Proverbs 9

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.  If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you will bear it alone.” Proverbs 9:10-12 (NKJV)

Sandwiched between a description of how Wisdom (portrayed as a woman) invites the simple man into her home to forsake foolishness and how the Foolish woman entices simple men into her home to indulge in foolishness, which leads to death, is this short passage about fearing the Lord.  If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, leading to knowledge, understanding, and life, then what does it mean to fear the Lord?  That question was answered in yesterday’s proverb!

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.  Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.  By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.  By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.  I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” Proverbs 8:13-17 (NKJV)

So, fearing the Lord does not mean we should be afraid of the Lord, forever hiding from His presence.  “Fearing the Lord” is more akin to loving the Lord.

“You who love the Lord, hate evil!  He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 97:10 (NKJV)

Fearing the Lord means hating evil.  When we fear the Lord, we love what He loves and hate what He hates.  When we harbor love for this world (and the evil therein), we are more likely to be wooed by the enticements of the “foolish woman  .”Imagine a man who marries his beautiful, godly bride yet still harbors affection for a past girlfriend.  If that old girlfriend were to call, he would be inclined to re-open that relationship and forsake his vows to his wife.  Now, suppose the same man loved the Lord and his wife, and he hated evil.  He would have absolutely no impulse to return the advances of his past girlfriend, even if his marriage was in a rough season.

Commandment #3 states: “You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)

Taking the Lord’s Name in vain is like a woman who marries a man yet falls for the charms of another man.  She would have taken her husband’s name in vain because her heart belongs to another!  So, fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, but hating sin is the foundation of fearing the Lord.  

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.’” Mark 7:6 (NKJV)