holy fear

Hebrews 11:7

The next person to make the author's list of those who had great faith is Noah. I think it's a bit strange that Noah, whose story takes a few chapters in Genesis, gets one verse, while Enoch, whose story only takes a couple of verses in Genesis, gets two verses. I get the impression that Enoch was more important to the Hebrews than the biblical record would indicate (this is supported by Jude's quotation from Enoch).
The key words in this verse are: faith (repeated three times in one verse!) and righteousness. The author emphasizes his theme of being certain of what we do not see. Here it is the coming judgment that Noah does not yet see but he has faith that what God told him would come to pass and, in faith and holy fear, built a boat to escape the judgment. His faith condemns the world and makes him an heir of righteousness.
I struggle with the whole concept of fear. I know I am supposed to fear the Lord and most pop-commentators say that means to respect the Lord. However, I think fear went a lot deeper than just respect in the biblical accounts. But I don't know why I am supposed to fear the Lord. Jesus says I should fear the one who can not just harm my body but can condemn my soul and my body. That would be cause for fear. But the bible makes it clear that I don't have to fear that condemnation any longer because I have put my faith in Christ and the fact that his death has paid the penalty for my sin; if God were to condemn me now, he would be unjust. If I approach God on my own merit, then I have much to be afraid of. But I approach God on Christ's merit. I guess I fear God in the sense that he will continue to deal with and eradicate sin and anything that does not conform to the image of Christ. I am afraid of what he might take from me. I am also afraid that God may not be trustworthy. I know that this is an irrational fear but there have been times in my life when I felt that God was setting me up with great hope and expectation only to pull the rug out from under me... sort of like Lucy continually pulling the football away from Charlie Brown just as he's going to kick it. I guess there is a sense of fear that with God in control he can and will do whatever he wants to bring him glory. However, I know that God is good and so that fear is not at all warranted.
I think that it is significant that Noah's fear was in regard to the coming judgment. Maybe that's supposed to be my fear as well; not because of what I might face but because of what people in my life will face apart from Christ. I also think it is significant that Noah's fear was holy. It was a different, pure, righteous kind of fear. I think this means that it was rooted in God's character and that it didn't debilitate him but motivated him to action. When I understand who God is and who I am apart from Christ, that shouldn't freeze me up - it should move me to act.