Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
If there is a key verse for Proverbs this is it. This is a favorite theme of all the poetry writers and didn't necessarily originate from Solomon. Job said it:
Job 28:28 (ESV)
And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
The Psalmist said it:
Psalms 111:10 (ESV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
But Solomon open Proverbs with it:
Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Having a desire for wisdom and understanding of all things and not having an awe for God is like wanting to swim but failing to believe in water. You can dream and desire all you want. But you have to believe in God and have an awe for Him if you want to understand the universe and the life He created. Knowing God is the gateway to knowing what He created. Fearing God is the door that opens up flood-gates of wisdom. James tells us we only have to "ask God for wisdom and He will give it liberally." When we ask God we have to humble ourselves and recognise He has something we can't provide ourselves and we need Him to be merciful and gracious for us to receive it. Coming to God is an act of fearing God. That is the "beginning" of wisdom. Knowing God is the beginning of understanding. That is God's formula for success. It begins with His character and our submission to it.
Why is the beginning of wisdom found in the Fear of The Lord? Solomon tells us this on fifthteen different occasions in Proverbs. Job’s use of this phrase tells us that our respect and reverence for God gives us the initial steps toward wisdom. For us to have a reverence for God we must first recognise who we are in the face of God and who God is in relationship with everything we know. God can and will supply wisdom when we put ourselves in the place of humility. Reverence for God begins with humility of man. So, God is telling us that before we can hope to have wisdom in our lives we must begin to humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God. James tells us that God will give us wisdom when we ask for it. Our asking is to admit we don't have it. Those who approach God and believe that their education, position or experience gives them wisdom, can't and won't ask God for wisdom. So, the reason we must fear The Lord to obtain wisdom is because we can't obtain wisdom if we are full of pride and self-worship.
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