The Fear of The Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge

Today I am going to talk about Proverbs chapter one. Let’s start by reading verse one of Proverbs Chapter 1.

Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

In verse one, the Bible tells us who wrote the book of Proverbs. His name is King Solomon. It tells us he is the son of David, who was king of Israel, which makes him a king.

In verse two it says as follows:

Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

Verse two tells you why he wrote Proverbs. He also explains why in verses three through six.

Proverbs 1:3-6 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

In those verses, it tells you it is for the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, equity, and so on. These are all important traits to have.

When you read the Bible, the traits listed in Proverbs Chapter 1 will be given to you. The reason, you might ask, is because God has wisdom, so his words will have wisdom too.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

In this verse, the Bible tells you that God has wisdom. In this next verse, from Chronicles, the Bible says that King Solomon got his wisdom from God.

2 Chronicles 1:11-12 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

God is the one that gave King Solomon his wisdom. Now on to the next verse, which is Proverbs 1:7.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

So if you have the fear of the Lord you can get knowledge because He is the beginning of knowledge.

Let’s say God tells you to go and do something and you say, “No, I don’t want to!” According to what the Bible says, you would be a fool because you have no fear of God.

Okay, on to the next Scripture, which is verses eight and nine.

Proverbs 1:8-9 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

In verse eight, King Solomon is telling you to listen to your father and reject not (abandon) your mother’s law.

In Proverbs 1:10-11, it says as follows:

Proverbs 1:10-14 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

In verse ten, Solomon is telling you not to listen to people trying to get you to sin. In verses eleven through fourteen, he is explaining what he means in verse ten.

Proverbs 1:15-18 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

In these verses, he tells you NOT to walk in the way of those people who try to get you to sin.

Proverbs 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof

King Solomon is saying that greed will take away the life of the owners of that greed. Being greedy is not good.

Proverbs 1:20-25 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

Solomon says that wisdom crieth out. All everyone does is reject wisdom. Why would you reject wisdom? God is wisdom. Don’t reject God.

Proverbs 1:26-28 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

This is what will happen if you reject wisdom. God will laugh at your calamity. These verses are saying what it will be like without wisdom.

Proverbs 1:29-30 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

This is telling you why God can and will do it. If you despise God, God will despise you.

Proverbs 1:31-32 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

These verses are telling you more about how the people who reject God will be destroyed. The next and last verse is encouraging.

Proverbs 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

As long as you hearken unto God, you will be safe. You will be quiet from the fear of evil. This is very encouraging.

I hope this has helped you. Have a nice day. Bye!