Terrible name

Deuteronomy 7:21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

The word “terrible” has such a bad connotation. I remember reading the above-mentioned verse for the first time, and couldn’t help but wonder why terrible.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online, the definition for “terrible” is:

1 a : exciting extreme alarm or intense fear : TERRIFYING b : formidable in
nature : AWESOME c : DIFFICULT 2 : EXTREME, GREAT 3 : extremely bad: as a : strongly repulsive : OBNOXIOUS b : notably unattractive or objectionable c : of very poor quality.

When we read in Deuteronomy that God is mighty and terrible, it is not the terrible in explanation #3.

But examine the first two definitions for a moment. Intense fear, formidable in nature, awesome, extreme and great. AMEN. That is the living God we serve.

~Deu 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.

~Job 37:22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

~Job 39:20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible

~Job 41:14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

~Psa 47:2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

~Psa 68:35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

~Jer 20:11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one.

It’s truly amazing when you read these verses. Just to think that we are going to stand before a terrible God as such and give an account of our life before His Holiness, that thought alone gives me palpitations. I thank Him all the more for my salvation and for His mercy. I will evermore praise and proclaim His terrible name.

Psalm 99:3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.