Proverbs 9:10 says, “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
This verse teaches that the fear of God is foundational to true wisdom, and all other types of wisdom are worthless if not learned in light of it. It's important to define what the Bible means by “fear” in this context. The Hebrew wording of fear of the Lord is two words - Yirat Yahweh. Fear of the Lord, or reverence of the Lord. The same words are used for children in Leviticus, saying you ought to revere your father and mother.
The word translated “fear” means respect, reverence, or awe a person feels in the presence of greatness.
In order to develop the fear of the Lord, we must recognize God for who He is. He is powerful, mighty, loving, the Lord God Almighty. Those who fear the Lord have a continual awareness of Him, and a sincere commitment to obey Him.
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
This verse gives us some added insight to explain that there is a sharp contrast between the wise life and the foolish life. A wise person fears/reverences/obeys the Lord whereas a fool despises God’s instruction and cannot be told what to do.
The fear of God and wisdom are linked, which means we cannot possess wisdom if we recreate God in our own image. Without the fear of the Lord, we make final decisions based on our faulty human understanding. When we incorporate the fear of the Lord into every moment of our lives, we make decisions based on His ultimate wisdom and we live with the amazing knowledge that the Creator of the universe is intimately involved in our every move. This leads to living an amazing life. We should nurture a healthy “Fear of the Lord”.
