Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Solomon’s second proverb in verse seven is another strategically placed truth intending to motivate the reader to read on.  In his first proverb (verses 5-6), Solomon suggests that a wise person will keep reading in order to keep learning.  In his second proverb (verse 7), Solomon suggests that a God-fearing person will keep reading in order to keep learning.  The person who makes his or her way through the Pages of Proverbs manifests wisdom as well as the fear of the Lord.  The person who gets off the Proverb Plane early manifests foolishness as well as irreverence for God.

A lack of respect for God will naturally lead to a lack of interest in God.  A lack of interest in God will lead to a lack of interest in learning about God.  A lack of interest in learning about God will naturally lead to a lack of knowledge.  The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge.
 
A sacred reverence for God is the genesis of knowledge – it is the foundation for knowledge – it is the starting block for knowledge.  A healthy fear of God naturally leads to an interest in God.  The fear of God’s power will create an appetite for God’s personality. Anyone who sincerely recognizes and respects God’s supreme position in the universe will seek to KNOW God better so as to avoid the consequences of provoking His anger.  Anyone who sincerely appreciates the size and scope of God will on some level want to KNOW Him better so as to escape His wrath.  Therefore, the person who ignores or disregards an Almighty God will have no desire to learn what pleases Him or what displeases Him. 

A healthy respect for power always breeds knowledge.  A healthy appreciation for might engages the mind.

Consider the Mighty Niagara Falls.  The average person who sees and hears the incredible amount of water rushing over the edge appreciates and respects its power.  That respect immediately engages the mind with curiosity – with grave curiosity.  Not only does the eyewitness want to know how many gallons are pouring over the falls and how far down they fall, but he or she wants to learn about the river that leads to the falls.  The mentally engaged eyewitness wants to know what water to avoid so as to preserve his or her life.  The fear of the mighty Niagara is the beginning of knowledge of the mighty Niagara.

This principle applies to any natural wonder, creature, entity or machinery that possesses great power.  The electrician who recognizes and respects the power of electricity will want to learn about electricity so as to choose his actions around it carefully.  The zookeeper who recognizes and respects the power of great apes will want to learn about them so as to choose her behavior around them carefully.  The mountain climber who recognizes and respects the power of the slopes will want to learn about the terrain so as to choose his conduct on the mountain carefully.  The heavy machine operator who recognizes and respects the power of these big machines will want to learn about them so as to choose his performance carefully.

The fear of anything or anyone with power is the beginning of knowledge.  This is especially true for an Almighty God.  The fear of THE LORD is the BEGINNING of knowledge.  The man or woman who reveres the power of THE LORD will want to learn about HIM so as to choose their moral behavior carefully.  Without that reverence, wisdom and instruction contained in Solomon’s Proverbs will be viewed as a waste of time and attention.  Therefore, an irreverence of God should be seen as foolish and that it will lead to even more foolishness.   

The Book of Proverbs is not a book for the philosophical person; it is a book for the God-fearing person.  In order to attain knowledge from this book, we don’t need to possess any educational degrees; we only need to possess the fear of God.  Solomon’s second proverb essentially declares the truth that knowledge will come relatively easy to the God-fearing soul. 

