Fear the Lord! Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

It’s always nice to start from the beginning. But, to start from the beginning you have to know where the beginning starts. So, the first chapter of Proverbs, which is a book to help us discover wisdom, starts with first telling us about the beginning steps. The first step to a life full of wisdom is to live in fear of God. Not a fear like being afraid of snakes, heights or spiders, but a Godly fear; a fear that causes you to stand in awe of something. Fear of God is the beginning of being wise. But, those who don’t stand in awe of God are fools. Fools don’t fear God and therefore don’t get wisdom, discipline or knowledge (all words meaning and pointing to the same thing in Hebrew poetry). Only those who fear the Lord can expect to get wisdom from the Lord. Live in fear of Him today and have wisdom as to what He wants you to do tomorrow.   Folly starts with rejection of an awe of God.  It reveals itself with symptoms of bad choices and selfishly wrong decisions.  Note:

Psalms 53:1 (ESV)

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MAHALATH. A MASKIL OF DAVID.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none who does good.

The fear of the Lord puts God in the center of decisions and His will.  Folly puts self in the center of all actions and your own will.  Notice how the writer of Hebrews described true worship:

Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Later in Proverbs, Solomon will say again:

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 15:33 (ESV)

The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,

and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 2:4-5 (ESV)

if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.

Fear the Lord!