Pearls of the Word

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To Him who ought to be feared

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Make vows to the Lord your God, and honour them; Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared [mora]... He is awesome [yare] to the kings of the earth" (Psalm 76:11-12).

The Hebrew name mora means 'fearsome', 'terror'. It is derived from the word yare meaning 'to inspire fear'. This psalm speaks of the work of Jesus on the cross: that is where He broke the weapons of the enemy and where He stripped the enemy of his authority of (Psalm 76:3-4). This was the great Day of the Lord.

But God will arise to dispense justice to the oppressed of the earth: He shall cut off the spirit (pride) of princes, He will be awesome to the kings of the earth (Psalm 76:12). This will be the dreadful [Yare] Day of the Lord. As the great Day of the Lord was preceded by the coming of John the Baptist – he is the Elijah who was to come –, the dreadful Day of the Lord will also be preceded by the coming of Elijah – one of the two witnesses of the Revelation (Malachi 4:5).