“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)
Whoa!! This one’s a biggen!! I’m still doing some study on it and getting lots of scriptures together, and it sure is taking time. But for now, here is my quick answer:
Part of fearing and reverencing God is knowing and acknowledging that God, as our Creator, knows it all, and that our puny thinking and understanding is very limited.
He is knowing…. He knows and we don’t have to tell Him. And He knows everything about us. Nothing is hidden from Him. So we can’t hide. He knows the intentions of our heart, which can be comforting or scary, depending on where we stand.
He is all-knowing….He knows the BIG picture, plus the minutest detail.
He is foreknowing…. He knows the beginning from the end, and He knew us before the creation of the world, and He knows our future, which some are so often itching to know. Just as well we don’t!
So, if this mighty God knows it all, yet still is interested in us, and even wants to fellowship (hang out) with us, it only stands to reason that we should surrender to His mercy. To me, that is part of what fearing God is about.
On the other hand, if we choose to do it our own way, we have all the reason to be afraid of Him. If we don’t have his mercy, we have His wrath. And His wrath is awesome!
But, this is ONLY the BEGINNING!!!
There’s more I want to say on the subject, mainly about what knowledge is, and how we increase in it. As I said, I am still getting some thoughts together.)
And then, how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of WISDOM!!
But to finish with, here’s a verse that says it all:
“Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the Lord is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.”
(1 Samuel 2:3, NKJ)
Tags: all-knowing, all-seeing, beatitudes, childlike, comfort, concubines, craftsmen, deceit, endures, escape, exodus, fear, God hears, heart, help, honey, insight, inspiration, knowing God, knowledgeable people, manual, maths, miracle, mobile phones, oppression, plan of salvation, punishment, rat race, Sarah, smart, smarter, stubbornness, tried, understanding, walk in the Spirit, wave of the sea, wisdom, wiser, women, words of life
June 10, 2007 at 11:44 pm |
A friend wrote:
I really liked what you said about knowledge and the fear of the Lord!
I was thinking along the same lines this morning – how, when we really see the awesome vastness and incomprehensible power and greatness of God, and what specks (if even that!) we are in comparison to Him, it’s not too likely we’ll say, “Well, that’s pretty good, God, but I think I have a better idea.”
…which, of course, is exactly what most of us do!!!!!
June 23, 2007 at 4:43 pm |
[...] knows it all, and that our puny thinking and understanding is very limited.” (Click here to read the whole article, “What Does It Mean to Fear [...]
April 21, 2008 at 1:25 pm |
[...] 21, 2008 by jeanettesozpix (First published in my other blog – 10th June 07) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” [...]
April 26, 2008 at 12:19 am |
[...] our Creator, knows it all, and that our puny thinking and understanding is very limited.” (Click here to read the whole article, “What Does It Mean to Fear [...]