See the opening two posts here and here.
There are three movements within the fear of the Lord. The first of these is: The Fear of the Lord comes before wisdom.
Mark that again: if you want wisdom from God you’re going to have to travel into and through the fear of the Lord. You will never know the mind of God, find the will of God, and walk the path of God without the fear of the Lord.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10a). As “the beginning of” both knowledge and wisdom, the fear of the Lord has priority over both. The fear of the Lord comes before wisdom from God arrives.
Consider what is meant by “the beginning of.” The fear of the Lord is not simply the first step in a long journey. Necessary and essential but, once taken, soon left behind for all the other strides to come. No, the fear of the Lord is more fundamental than that. It points to the chief thing, the principle thing, the most fundamental element upon which all things to come are built.
I remember hearing Dr. Bruce Waltke say that the fear of the Lord is to wisdom and knowledge what the first rung is to the whole structure of a ladder. If you would ascend, you will have to make use of that first rung. But every other upward step depends on the ongoing reality and foundation of that first rung! Without it you’ll be making a sudden and unwanted descent.
Similarly, it has been said that the fear of the Lord is to wisdom and knowledge what the ABC’s are to the English language. Every word is formed from some combination of the letters of the alphabet. Without the alphabet there is no English language, there is no communication, and there can be no depth of relationship.
The fear of the Lord is to wisdom and knowledge what the notes of the musical scale are to a symphony. Without them there is no music.
At the head of the path leading to everything you want out of life is the fear of the Lord. There is no way around it. No fear of the Lord, no wisdom. You must embrace it and travel through it if you will have the wisdom that enables life to be all God desires it to be.
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