Fear God and not men: Humans can indeed kill by their evil, but they can't bring back the life that has expired. Wisdom 16:14

One of the great teachings of the Bible is the fear of God. Through this gift, man begins to link himself with God, and without this gift, the law of Moses loses all its validity, because without the fear of God, the law becomes a mask. The fear of God is the most important gift of the Old Testament, and this perfection is defined as constancy, firmness, devotion, equanimity, and stability.
And the Book of Wisdom, which is a sapiential book, reminds us of something special about this gift from above, spirituality is fearing God and not men. Being attentive only to what others think of us and neglecting how God judges our hearts is a serious mistake that most people make.
With these words, the Book of Wisdom affirms this mystical truth, about who we should truly fear:
"You have power over life and death. You lead people down to the gates of hell, and you bring them back up again. Humans can indeed kill by their evil, but they can't bring back the life that has expired or restore the spirit that has been taken away" Wisdom 16:13-14.
How blessed is the man who fears God above all things, the Book of Wisdom teaches, and the story in the Bible of the Bronze Snake is a confirmation of this.
The Book of Numbers tells us that many Israelites began to speak against God and Moses, many had lost the fear of God, and in punishment, God sent snakes that bit the Israelites. Moses prayed to God and the creator commanded him to build a bronze serpent, and so all those who were bitten when they saw the bronze image were healed.
This story along with others teaches us that only God has the true power to punish and bless; but many times men in their pride and for the love towards the things of the world forget this. In other words, the fear of God is in practice protection and spiritual guidance for man.

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