Recent

Archive

Categories

Tags

Rehoboam Solomon fear of God health pride self-sufficiency wisdom 1 Corinthians 1 John 2020 5th Commandment Aaron Abel Abigail Abortion Abraham Absalom Accident Accomplishment Achan Acts 17 Acts Adam & Eve Adam Adolescence Adolf Hitler Adulterer Adulteress Aesop's Fable Aesop\'s Fable Aesop\\\'s Fable Affair Age Ahijah Ahithophel Albany Alcoholism Alive Ally Alone Amazon Ambition American America Amnon Andrew Finch Animal Abuse Animals Answered Prayer Antichrist Applause Apple of Eye Approval Arrogance Arthritis Asaph Ashamed Athletes Athletics Backbone Back Balaam Balance Bank Accounts Bathsheba Beauty Bedroom Beecher Behavior Benefit Benjamin BestBuy Bethlehem Betting Bezaleel Bible reading Bible teacher Bible-reading Bible Biblical instruction Big Mouths Big Picture Bin Laden Birth Blog Boasting Bonar Bondage Books Boomerang Boyfriend Brutal Brutish Budget Buffalo Bills Builder Building Business CA Rt 1 Cable News Calamity Call of Duty Calming Calvin Canaan Cancer Candidates Careers Cares of Life Casey Viner Character Cheesecake Factory Christian upbringing Christ Churches Circumspect Clamor Clinton Clothes Clothing Coaches Coach College Commands Commend Communication Companionship Company Compliance Conceit Conception Condemnation of God Confession Confidentiality Conflict Conservation Contentions Contrast Conversation Conviction Cooperation Corinthians Corrupt Cosigner Cosigning Cosign Counseling Countenance Courting Coworkers Creation Creator Creatures Crime Criminals Crooked Cruel Curiosity Currency Danger Daniel Data Dating Daughters David Days Death Deceit Deceptive Delilah Delivery Democracy Democratic Desires Desire Deuteronomy Devil Diligent Diploma Discovery Diseases Disease Dishonesty Dishonor Dislikes Divorce Domestic Violence Doorhanger Dreams Dress Drink Drug lords Drunk Driver Drunk Early Adulthood Ears Eastern Culture Ecclesiastes Economic Stability Eden Elderly Elihu Elijah Eliphaz Emai Emerson Emmies Employers Encouragement Engagement Enoch Ephesians Ephraimites Esau Esther Eternity Evening Eve Evolution Excellence Excel Exodus Expectations Expectation Experience FaceBook Face Faithful False Fame Families Famine Farming Fashion Favor of God Fear of the Lord Fearing God Feast of Purim Financial Advisor Financial Security Fingers Food Foolish Football Free-will Freedom Friendships Friendship Friend Froward Fruit Fumble GPS Gadarenes Galatians 6:7 Galatians Gamble Gang Garden of Eden Garden of Gethsemane Garden Gender Differences Genesis Gideon Gileadites Girlfriend Girls Giving Glad Goals God's Kingdom God\'s Kingdom Godhead Goliath Goodness Gossip Graciousness Grammies Grandchildren Gratitude Grave Grief Guess Guide Guilt Culture Gun Control Gun Violence Guns Gutters Hagar Haman Hamlet Hannah Hard Work Hard-Working Harlot Hate Evil Hatred Head Healthcare Healthy Hearing Heaven Heaviness Heavy Heart Hebrews Helicopters Hell Herod Highway History Hollywood Holy Spirit Home Depot Homeowner Homes Homicide Homosexuality Honesty House Human Nature Humble Humility Hunting Hypocrisy Hypocrites IRS Ian Brady Illness Immorality Inconsiderate Independence Industrious Inheritance Inherit Insecurity Insight Instagram Instructing Integrity Internet Interview Intoxication Inventions Isaac Israel Jacob Jairus James Jealousy Jeffrey Dahmer Jeremiah Jeroboam Jerusalem Jesus Christ Jesus Jewish Law Jewish Jimmy Soul Jobs Job John the Apostle John Jonah Joseph Joshua Josiah Joy Judah Judaism Judas Iscariot Judges Judging Judgmental Jury Justice System Kindness King David King Hezekiah Kings King Know-it-all Language Law Enforcement Laws Law Leaders Learn Legislation Liars Liar Liberty Library Lies Life Lesson Life-Insurance Likes Lion Loan Longevity Look Looting Lori Loughlin Loss of Health Loss of LIfe Loss Lottery Love Triangle Lowliness Luke 7 Luke Luther Luxury Lying MLB Magazines Majority Maker Makeup Maniac Manna Mansion Maple Trees Mark Martyrs Martyr Marvel Mary Matthew Media Memories Mentors Men Merciful Merriness Messages Mike Tyson Mindset Ministers Mob Mocker Mocking Monarchy Monarch Monopoly Month Moody Morality Mordecai Morning Moses Mouths Murder Musician NBA NFL NHL Natural Disaster Naughtiness Nebuchadnezzar Negative Nehemiah New Tricks News Anchors Noah Nobles Numbers Nutrition O.J. Simpson Obama Observation Obtain Old Dogs Olive Garden Order Others Paint Parenting Passion Pastors Pastor Paul the Apostle Paul Perspective Perverse Perversion Peter Pharisees Pharoah Philippians Phone Call Physical Appearance Plant Player Pleasure Policies Political Parties Politicians Politics Polygamy Poor Popularity Portrait Positive Possessions Potiphar's Wife Potiphar\'s Wife Potiphar\\\'s Wife Potiphar\\\\\\\'s Wife Praise Prate Prating Preacher Pregnancy Pregnant Preparation Princes Prince Principal Thing Principal Procrastinate Procrastinator Profit Proof Prophecy Prophet Prosperity Gospel Prostitute Protests Proud Proverbs Proverb Psalm 21 Psalm 35 Psalm 37 Psalms 37 Psalms Psalm Punishment Pure Purity Purpose QVC Questions Rachel Rage Ransom Rebate Rebekkah Rebel Red Lobster Reels Regulations Regulation Rehoboam Rehoboma Relationship Difficulties Relationship Religion Remember Repentance Reporter Reprove Republican Reputation Research Resistance Responsibilities Resume