Understanding The Fear Of God Series

Proverbs 1:7, KJV: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

UNDERSTANDING THE FEAR OF THE LORD

If I am your father, where is my honour? And If I am your Lord, where is my fear?

We bless God for giving us this scripture for today and as we ponder over it, I intend to use the context of this verse to unfold the mysteries surrounding the fear of the Lord, what it meant, why it is the beginning of knowledge and why those who don't fear God are regarded as idiots.

Understanding the fear of God is the bedrock for spiritual growth and a fulfilled Christian living. The fear of God is the gateway to a righteous and holy life.

Holiness is a requirement to the Christian faith and it is only the knowledge in practicing the fear of the Lord that can make us attain that requirement. "...Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:6

Leviticus 19–20 records the Lord's emphasis on being holy. The word for holy in Hebrew is “qadash,” which means to be sanctified, consecrated, and dedicated or to be separated from the world and worldliness.

The fear of the Lord is the product of holiness and abundance from the Almighty. There are irrevocable blessings and divine securities for all those who fear the Lord and such are considered wise.

What Does It Mean To Fear God?

The use of "fear," in this context, is not meant to imply a sense of horror, despair, or fright. Here, it pinpoints more towards a sense of extreme respect and reverence.

This is the sense in which mature adults "fear" things like fire, knives, or chemicals. It's not panic and terror before God. The fear of the Lord is the foundation of spiritual maturity. You grow as a mature Christian by practising the fear of God.

Those who fear God reverence God. Those who reverence God respects God by worshipping Him and obeying the Word of God.

Those who fears God adores, praises and holds Him in high esteem. Those who fear the Lord are those who runs away from the appearance of anything evil or anything that does not honour the Lord God Almighty.

A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. Proverbs 14:16

Anybody who fears God and runs away from evil is considered wise. No evil persons who don't have any fear or reverence for God will make heaven.

Why The Beginning Of Knowledge

Knowledge is the information, understanding, or skill that you get from experience or education. According to the Wikipedia, Knowledge is a familiarity or awareness, of someone or something, such as facts, skills, or objects contributing to ones understanding.

Knowledge is the amount of information and understsnding you have about God through the Bible. It is the understanding you have about sin, it's related consequences and the provision of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Knowledge under this context is not about your academic qualifications. Someone may have zipped two PhD’s and more from the most prestigious university in the world, but still not have knowledge. True knowledge only begins with the fear of the Lord.

The book of Proverbs primarily is not laying emphasis about intellectual aptitude. Proverbs is focused on the direction of that aptitude. If someone does not have the fear of the Lord, then they do not have true knowledge.

The beginning of knowledge is to understand the awesome power of a holy and righteous God and that God’s hatred towards sin. The beginning of knowledge is to fear the Lord as our Judge.

It is appointed for a man to die once and then face judgment. We all will be held accountable for our sin. So how can we be safe in the storm of God’s wrathful judgment? The answer is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to be our refuge in the storm by taking our judgment for us on the cross.

Jesus has promised us protection from the storm. He died in our place and on the third day rose from the dead and ever lives to intercede for his people to protect us from the wrath to come.

The fear of the Lord is “to turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess. 1:9b-10).

Who Are The Fools

Obviously those who do not have any fear, reverence or respect for God. It is those unbelievers out there who still do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to turn away from their sins. They're those acting today like in the days of Noah. They are fools because they have a brilliant opportunity to receive salvation from their sins, serve God and make heaven but they are still rejecting it.