Book Of Proverbs - Part 4

Proverbs 1:7 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I want to take a little time to look at these two super important subjects from the Book of Proverbs:

The Fear of the Lord

Wisdom

The ultimate goal of Proverbs is to teach us a deep reverence of the Lord, and this is what the fear of the Lord is. A most wonderful result of having the fear of God in our hearts is that pillars of wisdom will form in our lives.

The Fear Of The Lord

The Hebrew word which is translated "fear" has nothing to do with a cowering apprehension, or terror, but rather it refers to a deep reverence, respect or awe of God. This is why the subject of the fear of God is so important for worshipers - the heart of worship is intricately entwined with the fear of the Lord. Look at this Amplified version of Ecclesiastes 12:13 - notice that the Amplified version gives us 3 components of the fear of the Lord (know Him, worship Him, obey Him) and then goes on to :

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (Amp.)

All has been heard. The end of the matter is, FEAR GOD -

            • know that He is, (know Him)

            • revere and worship Him (worship Him)

            • and keep His commandments; (obey Him)

for this is the whole of man

[the full original purpose of His creation,

the object of God's providence,

the root of character,

the foundation of all happiness,

the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances

and conditions under the sun],

and the whole duty for every man.

According to Proverbs - How Do We Obtain the Fear Of the Lord?

• Turn your heart  and ear towards wisdom - 2:1-5...then you will understand the fear of the Lord

• Cry out and lift up your voice - asking for God's wisdom - 2:1-5...then you will understand the fear of the Lord

• Turn from sin and hate evil - 3:7 Fear the Lord and depart from evil; 8:13  the fear of the Lord is to hate evil

• Go after the fear of the Lord with zeal - 23:17 ...be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day 

According to Proverbs - What are the Seven Results of the Fear of the Lord In Our Lives?

• The fear of the Lord leads to wisdom - 1:7; 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (wisdom)

• The fear of the Lord will cause you to live longer - 10:27; 19:23 the fear of the Lord prolongs days...

• The fear of the Lord gives you confidence - 14:26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence...

• The fear of the Lord gives your children a place of refuge - 14:26 ...and his children will have a place of refuge

• The fear of the Lord brings life and an escape from death - 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life...

• The fear of the Lord gives you a pathway of escape from evil, and the power to keep away from sin - 16:6 ...and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil

• The fear of the Lord brings wealth, honor and life into your life - 22:4 by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life

Tomorrow I will focus on the subject of wisdom in the Book of Proverbs

Book of Proverbs Part 3 HERE

Book of Proverbs Part 5 HERE

More on the Fear of the Lord HERE