Understanding the Fear of the Lord || Proverbs 9:10 || Manna for the Mind #127

Welcome to Day 127 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is Proverbs 9:10, where we’ll discuss how fearing God is the source of our wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10

AMP	NLT	VOICE
10 The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshipping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.	10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of our wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.	10 Reverence for the Eternal, the one True God, is the beginning of wisdom; true knowledge of the Holy One is the start of understanding.

We run into the “Fear of the Lord” concept again. Let’s build on our understanding with the definition shown in the AMP translation: “worshipping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome.” God is the foundation of our lives. Everything we think, say, and do needs to be based on the teachings and our worship of God. Using the question, “Is what I’m thinking/saying/doing in honor of God and reflecting his image?” This is where our wisdom, based on his teachings, comes in. Knowing what his teachings are about results in a positive outcome and judgment. Let’s get into this:

Job 28:28

AMP	NLT	VOICE
28 “But to man He said, ‘Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord – that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’”	28 And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”	28 And to humankind, He said, “Now, the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”

The fear of the Lord is a central theme in wisdom literature, from Job to Song of Songs/Solomon. It’s about respecting and revering God and awe of his majesty and power. This is the starting point to finding wisdom. We must understand the importance of respecting and revering God. Respecting God involves understanding what God is capable of, acknowledging his ability to accomplish said things, and not insulting, talking down upon, or belittling God despite all this. To revere God is to uphold him in high honor because of everything he can do. If we don’t, we will find ourselves in places of consequences when they happen. This is not to scare you but to remind you of the reverence and awe we should have for God.

Psalm 111:10

AMP	NLT	VOICE
10 The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord; His praises endure forever	10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!	10 Reverence for the Eternal is the first step toward wisdom. All those who worship Him have a good understanding. His praise will echo through eternity!

We become truly wise when we fear (revere) God. Many assume they can become wise by gaining life experience or academic knowledge alone. Suppose we don’t acknowledge and respect God as the source of wisdom. In that case, we have no foundation or context for making wise decisions or understanding perplexing situations beyond us. We will then be prone to make mistakes and foolish choices because we have removed ourselves from the very source of all wisdom. We will always fail when we try to figure out our lives from a limited human perspective.

This is a great way to understand the fear of the lord: properly acknowledging and respecting God as the source of wisdom. When we fail to use God’s wisdom as the source of our thoughts, words, and actions, we’ll find ourselves struggling and suffering from the rough decisions we’ll make in life. Granted, the actions God calls us to do will also be challenging. Yet, with God, we find the strength to do them and see the benefits on the other side. Without God, we will run out of the strength to do what’s needed and run ourselves into a place of self-induced anxiety, depression, and panic in trying to go through life. When we submit ourselves to the teachings of God, we find our source of wisdom growing and changing to become living a Christ-like life.

Proverbs 1:7

AMP	NLT	VOICE
7 The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.	7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.	7 Let us begin. The worship of the Eternal One, the one True God, is the first step toward knowledge. Fools, however, do not fear God and cannot stand wisdom or guidance.

A couple of translation notes before I get into things. Regarding the AMP, it mentions how these arrogant fools are those who are:

• Close-minded
• Over-confident
• Reject instruction and correction
• Lack spiritual insight
• Flippant
• Hardened
• Deliberately choose to reject God and wisdom.

The VOICE mentions they had a strategic translation decision with the historical context of this book. Originally, Proverbs is practical wisdom passed down from parents to young men about to transition into adulthood. Because of this, they kept the masculine references when appropriate and used more inclusive language when that was the original author’s intention. They hope that God will use this work to remind the fathers of their profound place in nurturing, instructing, and guiding the next generation.

In summary, AMP describes the fools as unteachable, spiritually blind, and arrogant. VOICE shows us that this is directed towards a child from a parent. One of the most annoying types of people is the know-it-all. People with opinions about everything are closed to anything new, resent discipline, and refuse to learn. Solomon calls these people fools, as shown in all three translations. Instead of being a fool, be open to the advice of others, especially those who know you well and can give you valuable insight and counsel. Discover what others have to teach you and learn how to learn from others.

Not all ideas people offer will be helpful for you. Still, you should welcome them and allow the discerning power of God and the Holy Spirit to help you apply the needed advice to the different parts of your life. Then, when you put those things into practice, you have developed your own testimony to share with others.

Father God, thank you for your wisdom. Sometimes, we can make it more complicated by trying to understand it for our world today. We know your word lasts forever, so please provide us with your wisdom and strengthen us with the power of discernment to understand it and live it out for your glory and the benefit of others. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.