The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of all Wisdom the Wayfarer 2/12/13

“The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom”
2/12/13

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

(Proverbs 9:10)

Today we go back to the Old Testament writings of one considered the wisest man ever to have lived, Solomon. From the first verse of the first chapter through the last verse of the last chapter of this particular book we may find the tools to help us through the twisting and turning  pathway that we find ourselves walking during the time we are allowed to spend on this insignificant dust ball in the greater scheme of God’s universe that we call earth, and the minuscule segment of time we call life.

I often reference the use of our, “Owners Manual,”  to assist us in our daily progress to reach the perfection at the end of this path, and find that these writings are not only important, but essential to getting the maximum benefit of God’s love for us while we are here.

The opening verse I use is only a first step, but a necessary step taken on that path.

Without a proper fear of God, wisdom is impossibility; without wisdom, comprehension and understanding are equally impossible!

As has become my habit, I will back track to the beginning of this chapter to assist us in gaining some of the wisdom intended to be passed by this scripture.

“Wisdom hath buidled her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

(Proverbs 9:1-5)

There are things that need to occur in a man’s life in order for him to acquire the wisdom that Solomon speaks of. Reaching that plane takes time and sacrifice and cannot be reached without first meeting these requirements.

The house spoken of in the first verse refers to the need to make provision for the body which houses our mind and soul, which in turn, houses wisdom.

Every man has beasts within that must be killed in order to live in a lawful society with others of our kind.

These beasts are best addressed by the laws given us by Moses in the Ten Commandments that we find so much opposition to in our own society and law.

Without the bedrock comprehension and adherence to the teachings of those laws we become animalistic, as is our very nature, each unable to find any of the good that God wants us to have in life because of the childish greed, one of the beasts born within us, that must be slain to take a second step on the path I alluded to.

Once those bests are slain, the other necessities are furnished to the one seeking God’s enlightenment and wisdom.

“Who so is simple”  refers  to the need to first be humble enough to know that you don’t know all that is to be known. To receive understanding, one must first recognize the lack of that understanding.

Once that complete lack of understanding is admitted, and true humbleness achieved, then an open invitation is given to begin to receive the blessings to be had of that wisdom.

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man and he will love thee.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

(Proverbs 9:6-9)

To gain any wisdom, one must truly search for it. This requires the cessation of seeking the foolishness that surrounds us in all our daily lives. This foolishness will only misdirect our steps and take us from the path we intend to follow if we allow it to, and fail to recognize it as such.

That is why constructive criticism forms a basis for self-improvement, and should be taken in the way it is given.

This is, of itself a difficult step to take, but as Jesus told us in Matthew we must first remove the beam from our own eyes to see before complaining about the mote in the eyes of others.

I find myself constantly struggling to strike the proper balance required of this step myself, because evil is more recognizable than is good, and more easily searched out in others than in yourself.

Solomon tells us that a wise man will consider the wisdom of others, and instead of denying it will take it unto himself and thereby gain further wisdom.

A wise man will appreciate being taken to task for mistakes that are, (and by nature of this beast must be), made, realizing that this only redirects him back onto the original path he started down.

I give praise to God for all the mentors I have encountered over the years and the sometimes harsh presentation of tough love needed and given at the time. I look at is as further smoothing of the rough edges of this particular stone!

Wisdom is but another pathway to learning; if we ever cease to learn from others, we lose all that we could have gained from them. Humility teaches that we continue to look for answers from others as well as from within ourselves, or find ourselves ignorant of those answers that may in fact be far more in compliance with God’s plan than those we find without the search!

“For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

To call passengers who go right on their ways:

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith unto him,

Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

(Proverbs 9:11-17)

Having skipped over the opening verse, I call your attention once more to the only One from whom true wisdom is attainable, God himself, through the teachings of his prophets and more significantly those of His own Son, Jesus.

God alone can lengthen or decrease the timespan between our birth and death, and it is determined by the choices we make while we are here. He will, because of his incomprehensible love for us allow us to make the decisions for ourselves as to where our loyalties and allegiances lie. Those choices then determine our final destination at the end of our pathway.

If we are wise, those decisions will only determine the outcome of our own pathway, and we gain only for ourselves the right to stand in His light. We do, however, influence the decisions made by others, though we cannot determine the outcome of their path.

If we choose to scorn the wisdom of following Him, then we alone must bear the judgment that comes about because of that scorn.

There are plenty of pretty baubles and thrills and other distractions that will continually be encountered and presented to us along the way. Each of these promises only the rewards of this world which so quickly become meaningless when our time expires. Each of these things that so easily distract and mislead us is the quickest way to find ourselves in the hell that is promised in the 13^th- 17^th verses.

In summation, continue to seek wisdom through the study of this marvelous manual given to guide us. Look for the pitfalls in life. Take to heart the counsel of those who are Godly and consider their wisdom as it stacks up beside what you consider to be your own.

I close, again with the love of a simple sinner saved by grace, struggling daily to find more patience and wisdom, and seek only to share what minute amount I may be able to glean in the short time given me to do so. Trust not in any man, but in God Himself and in my Savior Jesus.

Take true heed of the counsel given by those wiser than I will ever be, by searching the answers out for yourself in the pages of His word to decide what is and is not wise.

The greatest wisdom of all is the realization of the length of eternity, and the fact that the soul inhabiting this mortal body is immortal destined either to abide with God in joy and praise, or to suffer the damnation of separation from the Father if His gift of eternal life is rejected.

That gift comes only through the shed blood of Christ Jesus, and, though available to all is received by the few willing to be subject to the intent of our Creator.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer