Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Psalms 34:11 NKJV
How important it is to fear the Lord.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10 NKJV
And it is equally important to share that with others.
For reverence is due the Lord.
Reverence of God Almighty is worth being passed on.
Teaching reverence should come from God’s Word.
When looking for wisdom in bite sized chunks Proverbs is a good place to turn.
The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom and truth, and it’s not packaged with difficult verbage.
Instead it’s startlingly easy to grasp.
It’s often used for memory verses and definitely worthy of repeating.
Penned by Solomon, it’s his instruction for his son.
“The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: 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;”
Proverbs 1:1, 7-8 NKJV
It is a book which can be taken a verse at a time, but also links together into chapters which hold profound truth.
Where did Solomon gain the insight he wrote out for his son?
God, of course.
2 Chronicles 1:11 KJV — And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
How did Solomon know what to ask for?
His father had shared God’s wisdom with him.
“When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother. He also taught me, and said to me: ‘Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.'”
Proverbs 4:3-9 NKJV
King David took the time to share what was valuable.
And thankfully so did King Solomon.
God’s Word is our guide and the life of both King David and King Solomon are examples of what happens when a person fears the Lord.
Both men made mistakes, but King David always repented and sought God’s forgiveness. He humbled himself before the Lord.
King Solomon, with all his wisdom and understanding did not always humble himself, nor did he always follow God.
His consequence for serving idols instead of the One True God was what sin always brings, destruction.
“Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.'”
I Kings 11:11 NKJV
His son, King Rehoboam, goes down in history as the one who ignored wisdom.
He turned his back on all the instruction his father and grandfather had set down and decided to be greedy instead. (2 Chronicles 10:13-15)
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.”
Proverbs 8:13 NKJV
He lost a huge portion of the kingdom and there were two nations instead of one.
How sad.
Yet, there’s opportunity even in this, to learn from King Rehoboam’s poor choices and King Solomon’s poor choices.
For those who are teachable, those who choose to apply the fear of the Lord will be blessed.
What a precious gift, to pass on such treasure to others.
What a privilege to learn wisdom from God’s Word.
May our hearts be eager to learn the fear of the Lord.
May our lives be filled with wisdom as we seek God in all things.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for wisdom, truth, and understanding. Lord You tell us that we have the answers to life in Your Word. Please open our hearts and minds to understanding. Please help us to pass on the truths of Your Word. Lord, it is in You that we find all that is good, honorable, noble, and just. Lord Your ways are perfect and we want to walk in them. Please help us to be teachable today. Thank You. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 