PROFITING FROM PROVERBS

“The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil” (Proverbs 19:23).

The phrase, “fear of the Lord” occurs fourteen times in the 31 chapters of Proverbs, denoting it an important subject indeed. We are first told that it is the beginning of wisdom. All that are saved have been saved because they learned a healthy fear of the alternative. We are told again and again that fear has no place in the ministry of the Word. We are told that we catch more flies with honey, meaning that our messages ought to be sugar and spice and all that is nice. We should never ruffle anyone’s feathers as we speak exclusively of the love of God.

We are told that this fear of the Lord is better than great treasure; yet in it are great riches, honor and life. Those that do not fear God hate knowledge, yet an understanding of this fear leads to knowledge. Solomon tells us that those that lack this fear will have short lives, while they that have it will live long lives and be prosperous with riches, honor and life.

We derive the primary meaning of a word in the Bible based on its first usage. In this case, we see that fear is dread: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered” (Genesis 9:1-2).

Here we have an example of the Bible being its own best interpreter. The word “fear” is immediately associated with “dread,” which is its meaning. Over the years, the word has been watered down to express “deep reverential awe.” Now, it is awesome that we serve a God that has the power to cast multitudes of sinners into a lake of fire, but those that are saved are saved because the threat of hell is a fearful and dreadful thing.

God’s command to Israel captured this very thought: “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

Here we see that they were to both fear God and to love God. Is that not a contradiction in terms? How is it possible to love one that holds the threat of eternal destruction over our heads? When one understands that judgment is not God’s choice, but rather man’s—we are then free to understand that separation from Himself is His strange work, His strange act.

God has done all that He can to insure man a home in Heaven, yet, He has given man a freedom not allowed the angels. Man is free to choose life or death. Those that choose death have no fear of the consequences. Those that do fear God choose life.

“The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.”

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.