“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Prov. 1:7 (NASB)
Western culture puts a tremendous value on education. Academic training is not cheap either with the average 4 year degree costing over $130,000. There are countless people who are highly educated in the “wisdom” of the world and yet have denied God. The Bible calls these people “fools” (Ps. 14:1). King Solomon tells in Proverbs 1:7, however, that true knowledge begins not with a degree or a diploma but with the “fear” of the Lord. The Hebrew word for fear here is “yir’ah” which means “exceedingly, dreadful, fearfulness”. An awesome reverence for God prepares us for understanding and imparts a wisdom to us that no human instructor can.
Questions for application…
For a believer, what is the proper context for academic pursuit?
What are the results of a genuine fear of God?
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