The Beginning of Wisdom
1. INTRODUCTION
More often than not, we tend to think that wisdom is something to be acquired through physical, academic, or mental exercises. We think that by reading books or taking a particular course or subject, or by earning this or that degree, or by growing old, we will become wise. They do help us to some extent, but they are not the ultimate bases of wisdom. But the Scripture tells us a different thing as to the true beginning of wisdom. Therefore, what we humans believe to be wisdom and what the Scripture teaches us about wisdom is entirely different.
Proverbs 9:10 tells us that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Likewise, Job 28:28 also says, “Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” A similar assertion is made in Proverbs 1:7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” More references to ‘fear’ and ‘wisdom’ can be seen in almost every chapter of the Book of Proverbs.
Indeed, one of the main purposes of the Book of Proverbs is to learn or teach about wisdom. This book is a part of the wisdom literature, along with Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, whose main focus is to instruct human beings in the ways of the Lord and in His service and worship. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of teachings of Solomon, Agur, Lemuel, and possibly others. The fear of the Lord is a vital line of thought in this book, mentioned roughly 18 times, with the phrase itself found at least 27 times throughout the Bible.
But what is wisdom and how is it related to the fear of the Lord? And what does it mean to ‘fear’ the Lord, and how is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom? In order to answer this question, we shall look into what wisdom is, in the biblical sense, and also look at the meaning of the phrase “the fear of the Lord” and what “the fear of the Lord” entails.
2. WISDOM
The Hebrew word hokma is usually translated as wisdom or virtue. Other words such as bina, tebuna, or sekel are translated as understanding, insight, and prudence respectively. In the Old Testament, wisdom is the art of being successful, with the heart at the centre where moral and intellectual decisions are made. There were some wise men and women in the Old Testament who possessed technical skills and knowledge. They were counsellors, artisans, advisers, kings, and sometimes navigators of the seas. But wisdom in the fullest sense belongs to God alone. Therefore, biblical wisdom is both religious and practical, which stems from the fear of the Lord, branching out to touch all of life.
3. THE FEAR OF THE LORD
When we think of the word fear, we relate it to something terrifying. Even the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “an unpleasant emotion caused by threat of danger, pain, or harm.” This, however, is not what our passage refers to. The Book of Proverbs—indeed, the Bible—uses numerous words to denote fear, the most common of which are the Hebrew yi’ra (reverence), the Hebrew pahad (dread), and the Greek phobos (fear or terror). Theologically, four main categories can be suggested:
- Holy fear – which is God-given, enabling men to reverence God’s authority, obey His commandments, and hate and shun all evil.
- Slavish fear – a natural consequence of sin, coming as punishment of sin.
- Fear of men – awe and regard for powerful men.
- Fear as the object of fear – that is, God as the object of fear.
The particular passage of Proverbs 9:10 refers to holy fear—the fear that is God-given and which is akin to reverence and respect, bringing about awe and humility in the presence of God.
4. THE FEAR OF THE LORD AND THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM
When we truly fear the Lord, we will acknowledge Him as the Creator, the Master, and Father. Our attitude will be one of respect for God, His word, and a desire to obey His commands. The fear of the Lord is immense reverence for God that causes men to please Him.
Oswald Chambers said, “The remarkable thing about fearing God is that, when you fear God, you fear nothing else; whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” Indeed, all true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33), because before anyone can grow in the Lord, he or she must first learn to fear Him. It also motivates people to holiness (Prov. 3:7; 16:6), prolongs life (Prov. 10:27), produces a sense of security (Prov. 14:26), life (Prov. 14:27), makes life better (Prov. 15:16), produces satisfaction and safety (Prov. 19:23), and brings blessings (Prov. 22:4).
Therefore, I would like to posit three points or messages this morning from our passage:
- The prerequisite for all wisdom and knowledge is reverence and fear of God. Without it, humanity may acquire worldly knowledge and wisdom, but this wisdom and knowledge are worthless unless we fear the Lord.
- No real wisdom and knowledge are possible without the recognition of God. In a world where the very existence of God is now being questioned, this assertion and truth have significant validity. Atheists and atheistic philosophies are becoming more and more popular even in our land. But the Scripture tells us that this is folly: “The fool says in his heart, there is no God.” It is thus necessary to maintain that without admitting or recognising God, we cannot have any explanation of our knowledge or any verification of it.
- It is not only the “fear of God” but the “fear of the Lord,” Yahweh. A wisdom that is to truly appraise and rightly guide the life of man must start with the recognition of a God who is the LORD. Our passage therefore stands before us as a condensed utterance of human reason. Starting from the conception of wisdom as the sum of that which is, including not only the laws of nature but also the laws of human life—both spiritual and moral—we can make no steps towards the acquisition of wisdom without sincere and absolute reverence, and the recognition of God as the Author of the universe, who reveals Himself as “I AM” and declares His will to our waiting hearts. “To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed? Or who hath known her wise counsels? There is one wise, and greatly to be feared, the Lord sitting upon His throne.”
5. CONCLUSION
And therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, to know the Lord is to fear Him, and this fear is truly the beginning.
