The Beginning of Wisdom
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
I’m old enough to remember when people spoke of others as “God-fearing.” You don’t hear that much anymore. That’s a shame. I think it has to do with our theology proper – our beliefs about God, His nature, and His attributes. There is a tendency to think only in terms of the nice, kind, gentle Jesus. He is more like a minivan-driving suburban mom than the Holy and Sovereign King of kings.
When the Bible speaks of the “fear of the Lord,” it is talking about a reverence, respect, and awe of God that causes us to recognize His power and authority. The person who fears God is more likely to see themselves falling down in reverence before Jesus than giving Him a fist bump and a big ole hug.
The fear of the Lord also shapes the way we see ourselves. Some have called this the “seesaw of theology.” They picture it as God on one side and man on the other, and the higher man is the lower God is. Conversely, the higher God is the lower man is. Of course, this is only speaking in terms of how we see God. We can’t change Him by our ideas of Him, but we can change ourselves by our views of Him. The more we fear God, the higher we exalt Him in our mind, and the humbler and more reliant we become on Him.
This is where the writer is getting this idea that the scaffold of wisdom is erected on the foundation of the fear of God. When a person has reverence, awe, and respect for God; they will seek His guidance and desire to live according to His word. This in turn brings blessings to their life and the lives of those around them.
If you want to be wise, the most important thing you can do is to have a healthy fear of the Lord.
