Where Knowledge Begins Series

A millennium and a half ago Diogenes said, "The foundation of every

state is the education of its youth." Both ancient and modern philosophers

have recognized that education is basic to the making and keeping of any

great and strong nation great and strong. Lowell said, "It is in making

education not only common to all, but in some sense compulsory on all,

that the destiny of the free republic of America was practically settled."

No one can deny that there is a correlation between our greatness as a

nation and our education system. The opposite is equally obvious. In

nations where people are kept ignorant we do not find greatness, nor

anything that is attractive and appealing to man's highest and noblest

desires. In America, however, we find these things such as freedom, rights,

justice and multitudes of opportunities to develop and expand one's life.

Christians cannot doubt, nor can any historian deny that this is due in

large measure to the fact that God's Word played a major role in

America's educational system. The tragedy is that men in their worldly

wisdom have come to the point where they are willing to play the fool and

remove from our educational system any biblical teaching. The removal of

prayer has also made our educational system closed to God. It is the very

foundation that has been removed if our text is true.

Verse 7 cause me to see the whole issue of prayer and the Bible in the

public school in a new light. This verse brings God into relationship with

all knowledge. In essence it is saying that any education that ignores God,

and which does not seek to instill in students a reverence for God, is

merely training then in being more effectively evil with better and more

modern means. Aldous Huxley said, "We have improved means toward

unimproved ends." Maybe what was practiced in many schools before

prayer was forbidden was not too effective, but I can see why even as a

symbol it is important, for to deny God any place in one's education is to

deny that He is important in one of the most important aspects of our life

and nation, and this easily leads to denying that He is of any importance at

all. It tends toward the secularizing of all of life. America could well be

destroying that foundation that made her great.

Verse 7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."

The first thing preachers always tend to do is to assure people that fear

does not mean fear, but reverence. This is correct, and it is wrong to get

the impression that we are to be afraid of God. C. S. Lewis reminds us,

however, that it is possible to so water down the concept of fear that it is

useless to motivate us. He writes, "Servile fear is, to be sure the lowest

form of religion. But a god such that there could never be occasion for

even servile fear, a safe god, a tame god, soon proclaims himself to any

sound mind as a fantasy. I have met no people who fully disbelieved in hell

and also had a living and life-giving belief in heaven."

Jesus said, "Fear not those who can kill the body and that is all they

can do, but fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell." Paul

said, "Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men." Reverence for

God must include the awareness that there is real danger in not walking in

His will. Reverence must never be limited to merely being quiet in church.

Reverence must characterize our whole pattern of life. To fear God is to

live constantly a life that pleases God. Such an attitude, if it is kept

consciously before us, is that determining factor in what we become as

believers. Without this we do not even begin to become what we ought to

be. To fear God is to fear all else less, and this enables one to do what is

best and right without the fear of men that enslaves so many and compels

them to walk in paths that lead to destruction.

Young people who truly fear God will rather disappoint their friends

then Him. They will rather face the disapproval of men than the

disapproval of God. To fear God is the only way to freedom. For those

who do not are bound by their nature and environment to be fools. Only

the believer who is a God-fearer is free to be wise, and to choose a course

of life that bears fruit for time and eternity. The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of knowledge. Lord equals Jehovah. It is not just fearing any