If You Want to be Wise

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

I may have mentioned this here before, but I love the Book of Proverbs written mostly by Solomon and contained among other wisdom literature in our Bible. For at least twenty years now I have tried to read from the Proverbs daily. In doing so, one can go through the Proverbs once a month as there are 31 chapters and 30 or 31 days all but one month. So when I look to the Proverbs on any certain date, I turn to the corresponding Proverb and try to gain some wisdom for my day from the inspiration of God.

Proverbs 1 never fails to grab me where I live, because it tells me why I need to read it, what I get if I read it, and what I need to do when I have read. Throughout Proverbs, there is a key thought expressed repeatedly, but done so for the first time here: If you want wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, you start by fearing the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is not something we hear a lot about anymore. Many times we would rather picture God as the benevolent bearded grandfather loving us from a plush recliner in his den rather than the Almighty seated on the Great White Throne in Heaven. I don't know why, but I always imagine that throne as a massive block construct of stone. We want to hear about the love of God, but not His laws; about the compassion of God, but not His commandments; about the care of God for our needs, but not His conviction of our sins. We want the likable God, not the fearful One.

But as God, He is one to be feared. Reverently feared. Honored above all else. Held in highest esteem and deepest regard. Respected. Obeyed. Praised without reservation. Served without regret. Followed without retreat. We need a healthy understanding that He is the One who gives us light and breath, and He can take both away by the power and authority of His own will. We need the realization that He once washed the planet clean in a flood of water that destroyed all but eight human inhabitants and their animal cargo on the Ark. He once rained fire and brimstone down on a valley of sinful cities and opened up the earth to swallow 25,000 complainers. One day, his anger and wrath will be poured out on the earth and its inhabitants for their continual rebellion and rejection of His love, but He also makes covenant with those who responded to His call, providing the means of salvation and the way to eternal life, and blessing all who receive with the riches of heaven.

The Proverbs of Solomon were written for us:

• to know wisdom and instruction
• to perceive the words of understanding
• to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity
• to give the simple ones prudence
• to give the young ones knowledge and discretion
• to give understanding of proverbs, mysteries, wise words and riddles.

But without the fear of the Lord in our hearts, all the wisdom in the world will never do us any good.