Resurrection Retirement Revealing Revelation Reward Rich & Famous Rich Man Rich Ridicule Righteouness Right Riot Road Romania Romans 8:28 Romans Rulers Ruler Rules Rule Sabbath Sadness Samson Samuel Sarah Satan Satisfaction Satisfy Saul Saving Scale Scam School Science Scientist Scoffer Scripture Sea of Galilee Seasons Seatbelts Secrets Seduce Seed Seek Self-Confidence Selfies Selfishness Sermons Servitude Sexual Chaos Sexual Confusion Shakespeare Shame Culture Shame Shane Gaskill Shenandoah Valley Shoe Laces Siblings Sickness Silence Simon Peter Simon Slothful Social Media Social Society Solomon Song of Solomon Sons Sorrow Source Speaking Speak Speculation Speech Speeding Spies Spiritual Security Sporting Sports Sport Spouses Stanley Cup Steal Stephen Stimulus Stock Market Strange Woman Strangers Stratego Strength Stress Struggles Student Super Bowl Rings Surely Surety Swatting Sweat Talebearer Talkative Talking Tamar Taylor Teachers Teaching Teenagers Teenager Teens Tendency Tension Texas Roadhouse Text Theft Theocracy Tik Tok Timothy Tithes To be or not to be Toddlers Toddler Tolerance Tomb Tongue Tour Guide Trainer Transgressor Travel Treasure Treatment Tribute Trickery Trinity Trips Trouble True Love True Wisdom True Turner Tyler Barriss Uber Eats Understanding Unemployment Unforgiveness Unhealthy Universities Unjust Unrighteous Uprightness Upright Vain Value Vanity Vehicle Vengeance Videos Virtuous Vision Votes Voting Walk Walmart Washington Watsom Way of Life Way Wealthy Weight Western Culture Winking Wink Wise Men Witnessing Womb Women Work Ethic Worth Wrong X Yankees YouTube Zechariah addiction adultery advertisements advertiser advertising advice advisor affection affirmation aggression alcohol amos angels anointing ant anxiety appetite argument assumption as attractions authority background backyard bankrupt battle beginning birds bitterness blessed brain bright broken nose buckler campfire cardinal sins career carelessness car cause certainty charity chastening childhood childrearing children child choices church attendance church command confidence confident consequences considerate contention contentment conversaion correction counselor counsel covetousness criticism cruelty cynicism dads dad darkness dark daughter debt deception decisions defend defense demands destruction determination diamonds diligence direction disappointment discernment discipleship disciples disciple discipline discontentment discord discretion distractions distress doctrine dogs drinking drugs dying ear education effort emotions employee employer employment enemies enticement enticing envy equity evil communications evil men evil women evil example eyelids eyes ezekiel facts failure fairness faith family fathers father favor fear of God fear of man fear feelings feminine fighting fight filthy finances fire flattery focus following foolishness foolishnes fools fool forgiveness fornication friends future gambling gangs gender gold good men good government grace greed guard guilt happiness happy harm hate headlights health heart hear hold your peace holiness home honor hope hunger husbands husband ignorance illustration income inequality infidelity influence iniquity insomnia instincts instruction intimacy investigation investing isaiah issued issue jabs jewelry judgment justice just kidnapper kidney kids knowledge labor law of sowing and reaping laziness lazy leadership learning legacy length of days lessons let life light lips listening listen little liver living loans loneliness long life longterm love lucifer lust man marketing marriage math memorization memory mercy messenger millions mind ministry mischief misery loves company misery mistakes mom money mothers mother motive mouth movies nature necklace neck neighbor obscenity observant oil oppression oppressor organs ornaments parable paranoia parenthood parents parent pastoring path peace peculiarity peer pressure peers peer permission personification pleasant politician ponder pornography pottymouth poverty power prayer preservation pride priests private procrastination prodigal profanity prosperity prostitution protection protect prudence public restroom purchases reading reaping reason rebellion rebuke regret rejection relate relationships relevant remedy remembrance remorse repetition replacement reproof respect responsibility responsible retain retention riches righteousness righteous risk robber romance rubies safety sailor salvation schools scorner secret security seduction seeing see self-sufficiency self-sufficient serpent seven deadly sins seven sexist sexual sin sex short-term silver simple simplicity sinners sin skepticism slander sleeplessness sleep slothfulness sluggard smoke to the eyes smoke son soul sowing spleen spouse stability stranger strange strife striving successful success suicide surgeon sword talents talk taxes teacher television temptation tendencies thief thieves thinking think thoughtfulness thoughts thought threats time tithe tree of life trust truth tv vehicles vice video games vinegar to the teeth vinegar violence violent virtue virtuous woman visual voice of God voice vulgar walking war wealth well wickedness wicked wife will wine wisdom wise sayings wise wives woman word of God words workplace work worry young man young people young youth