WISDOM FOR THE WINNING LIFE (3)

“The FEAR of the LORD is the BEGINNING of WISDOM…” – Proverbs 9:10a

The Fear of the Lord is a vital pre-requisite to accessing WISDOM for the WINNING LIFE: “The FEAR of the LORD is the BEGINNING of WISDOM, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Pro.9:10). The Fear of the Lord is foundational to True Wisdom. In the Bible, the word translated “fear” has several meanings. It can refer to the terror one feels in a frightening situation (Dt. 2:25). It can mean “respect” in the way a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully. Joshua commanded Israel to: “fear the Lord, serve Him with sincerity and in truth” (Jos. 24:14a). Fear also denotes the reverence or awe one feels in the presence of greatness, as Isaiah before God (Isa. 6:5).

The Fear of the Lord is a combination of all of these connotations. It is the continual awareness that our loving heavenly Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say, and do. David admitted to the Lord: “You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar of” (Psa.139:2). Jeremiah confessed: “But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, and You have tested my heart toward You…” (Jer.12:3a). Our Lord Jesus said: Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement” (Mt.12:36b). Nothing escapes the Lord’s attention! He told the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, “I know your works.”

The Fear of the Lord is a continual submission to Him in humility and faith: “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day” (Prov. 23:17). Such reverence of God comprises a hatred of evil and the desire to turn away from it: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” (Pro.8:13). In order to develop the fear of the Lord, we must recognize God for Who He is. We must glimpse with our spirits, His Great Power, matchless Might, Beauty, and Brilliance (Isa.6:1-5; Rev. 4:11). Those who fear the Lord have a continual awareness of Him, a deep reverence for Him, and sincere commitment to obey Him.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Pro.1:7). This verse clearly contrasts between the wise life and the foolish life. A wise person fears, reverences, and obeys God; a fool despises His instruction and refuses to be told what to do. The wise person is wise because he has started at the beginning place; the fool has no foundation on which to build wisdom. Fools try to obtain Wisdom while ignoring: “because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Rom.1:21-22; See also Psa.14:1).

The link between the Fear of God and wisdom means we cannot possess wisdom if we try to recreate God in our own image. Those who try to “tame” or “trim” God to fit their convenience, comfort, and permissiveness, will not fear Him as He deserves to be. The Lord showed Job – and us – a glimpse of His power in Job 38-41, when He described His absolute sovereignty over everything, until Job humbly admitted: “I know that You can do everything and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You” (Job 42:2). His Restoration followed promptly!

Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective and responding accordingly. The Fear of the Lord is a crucial pre-condition for registering in the School of Wisdom; hence a fundamental requirement for triumph in life. Joseph enrolled in the University of Wisdom by possessing the fear of God. Ultimately, Wisdom lifted him to a position of Dominion, Prominence and Pre-eminence in a foreign land!