Proverbs 14:27 "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."
This proverb is the fourth one in the chapter and the twelfth of twenty-one in the book dealing with the fear of God. Solomon wrote often about the fear of God since it is the "law of the wise." We know that to be the case because this proverb and Proverbs 13:14 are nearly identical, making the subject of each proverb interchangeable. It states, "The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death" whereas this proverb reads, "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." The law of the wise is clearly "Fear God." One cannot be wise without first obeying the law of the wise. One cannot enjoy the presence of wisdom without first fearing God.
In this particular proverb dealing with the fear of God, Solomon describes it beautifully as a "fountain of life." He likens the act of fearing God to drinking from a fountain of life-giving water. However, his divinely-inspired description doesn't stop there with that cheery imagery; he adds that fearing God is how one departs from the snares of death. This added detail takes an ideal virtue and makes it a necessary virtue. This inclusion of death's dark devices makes the fear of God something less of an attraction and more of a necessity; something less of a life-extending vitamin and more of a life-saving medication. In this proverb, death takes life from men while the fear of God gives life to men. In this proverb, two words must be highlighted and underlined to appreciate the necessity of fearing God. Those two words are "fear" and "depart."
Solomon does not call the "Honor of God" a fountain of life nor does he describe the "Reverence of God" a fountain of life. He is very specific in this and in twenty-one other proverbs to use the word, "fear" when describing this necessary virtue. Solomon knew what the Scriptures recorded about Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua and others when they encountered the presence of God - they feared Him for they saw Him for Who He is as He is Almighty. All throughout Scripture when men and women encountered God, they fell on their faces in fear, not just in honor or in reverence. It wasn't a fear of harm as a person might experience in a bank when being robbed. It wasn't a fear of danger as a person might experience in the wilderness when stumbling upon a grizzly bear. It wasn’t a fear of evil as a person might experience in a dark alley when being followed by a shadowy figure. The type of fear that accompanied great characters of Scripture when encountering God was the feeling of being incredibly small and weak in the presence of Someone so incredibly big and strong. To fear God is to stand in awe of the power of God but it is an awe that links the power of God to the holiness of God. The Biblical fear of God is very specifically linked to the holiness of God, meaning we fear the holy and just consequences of our sin.
Unfortunately, our so-called "civilized" society has robbed us of the very healthy side of fearing authority. Schools don't want their students to fear their teachers. Families don't want their children to fear their parents. Communities don't want their citizens to fear their police officers. Teams don't want their athletes to fear their coaches. Companies don't want their employees to fear their managers. As a result, we have a so-called "civilized" society where parents are being laughed at, teachers are being mocked, employers are being ignored, coaches are being defied and police officers are being attacked. Fear, when applied to just authorities, is critical for a person to be moral and for a society to be stable. Because God is always just and holy, fearing His power and punishment of evil is crucial for a person to be moral. The fear of God is not fearing an erratic and irrational superpower. It is not living in terror of an emotionally-unstable and mentally-unhealthy superpower. The fear of God is not getting up every morning terrified of what mood God is in. It isn't living in fear of an omnipotent and omniscient madman bent on creating chaos and wreaking havoc in the lives of men. The fear of God is standing in awe of an Almighty but Holy God Who always does right, including and especially when we don't. This is what makes it a fountain of life.
It is possible to "honor" a person without "fearing" that person. I honor my 96 year-old grandmother but I don't fear her. I respect her wisdom, position and accomplishments in life but there is nothing about her I fear. A police officer, however, with weapons and the authority to use them, is a person I both respect and fear. I respect that officer's position in the community but I also fear that officer's power and that fear motivates adherence to the laws of the land. Honor and fear are different but they are both necessary for a person to be both moral and wise. Paul differentiated the two when talking about God-ordained Human Government in Romans 13, explaining that evildoers should be "afraid" of the "Sword-Bearing Minister of God." Romans 13:7, "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."
