The Beginning of Wisdom
“We have the fear of the Lord because He is great and powerful and Lord over all…. But when you understand this great God came to save you by dying on the cross, your heart moves from just fearing God to loving God. And when you fear and love God like that, it is the beginning of wisdom.” – Tony Walliser
Read Proverbs 1:7, 3:7, 8:13, 9:10, 19:23, 28:14
The Beginning of Wisdom
We live in a time of unlimited information, through the media and at our fingertips on the Internet. And because of this, we can acquire great amounts of knowledge. But it seems, judging from much of what we see and hear these days, our world is suffering from a great deficiency of wisdom.
What is wisdom, anyway? One definition says it’s, “the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on deep understanding of situations and experiences, often involving knowledge, good judgment and the ability to discern what is right or true.”
Sounds good, right? But how do we gain this ability?
Someone asked a man he regarded as wise, “How do you acquire wisdom?”
“Through experience,” the wise man replied.
“Then how do you gain experience?”
“Through making good decisions.”
“Well, how do you learn to make good decisions?”
The wise man quickly replied, “By making bad decisions.”
That’s funny – and true. But is making mistakes the ideal way for gaining wisdom? One place where we can look for wisdom – the best place – is the Bible. In fact, several Old Testament books are called ‘books of wisdom,’ including Job, Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The most-quoted of all is Proverbs, which makes the declaration, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
Scanning the landscape of society seems to confirm this. Politicians, business leaders, entertainers and other prominent people, operating without a biblical worldview, fit how Judges 17:6 and 21:25 describe the Israelites: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This isn’t wisdom, it’s foolishness.
Most of Proverbs is attributed to Israel’s King Solomon, called the wisest man who ever lived. He said the proverbs are “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, for doing what is right and just and fair” (Proverbs 1:2-3).
If this is true, wouldn’t it be a good idea to read Proverbs and discover what it teaches? Many people have resolved to read one chapter of Proverbs every day. This way, since the book contains 31 chapters, the entirety of Proverbs can be read in a single month.
Proverbs offers wisdom on a wide assortment of topics, such as the importance of restraining anger; responding to correction and discipline; the need to receive wise counsel and guidance; the value of having discernment and exercising prudence; dealing with envy and jealousy; avoiding sexual temptation; cultivating generosity; working diligently; pitfalls of pride and benefits of humility; striving for integrity and honesty, and many others.
Ultimately, they all are anchored in one principle: “the fear of the Lord.”
This doesn’t mean approaching God with terror and dread, even though being all-powerful, He can do whatever He wants. It means recognizing His holiness and righteousness; His love, mercy and grace, and that He’s the source of every good thing.
Repeatedly Proverbs affirms that fearing the Lord is a good thing, just as a healthy fear keeps a person from venturing too close to the edge while visiting the Grand Canyon. But more than that, the fear of the Lord offers the assurance of experiencing a fulfilling, fruitful life:
“The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23).
“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).
“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26-27).
As Tony Walliser said, “What you fear the most is what you obey, what you love the most.” If what you love is your job and fear losing it, you’ll devote the majority of your time and energy trying to avoid that. If you love material possessions and desperately fear losing them, that will dominate your thoughts. But if the Lord is what you fear – and love – the most, He will be the object of your worship and attention.
As we meditate on all that He is and reflect on all He has done for us, the fear of the Lord and love for Him provides the foundation for becoming the men God intends for us to be.