Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord

Structured in a similar way to Psalms and content like Proverbs, the words and expression also look similar but does fell difference somehow. It praises Wisdom but it also points to God as being on the Throne. The next section emphasises the point about Fear of the Lord. It is giving good, general advice yet it is much more than secular - we know that this good advice about the way that God wants us to live. Wisdom or to be wise cannot be separated from living with the Fear of God. 

In Praise of Wisdom

1 All wisdom comes from the Lord

    and is with him for ever.

2 The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,

    and the days of eternity—who can count them?

3 The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,

    the abyss, and wisdom—who can search them out?

4 Wisdom was created before all things,

    and prudent understanding from eternity.[c]

6 The root of wisdom—to whom has it been revealed?

    Her clever devices—who knows them?[d]

8 There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared,

    sitting upon his throne.

9 The Lord himself created wisdom;[e]

    he saw her and apportioned her,

    he poured her out upon all his works.

10 She dwells with all flesh according to his gift,

    and he supplied her to those who love him.

Fear of the Lord Is True Wisdom

11 The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation,

    and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.

12 The fear of the Lord delights the heart,

    and gives gladness and joy and long life.

13 With him who fears the Lord it will go well at the end;

    on the day of his death he will be blessed.

14 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

    she is created with the faithful in the womb.

15 She made[f] among men an eternal foundation,

    and among their descendants she will be trusted.

16 To fear the Lord is wisdom’s full measure;

    she satisfies[g] men with her fruits;

17 she fills their whole house with desirable goods,

    and their storehouses with her produce.

18 The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,

    making peace and perfect health to flourish.

19 He saw her and apportioned her;

    he rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension,

    and he exalted the glory of those who held her fast.

20 To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom,

    and her branches are long life.[h]

22 Unrighteous anger cannot be justified,

    for a man’s anger tips the scale to his ruin.

23 A patient man will endure until the right moment,

    and then joy will burst forth for him.

24 He will hide his words until the right moment,

    and the lips of many will tell of his good sense.

25 In the treasuries of wisdom are wise sayings,

    but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.

26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments,

    and the Lord will supply it for you.

27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction,

    and he delights in fidelity and meekness.

28 Do not disobey the fear of the Lord;

    do not approach him with a divided mind.

29 Be not a hypocrite in men’s sight,[i]

    and keep watch over your lips.

30 Do not exalt yourself lest you fall,

    and thus bring dishonor upon yourself.

The Lord will reveal your secrets

    and cast you down in the midst of the congregation,

because you did not come in the fear of the Lord,

    and your heart was full of deceit.

Who is the man that fears the Lord?

Psalm 25:12
Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

The psalm has got various definitions of the "fear of the Lord". This verse is focused more on the results of having that fear of the Lord. God sees those who fear Him as people that He can teach and mould. Those who fear Him will put their trust in Him and depend on Him. Their lives would revolve around God. This is the closeness that many have spoken and written about.

Then You Will Understand the Fear of the Lord

The proverbs are given like wisdom given by a father to a son. Here the advice to the son starts by ensuring the son seeks wisdom first. And by gaining knowledge the son will understand the fear of the Lord. God is the one who gives wisdom, so that His children can understand His attributes such as righteousness, justice, and all that is good.

Wisdom can be in our spirit, then our soul will embrace its knowledge. It results in discretion and understanding and keep us from walking in the evil way.

Wisdom in our spirit is able to keep us away from those who pursue evil and may those who try to lead us into their wicked ways. Wisdom in our spirit can keep us away from being tempted - the illustration is that of the immoral woman as the temptress. The stern warning is that those who fall to such temptation, without wisdom in them, are unable to regain their paths.

In summary, wisdom is to keep us walking in goodness and righteousness, to be upright and blameless. The consequence of walking in the wicked and unfaithful ways is to be separated from God.


Proverbs 2
The Value of Wisdom

1 My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
16 To deliver you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words,
17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For her house leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they regain the paths of life—
20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge

The first chapter of proverbs here begins by summarising what it is for. Wisdom is the main theme of Proverbs. Here it prepares and challenges the reader to want to increase knowledge and wisdom. But perhaps the main achievement out of wisdom and knowledge is to begin to develop the "fear of the LORD".

An illustration is given about sound advice given by the father and mother to a son. It encourages the son to heed his parents advice. In addition, it warns the son against listening to sinners who will entice him to sin and wickedness. The consequence of following the sinners who plot evil against others is that they will reap destruction on themselves.

