10/24/2021
DEVO 10: FEAR OF GOD
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” — Proverbs 9:10
A wise person has the ability to make sound judgement. Generally we consider someone wise when they have a combination of knowledge, experience, and common sense. But the Scripture teaches that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Without the fear of God a person does not have the capability of making wise choices, even with knowledge and experience.
It boils down to the criteria in which we assess wisdom. An investment may be a good financial decision, but let’s say the company has questionable ethical practices. Would it be considered “wise” to invest? If financial success determines wisdom, then it would be wise. But if promoting good morals determines wisdom, then it would not be wise.
The reason that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is that ultimately every decision that we make will not be assessed based on our criteria, but on God’s criteria. God will be the ultimate judge of every decision that we make. Therefore wisdom must be grounded in this understanding.
The aspect of “fear” has critical importance. The Scripture correlates the fear of God with his holiness, divinity, and justice. God takes sin very seriously. The Bible describes God as the thrice holy God. God takes sin so seriously that salvation only comes because Christ bore our sins on the cross. Christians understand that salvation is free, but that Christ paid the cost with his life. Without the fear of God, we project our lackadaisical approach to sin and life onto God. We feel like our sins are not that big of a deal and that God will let us slide on the day of judgement. Isaiah warns those “who are wise in their own eyes” (Isaiah 5:21) for every person will have to give an account of his or her life before God.
