יראת אלוקים

We looked at 3 different sources (other than בראשית) that use the phrase יראת אלוקים. In each source it speaks about not doing certain things because it's not mortal or ethical, or setting up a moral and ethical society. In the first, we see how יוסף doesn't want to imprison the brothers because he sees that it's not moral and ethical. The second shows how the מילדות don't want to kill the babies because it's not moral and ethical. In the final one, we see that יתרו (who isn't even Jewish) sees the value of setting up a court system with people who are יראי אלוקים - they go against bribery, and stand for אמת. The world has to be run on moral and ethical principles. All the sources display how they aren't trying to have a person relationship with a G-d, when they use the phrase יראת אלוקים they are using it in a way to refer to moral and ethical behavior.
These background sources gave us insight into the meaning of the phrase יראת אלוקים when it's mentioned in בראשית. When אברהם comes to גרר and runs into אבימלך, he said שרה was his sister. When he was later asked why he said this, he explained that he saw there was no יראת אלוקים and he was scared that they'd murder him to take שרה. So essentially אברהם is drawing a parallel between a lack of יראת אלוקים and the willingness to kill (which suggests a lack of צדק ומשפט. So, by saying that he saw there was no יראת אלוקים he was saying that he sensed a lack of morality and being ethical i this society.
We see that there is a natural order to the world in פרק א' which says that man acts in a "G-d like" way because he is made בצלם אלוקים. This order isn't referring to the personal relationship with ה' through מצוות (etc.), but more of just acting in a way that established a moral and ethical society. It has nothing to do with G-d as a "commander" - it's a relationship with G-d in the sense that we are made בצלם אלוקים and therefore must emulate G-d. So אברהם was saying that he was afraid that there was no יראת אלוקים and therefore they'd be willing to kill for what they wanted - because they'd fail to realize that they had צלם אלוקים and therefore must separate from their animalistic instincts.