When we emphasize and appreciate the word, "fear" in this proverb, we'll better appreciate why the fear of God is a fountain of life since it helps us "depart" from the snares of death. Please notice that the fear of God doesn't help us "escape" the snares of death. Please make note that the fear of God doesn't cause us to "avoid" the snares of death. No, the fear of God helps us "depart," or LEAVE the snares of death, meaning we’ve been confronted with the snares of death in a very serious moment of decision. To "depart from" someone or something clearly infers that you were in the presence of that person or thing. To "depart from" someone or something means that you were entertaining or contemplating that person or thing. This is why the fear of God is so serious and so necessary. Death sets snares all throughout life in the form of enticing temptations of pleasure. When we are confronted with them, we deliberate and entertain the thought of putting our foot in them because they look so good. It is in those crucial moments that we need serious motivation to get out of that deliberation and get as far away as possible from those snares. The serious motivation we need is the awe of God's power that is attached to His holiness. Anything outside of that doesn't work because our hearts are so deceitful and our wills are so weak. Every time we fear God in the enticing presence of the disguised snares of death, we'll depart from that which could cause our demise and instead, we take a big drink of the water of life.
The snares of death are everywhere in life but fortunately for us, this proverb’s virtue offers a fountain that never runs dry. For as many snares death lays in our path, there is water in the fountain of life when we fear God. From the beginning of time, sin seeks to kill. Every time we sin, the snap of death is heard. It may be the beginning of the death of a marriage or a friendship. It may be the instant death of a life or an opportunity. It may be the slow death of a ministry or a relationship. It me be the loss of health or sanity. On the contrary, every time we fear God, the sweet sip of life can be heard. When tempted to start drinking, the fear of God will pull us away from the bottle and all of the pain that comes with it. When tempted to look at that screen, the fear of God will pull us away from the image and all of the pain that comes with it. When tempted to say that word or repeat that story, the fear of God will pull us away from error and all of the pain that comes with it. While death is no respecter of persons and while God lets death eventually take us all, it is true that God-fearing people generally avoid the evil snares of death. When you're not involved with alcohol, infidelity, schemes, covetousness, lies, gambling and greed, you tend to escape many of the literal snares of death.
Because we are "but dust," we so easily find ourselves contemplating putting our foot in a snare of death that is disguised as an appealing pleasure of life. In that moment, it's not our reverence for a Great God that will get us out of that situation; it will be our fear of a Holy God that will get us out of that situation. Consider the words of this proverb, "BY the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).
In this particular proverb dealing with the fear of God, Solomon describes it beautifully as a "fountain of life." He likens the act of fearing God to drinking from a fountain of life-giving water. However, his divinely-inspired description doesn't stop there with that cheery imagery; he adds that fearing God is how one departs from the snares of death. This added detail takes an ideal virtue and makes it a necessary virtue. This inclusion of death's dark devices makes the fear of God something less of an attraction and more of a necessity; something less of a life-extending vitamin and more of a life-saving medication. In this proverb, death takes life from men while the fear of God gives life to men. In this proverb, two words must be highlighted and underlined to appreciate the necessity of fearing God. Those two words are "fear" and "depart."
Solomon does not call the "Honor of God" a fountain of life nor does he describe the "Reverence of God" a fountain of life. He is very specific in this and in twenty-one other proverbs to use the word, "fear" when describing this necessary virtue. Solomon knew what the Scriptures recorded about Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua and others when they encountered the presence of God - they feared Him for they saw Him for Who He is as He is Almighty. All throughout Scripture when men and women encountered God, they fell on their faces in fear, not just in honor or in reverence. It wasn't a fear of harm as a person might experience in a bank when being robbed. It wasn't a fear of danger as a person might experience in the wilderness when stumbling upon a grizzly bear. It wasn’t a fear of evil as a person might experience in a dark alley when being followed by a shadowy figure. The type of fear that accompanied great characters of Scripture when encountering God was the feeling of being incredibly small and weak in the presence of Someone so incredibly big and strong. To fear God is to stand in awe of the power of God but it is an awe that links the power of God to the holiness of God. The Biblical fear of God is very specifically linked to the holiness of God, meaning we fear the holy and just consequences of our sin.
