Proverbs 1:7. The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and understanding.
Oh friends, like so many other things in this crazy world, the bright spring-like weather was too good to last! We had it for three consecutive days. Let’s be thankful for it and show our endurance and faithfulness by embracing the cold, wet scene out there in our neighborhood, that’s even got some white precipitation, actually ice, speckling the ground. (smile) It’s not much mind you, but at this time of year, we don’t want to see any white on the ground at all. Matter fixed!
And that’s why, this Wednesday morning in late March of this confusing and oh so uncertain year of 2022, we are going to listen to the amazing wisdom that flowed from the pen of Cousin Sol so long ago, when he declared at the beginning of Proverbs: ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain (acquire) unto wise counsels.’ (Prov. 1:5)
And that’s the indisputable truth my faithful brethren in Christ! If one is wise, one will always pursue learning, and seek out the counsel, the wisdom and understanding of other wise persons. And that’s even truer, if possible, (smile) for believers in Christ Jesus, because He desires us to keep on learning all through our earthly lives, since we can never know enough about the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and the more we know, the better off we will be.
Now, before we go further, let’s talk about a couple of definitions, namely that of ‘wisdom’ and ‘understanding.’ The former basically means ‘wise behaviour or living, or good sense.’ On the other hand, understanding ‘means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’
So, hopefully, when we have wisdom and understanding, we can live a full and meaningful life. However, two verses later, Cousin Sol injects one more important principle by warning that ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and understanding.’ (Prov. 1:7)
Wow! Now that’s the key to the whole matter of wisdom and understanding; having a reverential awe of Jehovah God! Yes friends, without that awesome reverence of God we can never acquire true wisdom and understanding because they come from Him, for He is the original fountain of wisdom and understanding.
And Cousin Sol corroborates that when he says in Proverbs 3: ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20) There you have it friends! As the scholars explain: ‘Wisdom is so important that God himself used it in creating the world.’
The patriarch Job, also had something to say about wisdom and understanding. While undergoing his trials and tribulation, he asked this most material question: ‘But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding. (Job 28:12) Then, after setting out many different scenarios, he ends with this magnificent answer. ‘And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:28)
Mama Mia! What an awesome scripture! Yes friends, wisdom is God’s gift to mankind…but we must diligently seek it throughout our lives. And now, having gained some insight into the origin of wisdom and how to acquire it, let’s go back to that most important verse which talks about ‘the fear of the Lord.’
And the scholars give us a good explanation on it. They say that ‘The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that ‘the fear of the Lord’ is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’
And so it is my people! To keep on acquiring wisdom throughout our lives, like Jesus desires of us, we must always have the reverence of God blossoming in our souls, bodies and spirits, for without it, true wisdom is not obtainable, no matter how hard we try. And please remember that we’re not talking about wisdom as the world defines it, but as God, the original source of ALL wisdom does!
So, now that we have some understanding of true wisdom and understanding, (smile) I think we’ll end for today, because it’s already late and continuing with the second part of our Bit will make it even later and too long. And for those of us who have chosen the path of true wisdom by reverencing Almighty God, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong, sincere and confident voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we all know that if we endure to the end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So please let’s concentrate on, plan on enduring to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy it. Much LOVE!
…with God’s gift of free will…we can either be wise or foolish…but each choice has consequences…for good…or for bad…
P.S. Please accept my humble apologies for the lateness of the bit, but I had an important matter to go out and attend to. But as they say…Better late than never! (smile) Much LOVE!
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