Wisdom is often pictured as describing itself as a female, as in the last section of this chapter. Wisdom describes herself but as we read, it appears that wisdom mentioned here could also be the Holy Spirit. One clue which indicates this is verse 23 "Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;". In fact this last section sounded like the Holy Spirit describing what will happen to those who turn from following her.

In verse 29, the "fear of the Lord" is again related to knowledge where those who hated knowledge do not have the "fear of the Lord". The following warnings were very similar to people who rejected God and God let them live their own ways which leads them to destruction. On the other hand, those who listen will live safely and securely.



Proverbs 1
The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,[a]
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses,[b]
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

God the creator of the universe, is now glorified by his creation, "the heavens declare the glory of God". This is not only poetic but it is true in that God's majesty can be seen through the beauty of His creation by believers and unbelievers alike.

David describes the perfection of things associated with God, including God's Law, His testimony, the Statutes, the commandments, the Fear of the LORD, the judgements. All these are so good that they are to be desired more than gold.

The ending of this Psalm is the wonderful appeal to God as
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight".


Psalm 19

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
         And the firmament shows His handiwork.
 2 Day unto day utters speech,
         And night unto night reveals knowledge.
 3 There is no speech nor language
         Where their voice is not heard.
 4 Their line[a] has gone out through all the earth,
         And their words to the end of the world.
       
         In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
         And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
         And its circuit to the other end;
         And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
       
 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
         The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
         The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
         The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
 10 More to be desired are they than gold,
         Yea, than much fine gold;
         Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
         And in keeping them there is great reward.
       
 12 Who can understand his errors?
         Cleanse me from secret faults.
 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
         Let them not have dominion over me.
         Then I shall be blameless,
         And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
       
 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
         Be acceptable in Your sight,
         O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Fear of the Lord

Below are all the verses in Proverbs that has the phrase "Fear of the Lord". Recently I was looking up this phrase, expecting there to be two; including "the beginning of wisdom" and "the beginning of understanding". To my surprise, there is a long list below, though some are duplicated. The meaning of "Fear of the Lord" is in Bold.


Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:29
Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
Proverbs 2:5
Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Proverbs 9:10
“ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 10:27
The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 14:26
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 15:16
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
Proverbs 16:6
In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 22:4
By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life.
Proverbs 23:17
Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;

Job Defines Wisdom

This passage defines the ultimate source of wisdom is God Himself. Job starts by giving a description of mining for precious metals and precious stones. From v1-11 he describes how the precious materials are found deep underground, hidden away from man and even animals with the best eyesight. He then describes man's ingenuity in mining for these precious materials, from mining deep in mountain rocks, to damming up streams.

Then from v12-22, Job begins to describe wisdom as more valuable than all these precious materials like gold, silver, onyx, sapphire, quartz, rubies, topaz, etc... Not only did Job describe wisdom as invaluable, he also described it as something more difficult to find or obtain than the precious stones and metals he mentioned earlier. And in v11 he says "nor is it found in the land of the living".

Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Finally from v23, Job reveals that wisdom can only be found in God and by God - "God understands its way, And he knows its place". Job describes the all-knowing God as wisdom itself. Job ends this passage with the well known definition of wisdom in v28 which is also found in:


Proverbs 9:10
“ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.


Job 28
 1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,  And a place where gold is refined.
 2 Iron is taken from the earth,  And copper is smelted from ore.
 3 Man puts an end to darkness,  And searches every recess  For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
 4 He breaks open a shaft away from people;  In places forgotten by feet
      They hang far away from men; They swing to and fro.
 5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,  But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
 6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,  And it contains gold dust.
 7 That path no bird knows,  Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.
 8 The proud lions[a] have not trodden it,   Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
 9 He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the roots.
 10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,  And his eye sees every precious thing.
 11 He dams up the streams from trickling;  What is hidden he brings forth to light.
 12 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
 13 Man does not know its value,  Nor is it found in the land of the living.
 14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;  And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
 15 It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price.
 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire.
 17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
 18 No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies.
 19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
 20 “From where then does wisdom come?  And where is the place of understanding?
 21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living, And concealed from the birds of the air.
 22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
 23 God understands its way, And He knows its place.
 24 For He looks to the ends of the earth, And sees under the whole heavens,
 25 To establish a weight for the wind, And apportion the waters by measure.
 26 When He made a law for the rain, And a path for the thunderbolt,
 27 Then He saw wisdom[b] and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
 28 And to man He said, ‘ Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
      And to depart from evil is understanding.’”