Unfortunately, our so-called "civilized" society has robbed us of the very healthy side of fearing authority. Schools don't want their students to fear their teachers. Families don't want their children to fear their parents. Communities don't want their citizens to fear their police officers. Teams don't want their athletes to fear their coaches. Companies don't want their employees to fear their managers. As a result, we have a so-called "civilized" society where parents are being laughed at, teachers are being mocked, employers are being ignored, coaches are being defied and police officers are being attacked. Fear, when applied to just authorities, is critical for a person to be moral and for a society to be stable. Because God is always just and holy, fearing His power and punishment of evil is crucial for a person to be moral. The fear of God is not fearing an erratic and irrational superpower. It is not living in terror of an emotionally-unstable and mentally-unhealthy superpower. The fear of God is not getting up every morning terrified of what mood God is in. It isn't living in fear of an omnipotent and omniscient madman bent on creating chaos and wreaking havoc in the lives of men. The fear of God is standing in awe of an Almighty but Holy God Who always does right, including and especially when we don't. This is what makes it a fountain of life.
It is possible to "honor" a person without "fearing" that person. I honor my 96 year-old grandmother but I don't fear her. I respect her wisdom, position and accomplishments in life but there is nothing about her I fear. A police officer, however, with weapons and the authority to use them, is a person I both respect and fear. I respect that officer's position in the community but I also fear that officer's power and that fear motivates adherence to the laws of the land. Honor and fear are different but they are both necessary for a person to be both moral and wise. Paul differentiated the two when talking about God-ordained Human Government in Romans 13, explaining that evildoers should be "afraid" of the "Sword-Bearing Minister of God." Romans 13:7, "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."
When we emphasize and appreciate the word, "fear" in this proverb, we'll better appreciate why the fear of God is a fountain of life since it helps us "depart" from the snares of death. Please notice that the fear of God doesn't help us "escape" the snares of death. Please make note that the fear of God doesn't cause us to "avoid" the snares of death. No, the fear of God helps us "depart," or LEAVE the snares of death, meaning we’ve been confronted with the snares of death in a very serious moment of decision. To "depart from" someone or something clearly infers that you were in the presence of that person or thing. To "depart from" someone or something means that you were entertaining or contemplating that person or thing. This is why the fear of God is so serious and so necessary. Death sets snares all throughout life in the form of enticing temptations of pleasure. When we are confronted with them, we deliberate and entertain the thought of putting our foot in them because they look so good. It is in those crucial moments that we need serious motivation to get out of that deliberation and get as far away as possible from those snares. The serious motivation we need is the awe of God's power that is attached to His holiness. Anything outside of that doesn't work because our hearts are so deceitful and our wills are so weak. Every time we fear God in the enticing presence of the disguised snares of death, we'll depart from that which could cause our demise and instead, we take a big drink of the water of life.
The snares of death are everywhere in life but fortunately for us, this proverb’s virtue offers a fountain that never runs dry. For as many snares death lays in our path, there is water in the fountain of life when we fear God. From the beginning of time, sin seeks to kill. Every time we sin, the snap of death is heard. It may be the beginning of the death of a marriage or a friendship. It may be the instant death of a life or an opportunity. It may be the slow death of a ministry or a relationship. It me be the loss of health or sanity. On the contrary, every time we fear God, the sweet sip of life can be heard. When tempted to start drinking, the fear of God will pull us away from the bottle and all of the pain that comes with it. When tempted to look at that screen, the fear of God will pull us away from the image and all of the pain that comes with it. When tempted to say that word or repeat that story, the fear of God will pull us away from error and all of the pain that comes with it. While death is no respecter of persons and while God lets death eventually take us all, it is true that God-fearing people generally avoid the evil snares of death. When you're not involved with alcohol, infidelity, schemes, covetousness, lies, gambling and greed, you tend to escape many of the literal snares of death.
Because we are "but dust," we so easily find ourselves contemplating putting our foot in a snare of death that is disguised as an appealing pleasure of life. In that moment, it's not our reverence for a Great God that will get us out of that situation; it will be our fear of a Holy God that will get us out of that situation. Consider the words of this proverb, "BY the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).
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