Fear of the Lord: Since the central passage, and our theme verse, is 9:10, which declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. It is important to examine this phrase as found in Proverbs. The phrase itself is found numerous times in the Old Testament but only twice in the New Testament: 2 Corinthians 5:11, “Knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men.” The idea there is that the unbeliever faces eternal judgment from the Lord, and for that reason we are to be motivated to turn them from sin and to Christ by proclaiming the gospel to them. The believer, on the other hand, does not fear judgment, so in what sense does this relate to us? Jonathan Edwards summed it up well, “If men fear God as they fear the devil, they flee from Him, but if they fear Him as the being who He really is, they flee to Him.” At the same time, holy fear causes us to dread displeasing God, not just because of the immediate consequences, but because of the love for our magnificent Lord who has saved us.
In 9:10, Proverbs continues by saying, “And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”. We cannot properly respond to a God we do not know. Proverbs depicts God as holy, sovereign, compassionate, and wise. Who, in their right mind, would want to be resistant of such a one?
How do you know that you are living with a biblical fear of the Lord?:
1. You will stop trusting in your own wisdom and turn to His (3:7).
2. You will hate evil (3:7b; 8:13b).
3. You will desire to walk in the Lord’s way, not your own (3:6; 14:2).
Proper fear of the Lord will impact every area of one’s life.
