03/12/2025
What is the Fear of the Lord?
Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." and Job 28:28, "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." The 'fear of the Lord' is the beginning of knowledge. It is when we begin to listen to God and reject evil.
Proverbs 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." The knowledge of the Lord is to learn His ways. He hates pride, arrogance, and the evil way. He hates them because they lead us away from our salvation, the truth, John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
What knowledge does God give us in the Bible?
He tells us the truth about how He created this world and that when we live in alignment with that design, things are good; Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Like the flagman who is warning us the bridge is out or the school teacher explaining the lessons we are being taught. We have a choice: we can learn and prosper or ignore the messages and suffer the consequences, Proverbs 1:29-31, "For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." A loving God has no choice but to let those who deny His truth, to suffer the consequences of their own choices. He cannot force Himself on us, for then He would not be the loving God that He is.
Part of fearing the Lord is understanding that He knows more than we do and that He created everything in this universe, Isaiah 55:9, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." and Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." These facts should produce a sense of reverence and awe, which will then produce curiosity and, eventually, obedience.
Why does God go to these lengths to make sure we have this knowledge? Because our choices matter. They will determine our life path and where we spend eternity. This is God's grace extended to all because He wants everyone to choose eternal life with Him, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." and John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Can we not see that God loves us and wants all of us to choose salvation?
When we choose to follow Jesus, God in the form of the Holy Spirit enters our lives, and we become a new creature, 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." and Titus 2:14, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. " We are changed. We move toward good works and away from evil. We want to learn of God's ways, Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." and we do that by renewing our minds, which means reading the Bible with the intent of changing our behavior.
We don't have to stay on the wrong path. It is never too late to accept Jesus, no matter our age or what we have done in the past. The thief on the cross did not have time to repent or change his ways, yet Jesus had mercy on him, Luke 23:42-43, "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
What will you do with the life God has given you? Will you allow pride and arrogance to keep you on the path toward evil? Or will you embrace the fear of the Lord and accept Jesus as your savior? Following Him is the path to eternity?
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