Here is a fill-in-the-blank question from the Bible: “_____________ is the beginning of wisdom.”
What does the Bible say is the beginning of wisdom? In case you are unsure, look up Proverbs 9:10 or Psalm 111:10. Or read to the end for the answer.
The Bible uses many phrases to describe a person’s response to God: to seek, love, believe, trust, obey, serve, follow, worship, praise, thank, hope, confess, and remember. But I suspect that for most of us “fear” would not be near the top of our list of responses to God—yet it is one of the most common responses mentioned in the Bible. We can easily understand “trust God” or “love God,” but what does “fear God” mean?
Anyone who has been raised in church has probably been taught that the phrase “fear the Lord” in these verses doesn’t mean “be afraid of God.” Other suggested meanings are “respect” or “revere,” as if the verse above might read, “Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” While “reverence” is an appropriate attitude toward God, I disagree that “being afraid” is not appropriate. A study of “fear” in scripture shows it to have a stronger sense than either “respect” or “revere.” The meaning of “fear” in scripture is somewhere in between “afraid” and “reverence”: Being Afraid of God --- “The Fear of the Lord” --- Reverence for God This median meaning of “fear” was illustrated by C. S. Lewis in his book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (p.86). In this story, four children from Earth accidentally travel to the fantasy land of Narnia, a place populated by humans and talking animals. Aslan the lion (who represents Christ in these stories) is the rightful king of Narnia, though he had not been seen there for a long time. When Susan, one of the children, heard that Aslan the lion was coming, she became frightened. She asked if he was safe to be around. Mr. Beaver tried to explain to her what the lion Aslan is like, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” Susan’s fear of encountering a lion, even a good lion, was understandable! What C. S. Lewis was really saying to his readers through the words of Mr. Beaver was that God isn’t safe, but he is good. That is the double-sided meaning of the “fear of the Lord.”
The Bible uses several words for “fear.” They refer to fear/respect for God, fear/respect for kings, fear/respect for human masters, and fear/ respect for parents. On the afraidside, the word “fear” can be paired with “trembling,” which suggests a much stronger sense than just respect. The phrase “fear and trembling” refers to our service to God, to our fellow believers, and even to our pastors! The Corinthian believers treated their Pastor Titus with “fear and trembling” (2 Corinthians 7:15) —I wonder if any of us treat our pastors with trembling!
Jesus taught his disciples not to fear humans “who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). There is a genuine sense of “afraidness” in Jesus’ statement—and rightly so. Unless God shows mercy, we are all condemned; therefore, fear him. Fortunately, as Mr. Beaver said, He is also good!
In the Bible, “fearing the Lord” has one additional meaning: it is the necessary first step in acquiring wisdom. Fearing the Lord is required for wisdom because wisdom is a gift from God who gives it to those who humbly submit to him.
So the answer to fill-in-the-blank above is “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Wisdom begins when we recognize that God is God, that he is wiser than we are, and that we depend on him to give us wisdom.
This is the third lesson about gaining wisdom. Next week we will begin a new series about Christian missions. But if you would like to learn more about wisdom, you can begin by going to the website, reflections- on-wisdom.com
Greg Giles is a published author, who, along with his wife Jean, has embraced the call to serve and teach around the globe. Their life together has included missionary work in Liberia, teaching in China, and raising a family in Bemidji, Minnesota. Between global travels and local commitments, including serving as superintendent of Corn Bible Academy and their current part-time roles at Corn Heritage Village, the Gileses have found “home” in many places; yet, they now happily reside in retirement in Cordell.