Proverbs 9 (Kevin)
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Strong’s 3374) Fear: YIR’AH. This Hebrew noun means fear, terror, reverence, awe, piety, religion. Except for the meaning of formal worship, this term has the same range of meaning as its source. (3372) Abject terror is found; Ex 20:20, Deut 2:25, Psalms 55:5, Ezek 30:13. If one truly recognizes God as all powerful, this will be reflected in his attitude and daily life in the form of reverence; Job 28:28, Psalms 111:10, Prov. 9:10, Prov. 15:33. There are 13 occurrences of the term “the fear of the Lord” which refers to a pious posture which performs practical functions in life.
(Strong’s 3372) YARE. To be afraid, to fear, to revere, to be feared, to be dreadful, to be reverenced, to terrify, to make afraid.
KNOW FEAR = NO FEAR
There are many who are quick to point away from the side of our Father that will flat smack you down and remind you that He is love. I praise the Lord for those people and at the same time I am reminded that the Word of God tells us to repent from the former deeds of the flesh. Let me ask you this, when you tell a child to stop jumping on the bed or couch is it possible that they will not stop doing what they feel is fun until they associate a feeling of fear in doing it?
I try to live in a positive world and yet I’ve learned that most people will do more to avoid pain or fear then they will to gain pleasure or good. We want our unsaved friends to see the error in their sinful lives but without a healthy fear of God they will never begin down the road of Godly wisdom or council as you can see by reading the rest of Proverbs 9. If we are to be saved, we usually want to know from what we are being saved.
The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God until salvation.
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
KNOW FEAR = NO FEAR
