The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
In this verse King Solomon, who was the wisest man who ever lived, is telling us how we can become wise like him. He explains that it all wisdom and knowledge should begin with revering God, with being in awe of him. He calls that being in fear of the Lord. Folks in the Military tend not to like the word ‘fear’ that is used in this passage since we are trained to work through our fears to accomplish the mission at hand. But the Hebrew word used here has a different meaning than just to be afraid.
It means, in essence, to show the highest possible respect and honor. When we put God first, everything else begins to fall into place and make sense. That is where the wisdom comes from.
However, there are those who think they do not need God. They ignore his teachings and choose to do things their own way. King Solomon calls them fools. He is not saying that they are dumb or stupid, but rather, they are fools because they reject God’s wisdom.
Evangelist and author D.L. Moody once said, “Cling to the whole Bible, not a part of it. A man is not going to do much with a broken sword.” Solomon reminds us that we are fools if we go into battle with a broken sword, if we despise God’s wisdom and instruction. We need to study and trust the whole bible to find true wisdom and strength in our lives.
It is time to put away foolish strivings, and to build our knowledge on the solid ground of the Word of God. What are you afraid of?
God of all true Wisdom, forgive me when I ignore you teachings and foolishly insist on going my own way. I am in awe of you. Speak to me through your Word, and I promise to listen and obey. Amen.
