The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7)
King Solomon is universally recognized as the author of this Proverb (in fact, Proverbs 1 through 22:16) so it is as ironic as it is tragic that the same man who, recognizing his own weakness and immaturity, asked God for wisdom to govern God’s great people later veered off into the immaturity of being governed by his appetites, rather than by wisdom and his kingdom came to ruin (1 Kings 3:7).
We live in a time of immense immaturity and foolishness, where our advertising, our social media, our entertainment and our politics all bombard us with appeals to our fears and our appetites. Whatever is wrong with our nation must be the fault of someone else – the “other” – rather than my own choices and the past choices of my nation. If I feel bad about myself it must be because I don’t look good enough or have enough stuff or enough power or hang out with the “coolest” people. This can even come in a “Christianized” package of “works righteousness” and “cultural Christianity.” Well, true Wisdom is telling us to stop focusing on how we feel about things and start thinking about what is true.
Understand that the Book of Proverbs is just one chapter in the whole book of God’s Word, the Bible. To understand any part of the Bible we must understand the whole of the Bible. The Apostle Paul writes, in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind . . .” We don’t need a renewal of our wardrobe, or new friends, new enemies, new spouses, new doctrines, new technology, etc. We need a fresh way of thinking, not feeling. We need the truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
So how do we learn this knowledge of the truth? Solomon himself tells us earlier in this first Proverb, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (1:7). In chapter 14 of the Gospel of Matthew, we read of the disciples in a boat on the sea of Galilee during a storm and Jesus is not with them. They’re filled with fear and then they see Jesus walking on the water, calling to them to not be afraid. Peter calls out to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus says, “Come,” so Peter jumps out of the boat and starts walking on the water toward Jesus. But, like 99 out of 100 of us would do, he takes his eyes off the Lord and starts looking at the wind, waves and storm . . . and starts sinking. Jesus grabs his hand and takes him back to the boat, saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got back into the boat, “the wind ceased.”
I think it’s time to get back into the boat with Jesus. It’s time for a fast. To stop consuming trash media and listening to the “simple ones who love being simple and the scoffers who delight in their scoffing, and the fools who hate knowledge” (Proverbs 1:22). Instead, listen to the one who is greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42) – Jesus, the Messiah of God, the Son of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the One who sticks closer than a brother, the author and finisher of our faith, the Alpha and Omega, who will lead us into all truth and all righteousness. I’ll give Paul the final word:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”