now superficial. Perhaps they have had better understanding in the past, but we should be careful, for it is not possible for those who have once seen God’s glory to entirely forget it.
His name is holy. This is the chief attribute of God and the one singled out for attention here. He is infinitely separated from sin and this draws out our admiration. If he is separated from sin and hates all evil, then we too must have the same revulsion at it. How can we worship God unless we have the same tastes as he has, unless we agree with him? How can we be in agreement with God while we love what he hates?
They are said to fear the Lord, not because he does not forgive sin, but because he does forgive sin. That fear therefore is not a stark terror, but a reverent submission and reliance on his mercy. God’s judgments here are broader than just his punishment of the wicked. They have the effect of bringing men from all nations to worship him. We have already seen that God uses the punishment of the wicked as warnings, and some take notice of these warnings and repent. But something else may be in mind here. The Old Testament speaks of judgments in connection with salvation as well as with destruction. Because of God’s judgments, he remembers his covenant forever. By his judgments the elect were redeemed from hell, and by them sin was punished in the person of his Son. This will be preached to all nations before the Lord returns.