#DailyDevotion Do You Have The Fear Of The LORD & Knowledge Of The Holy One?
Prov. 9:7-10 7If you correct a scoffer, you get insulted. If you criticize a wicked person, you get hurt. 8Don’t correct a scoffer or he will hate you; correct a wise person and he will love you. 9Give advice to a wise person and he’ll be wiser still. Teach a righteous man and he will learn more. 10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Well verse 7 makes me wonder why do we even try. A lot of typing, bytes of space, tendinitis would be saved if we all practiced this verse on the internet on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites. How often to we try to correct scoffers and then get called haters because we won’t agree with evil? Way too often I’m afraid. On the other hand are you a scoffer that gets upset and angry with people when they show you you are wrong? I imagine it is highly possible we play both parts in our lives at different times.
We don’t talk a lot about wise people and wisdom these days. I cannot remember except an occasional mention in scripture lessons I’ve hearing it. But if you are wise you will love the person who corrects you. If you are wise you will be open to learn from those you even don’t like so you will be wiser still. Are you a teachable person who can learn more? More than the wisdom and knowledge of this world are you wise enough to open your ear to God’s Word from the Holy Scriptures aka the Bible?
Now we come upon a fairly known passage, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” But what does this mean? What does it mean to fear the LORD? The next phrase stands in parallel meaning, “knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” How is the fear of the LORD the beginning of wisdom? Thankfully the book of Proverbs tells us in the previous chapter in verse 13, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (ESV) Psalm 34 describes it this way, “13Then stop talking evil and saying deceitful things; 14turn away from wrong and do good; be eager for peace and pursue it!” These two spots in the Bible teach us what the “fear of the LORD” is. It is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, the way of evil and perverted speech. It is to be humble, doing good, being eager for peace and pursuing it. Now note! Doing these things is just the beginning of wisdom. But they are a good start. We know what is good and what is evil from what the LORD himself tells us in the Bible what is good and evil. Better pay attention to that and quit thinking about what makes you think you’re happy.
But there is one more thing that places us in the wisdom camp, “knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Feel free to look through a concordance or if you have a bible program for “Holy One.” Now in the Old Testament, we see that the Holy One is the LORD, the God of Israel. You will get great understanding if you look at how the Holy One dealt with his people Israel. How often he acts with restraint, mercy, kindness, love, and grace. Yet eventually, to those who will not repent, with judgment. Now to gain understanding realize this, Jesus is the Holy One in all those place. Peter and John in the New Testament tell us Jesus is the Holy One in John 6:69, Acts 2:27 and 13:35, 1 John 2:20, and Rev. 3:7. If you want to be wise and have understanding, listen to Jesus, believe him and do what he says.
Heavenly Father, give us your Holy Spirit so we may have the fear of the LORD and knowledge of Jesus Christ the Holy One and have understanding. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.