The Fear of The Lord

Our Pastor is speaking on stewardship and our role as a steward of God’s gifts to us. We will be using topics from Proverbs to point us to a clearer understanding and application of stewardship in our daily life, as we seek to honor the Lord with our substance and use our talents for His glory.
Throughout this study we will be using a topical rather than textual approach. The main reason for this is because we are studying the book of Proverbs and it is written primarily in a topical form. If in your Bible studies, you like to outline the books as you go through them, you have no doubt seen how difficult it is to study Proverbs from a textual approach.
We will be taking note of recurring themes dispersed throughout the proverbs.

2. Today we will concentrate on the topic of, "the fear of the Lord".
The Fear Of The Lord
INTRODUCTION

The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge

Prov 1:1-9 "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion -- A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck."

Shun Evil Counsel
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “ Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

The Beginning of Knowledge
1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
[enigma - a type of riddle generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requires ingenuity and careful thinking for its solution.]

Written primarily as a guide to young men, Proverbs' specific purpose was to lay a strong foundation by imparting wisdom to both the simple and the wise. Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" is perhaps the most important and key verse for the whole book; ethical development comes after an established relationship with God.
This key must be emphasized: fear of the Lord is what determines progress in wisdom. There is a commitment to the supernatural in all the wisdom writings of the Bible in understanding the natural order of life.
When directed towards God, the Hebrew term for "fear" may be in a healthy sense or a harmful one.
In a harmful sense, the term "fear" can describe the feeling of dread (Deut 1:29) or terror (Jonah 1:10).
In a healthy sense, the term describes awe (1 Kings 3:28) or having respect or reverence (Lev 19:3).
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" uses the term "fear" in the context of expressing "awe", "respect", and "reverence", because wisdom is the consequence of a loving relationship with God.

Now we see the anti-thetical – In chapter 1:29 – “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:“

2:1 - My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2:2 - So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
2:3 - Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
2:4 - If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
2:5 - Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
2:6 - For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
3:7 - Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
3:8 - It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
3:9 - Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
3:10 - So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
8:13 - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14:26 - In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
14:27 - The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
15:16 - Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
15:33 - The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
16:1 - The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
16:2 - All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
16:6 - By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

19:23 - The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

20:25 - It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.
22:4 - By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
23:17 - Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
23:18 - For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
23:19 - Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

a. The Fear of the Lord is described in verse 7 as "the beginning of knowledge" –
Pr 1:7 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
b. And also in chapter 9 as "the beginning of wisdom" –
Pr 9:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

I. UNDERSTANDING THE FEAR OF THE LORD

A. THE MEANING OF THE WORD "FEAR"...
1. In Hebrew, the word is yara'
2. In the Old Testament, it has a three-fold range of meaning:
a. Dread, terror –
Deut 1:29 - “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them.
Jonah 1:10 - Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
b. To stand in awe (in reference to a king) –
1Ki 3:28 - And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
c. To revere, to respect (in regards to parents) –
Leviticus 19:3 - Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
3. Notice when God descended upon Sinai amid geophysical convulsions - cf.
Exodus 20:18-20 - Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
a. Moses encouraged the Israelites to not be afraid of God arbitrarily striking them dead for no reason, "Do not fear!"
b. He informed them that the Lord revealed Himself in such a terrifying manner to scare them from sinning, "God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."

Think about this.
The proper kind of fear is that which causes one to stand in awe, to revere, to respect.

Next we’ll look at,
B. ITS ROLE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN...
1. We are to fear God, not man - Matthew 10:28 - And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
2. The early church walked in the fear of the Lord - Acts 9:31 - Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

3. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling – Phil 2:12, 13 - Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

4. We should be fearful of apostasy, serving God with godly fear
Hebrews 10:26-31 - For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 12:28-29 - Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may nserve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For oour God is a consuming fire.

The fear of the LORD is expressed in reverential submission to his will.

Think about this.
With a proper understanding of the fear of the Lord, we are more likely to appreciate the value of the fear of Lord as revealed in the Proverbs.

II. APPRECIATING THE FEAR OF THE LORD

A. In our lives, WITH THE FEAR OF THE LORD, there are at least six things we see will occur in Proverbs.
1. We will hate evil - Prov 8:13 - The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
2. We will prolong life - Prov 10:27 - The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.
3. We have strong confidence and a fountain of life - Prov 14:26-27 - In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
4. We will be prompted to depart from evil - Prov 16:6 - In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
5. We will have a satisfying life, spared from much evil – Proverbs 19:23 - The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
6. We will enjoy riches, honor, and life! - Prov 22:4 - By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
-- Sounds like an amazing way to live, doesn't it?

B. In our lives, WITHOUT THE FEAR OF THE LORD, there are at least six things we see will occur in Proverbs.
1. We deprive ourselves of the treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge
2. We will flirt with evil and be corrupted by it
3. Our lives are likely to be shortened by our refusal to heed God's word, (e.g., suffering diseases if we do not heed His Word concerning physical relationships, or more likely to be caught in some criminal or immoral activity that will put us in physical danger, or even capital punishment – whether by gov’t or God or both)
4. We will not come to know the love of God that gives assurance and confidence of salvation
5. When we fall into sin, we will not be motivated to repent and turn to God!
6. We will not be motivated to truly, "work out our own salvation"
-- Sounds pretty dismal, doesn't it?

Think about this.
The fear of the Lord should be a highly regarded and sought after trait, one that we desire to develop in our lives. With that in mind, here are some suggestions.

III. DEVELOPING THE FEAR OF THE LORD

A. THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD...
1. Just as faith comes by hearing the word of God - cf. Rom 10:17
2. The same can be said for the fear of the Lord - cf. Deut 31:10-13 - And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”

a. Israel was to gather every seven years to read and hear the Word
b. The purpose? "...that they may learn to fear the Lord"

3. As you read the Word of God, you should gain a healthy degree of the fear of the Lord
a. For example, consider the words of Paul - Romans 2:4-11 – “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.
b. Or how about the words of Peter? - 2Peter 3:7-14 - But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Think about this.
Do we allow the Word to develop in our lives a proper reverence for the Lord?

B. [through the Word of God] …PROPERLY USED TO MAINTAIN BALANCE.
1. To avoid extremes we must read all of God's Word
a. Some read only about God's love, and have no fear of the Lord
b. Others read only about God's judgment, and know nothing of His loving kindness
c. The one develops an attitude of permissiveness that belittles God's holiness and justice
d. The other develops a psychosis of terror that forgets His grace and compassion
2. Even in the passages noted above, the context of each speaks much of God's grace and forgiveness for those who will repent
- cf. Ro 2:4-11; 2Pe 3:7-14
-- We must be careful how we use the Word of God, but we must use it!

CONCLUSION

If we desire to be truly wise, then we must begin with the fear of the Lord –
understanding it,
appreciating it,
and developing it in our lives as children of God!

Acts 9:31 says - "Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied."

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