THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

 THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS

THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

 

The phrase “fear of the Lord” is mentioned 14 times in the book of Proverbs (King James Version – it only mentions it 10 times in the NIV).    The admonition to “fear the Lord” is mentioned once within this same Biblical book.

The Bible mentions ‘fear’ when referring to God over 300 times.

Through the years, I’ve heard some try to excuse and water down this phrase of instruction by saying it just means to ‘reverence’ God.  They will even go so far as to teach that we don’t have to ‘fear’ God because God is love.  He’s our Father.

Yes, God is loving and He is our Father, but He is also still God. He is a God of love and mercy, not wanting any to perish, but He is also a God of judgment for those who willfully disobey and refuse to repent.

I looked up the definition of the words translated as fear according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance which shows us the definitions according to the original Greek and Hebrew words.

·        H3374 = Fear; morally, reverence

·        H3372 = to fear; morally, to revere; cause to frighten, afraid

·        H3373 = fearing; morally reverent: afraid

You can see that each use has basically the same meaning and why the word ‘fear’ was used in the translation. The Scriptures instructing us to ‘fear’ God mean what they say….literally.

The watering down of the meaning is the devil’s tool to sooth the conscience and cause people to feel comfortable continuing in their sins rather than turning from them.

 

This Scripture caught my attention the other day as I opened my Bible….

Psalm 99:1 – The LORD reigneth; let the people TREMBLE

Tremble means (H7264) to quiver (with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear); be afraid, stand in awe, quake, shake, tremble.

My eyes were next drawn to this Scripture….

Psalm 97:1-2 – The LORD reigneth….righteousness AND judgment are the habitation of His throne.

God’s throne sits on righteousness AND judgment.

Righteousness is doing right morally or legally, justice (H6664)

Judgment is the verdict (whether favorable or unfavorable) including the act, the place, the crime, and the penalty.  (H4941)

We are free to choose, but we are not free to choose the consequences of our choices. That is why we all need to get back to having a healthy fear of God.

 

Proverbs 16:6 – By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

 

God will purge and forgive us of our sins when we repent and turn from them. Yet, it is by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil.

When you truly fear God and the consequences of those bad choices, it will cause you to turn away from temptation and keep you from sinning. Having a healthy fear of God will keep you from willfully sinning. 

You get a healthy fear of God when you stay FULL of the Holy Ghost.  Staying FULL of the Holy Ghost is what helps to keep sin out of your life.

 

Job wisely said….

Job 28:28 – The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding

If we do sin, we have an advocate that we can go to, confess and repent of our sins, and when we do, the Bible assures us that God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins AND cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 2:1 + 1 John 1:9)

The Bible has something to say about those who refuse to listen to Godly instruction. It referencing those who try to excuse Scripture away.  Those who try to justify and say this Scripture or that Scripture does not mean what it says.  You can show them a Scripture that is plain and clear concerning salvation or sin, yet they will not listen. You can warn them with tears using Scripture, yet they refuse to listen to you or a preacher.  They refuse to obey God.

 

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prov 1:28-30 – Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel:

These Scriptures are not referring to the rejection of earthly knowledge.  They are referring to the rejection of the knowledge concerning what God and His Word says.

Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: 

Don't reject the knowledge of God.  

Don't reject the preaching and teachings of your Pastor.

God issues a strong warning concerning the consequences of rejecting His Word, His laws, His commandments,  His instructions. 

Fear God and keep His commandments. 

 

Proverbs 2:5 – Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

 

The fear of the Lord will keep us from hating the Word of God, the preaching, the teaching while loving the things of this world.  

 

Psalms 111:10 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments

 

Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Proverbs 15:16 – Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Prov 15:33 – The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.

Psalm 19:9 – The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

Prov 19:23 – The fear of the Lord tendeth to life:

Prov 22:4 – By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

Prov 23:17 – Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

Psalm 2:11 – serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (there’s that instruction again to TREMBLE before the Lord).

Prov 24:21 – My son, fear thou the Lord and the king

          Many will fear the rulers of this world but yet are not wise enough to fear the Lord.

 

We understand and see that we need to fear the Lord, but WHAT is the fear of the Lord?

 

Psalm 34:11 – Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.

 

The fear of the Lord is to tremble and be afraid before Him for He is a holy God and requires holiness from us as well.  It is also to hate evil.

Hating evil means more than just hating it in real life.  We hear about things which make us shake our head and think ‘that is awful!’  

Yet,  many will not think anything about watching it in a movie or tv show or reading it in a murder mystery book or love novel. 

The Bible talks about hating the froward (meaning perverse) mouth yet they’ll be ok with hearing it at a comedy show or in a tv show, etc. Many will excuse it away as ‘well, that’s not real.’ No, it may not be, but does that make it ok? So, murder is ok as long as it’s in a book or movie?  Adultery or fornication is overlooked as long as it’s in a movie or book and makes it look justified?

Wrong is wrong no matter how it’s presented. It desensitizes people to sin and gradually builds an acceptance of it. We should not enjoy these things whether it be in real life situations or in movies, tv shoes, in books, or any music we listen to. 

The Bible instructs us to set no wicked thing before our eyes. (Psalm 101:3)

When you fear God, you won’t want to.

We need to get a healthy fear of God.  We need to pray this same prayer that David prayed. 

Psalm 86:11 – Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy Truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name.

 

There is a blessing and promises in fearing the Lord…

Psalm 112:1 – Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments.

Psalm 25:14 – The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and He will shew them His covenant.

Psalm 33:18 – Behold, The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in His mercy.

Psalm 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.

Psalms 34:9 – O fear the Lord, ye His saints

Psalm 103:17 – But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him

Psalms 115:11 – Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.

Psalms 115:13 – He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.

Psalms 128: 1 – Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His ways.

Psalms 147:11 – The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.

Proverbs 10:27 – The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Proverbs 14:26-27 – The fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snare of death

 

Psalm 96:9 – O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth.

 

Deut 13:4 – Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.

Deut 8:6 – Therefore, thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him.

Deut 6:2 – That thou mightiest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life.

 

What is the conclusion of all this?
Solomon wisely learned then taught in Ecclesiastes 12:13…..

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
FEAR GOD and
KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS:
for THIS is the whole DUTY of man.