The fear of the Lord: The beginning of wisdom
If you grew up attending church or have ever participated in a Bible study, or somehow or the other have ever heard any of those famous Bible verses, you've probably heard this one (or at least the first half of it) before:
Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
— But have you pondered why and how is this true? —
Let’s start with the foundations…
☞ To explore this Biblical truth, we have to understand what it means to have the "fear of the Lord." To fear something, you must first recognize its presence and power over you. You acknowledge it.
☞ By extension, to fear the Lord is to acknowledge Him. We recognize His power in creation, His love in salvation, His seat in judgment, and His sovereignty over every life.
☞ Often, the result of this fear or recognition leads a person to receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, and to rely on Him through the Holy Spirit for direction in the person’s daily life. Scripture lets us know just how advantageous this is. When we recognize God's sovereignty and acknowledge Him in our daily lives (desires, decisions, and plans), we open up for Him to direct us.
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."
☞ This isn't the only verse that speaks of God's promise for direction when we acknowledge Him. Psalm 25:12 and 14 let us know that the Lord instructs and confides in those who fear Him, and makes His covenant known to them.
— So He directs our paths, but what about that wisdom? —
☞ Well, simply because the Lord is the one who directs you, you're walking in wisdom. Wondering how? Well just look at Isaiah 55. In this chapter, God writes an open invitation for all to fellowship with Him, making it known that
Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
☞ God's wisdom (His thoughts) is supreme, and He confides it in those who fear Him by providing instruction, counsel and clear direction. To have God's direction is to have the greatest wisdom ever known.