This verse is incredibly important, as it teaches that the fear of God is foundational to true wisdom. Many other passages talk about the fear for the Lord (for example: Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 14:27; 15:33).
So to start, let’s define the word “fear” in this verse, as it could mean several things. We see in Deuteronomy 2:25 that it could refer to the terror that one feels in a frightening situation. It could also mean respect, in the way that a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully (Joshua 24:14). We also see fear meaning the reverence or awe that someone feels in the presence of greatness (Isaiah 6:5).
The fear of the Lord is the combination of all of these.
In fact, we see the Fear of the Lord being defined in several places in the Bible.
We could also define the Fear of the Lord as “the continual awareness that our heavenly Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say, and do” (Matthew 12:36; Psalm 139:2; Jeremiah 12:3). Jesus even told each of the seven churches in Revelation 1-2, “I know your works.” Nothing escapes the attention of God.
So, since the “fear of the Lord is foundation of wisdom,” how do we develop this fear of the Lord? First, we need to recognize God for who He is. Those who fear the Lord have a deep reverence for Him, more specifically that reverence results in a sincere commitment to obey Him.
This link between the fear of God and wisdom means that we cannot possess true wisdom if we recreate God in our own image. And this is something that has been extremely rampant in our culture today. Too many people want to “tame” God into a non-threatening nobody. We redefine the Lord as a god that makes us comfortable, permissive, and someone who just wants to bless us, answer all of our prayers by giving us exactly what we want, and is happy when we are happy (if that sounds familiar, I’m referring to the prosperity gospel specifically here).
The reality is that the Lord God Almighty is so much greater than any redefinition that anyone could possibly give Him. The fear of the Lord begins when we see Him in His majesty and power (Revelation 4:11; Job 42:1-2). In Job 38-41, the Lord shows a glimpse of His power when He describes His absolute sovereignty over everything.
The fact of the matter is this: until our hearts are in a right relationship with God, we are unable to have the “wisdom that comes from heaven” (
