THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

The Fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of WISDOM, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding – Proverbs 9:10

“The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Pro. 1:7). A wise person fears, reverences, and obeys the Lord; a fool despises God’s instruction and sticks to his own ways. The word ‘fear’ could denote terror, respect, reverence or awe. The Fear of the Lord is the continual awareness that the Lord sees, watches and evaluates everything we think, say, and do (Psa.139:2; Mt.12:36). Nothing escapes His attention! Those who fear the Lord have a continual awareness of Him, deep reverence for Him, and sincere commitment to obey Him.

The Fear of the Lord is foundational to true wisdom. It is the most vital prerequisite to registering in the School of Wisdom; and a basic requirement for triumph in life. It is futile to try to obtain wisdom while ignoring God. The wisdom that leads to ultimate fulfilment in life begins with knowing and fearing God. Every other type of learning is worthless unless built upon the knowledge and fear of the Lord. Joseph enrolled and ascended in the School of Wisdom School by possessing the fear of God. Ultimately, wisdom lifted him to the Zenith of distinction and dominion, even in a foreign land.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psa.111:10). To have the Fear of God is to be God-conscious, to be a doer of His commandments, and to always acknowledge Him in all your ways (Pro.3:6). It means to be wary of seeking refuge, joy, and hope anywhere other than in God. It infers living in the shadow of the Almighty; understanding what pleases and what displeases Him, and keeping before your eyes the dreadful prospect of not trusting in or depending on God to meet your needs.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom being the first step on the pathway of a life of wisdom, and also because other virtues of wisdom – such as purity, humility, integrity – flow from the fear of the Lord like a river flows from a spring. “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” (Pro.15:33). The fear of the Lord is the beginning and spring of all true wisdom! Without the fear of the Lord, one may gain knowledge of earthly things and make some practical choices for this life, but miss the truest ingredients of life (Psa.14:1). The rich farmer had a practical plan for his profits, but God called him a fool because his plans were made with no thought of God and eternity (Lk.12:16-21).