“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
If the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, what is the result of not fearing Him? Is it to be cast into ignorance and wastefulness? One of the great characteristics of godlessness is the thought that man is something important without God, that he thinks that he is something when he is nothing. (Gal. 6:3) Isaiah wrote that, “…all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field…the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (40:8) What a comparison, the eternal, never changing word of God and the frailty of human flesh, as grass and the flower of the field which perisheth. Now we can just begin to understand why Peter, in answer to the Lord’s question of whether they (His disciples) would depart, or go from Him, would say: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe, and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Jn. 6:68,69) Who is the truly knowledgeable person? Is he the person who intellectually knows facts, and has a gift for arranging those facts in his mind so as to use them in an effective way to advance himself, or his cause? Or is it the person who has made a choice, choosing to follow Christ, to take Him as his wisdom, and His word as the expression of His will and purpose of all on this earth? Peter and the disciples who remained with Jesus, though they did not understand all that Christ said at that time, had a fear of God that dominated their thinking, and their choices. They chose to stay with, and be taught by the One who declared Himself to be the truth personified, the objective truth seen realized in and through His life. Where does the true learning process begin, that process of knowing God the Father, and Jesus Christ whom He had sent by the Spirit? It begins with an attitude towards God, first of all that He IS, and that He is a REWARDER of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6) True knowledge is not just an acquisition of facts, or truths, but the knowledge of the life of Christ by the Spirit, that eternal life to which all are called to know. Where does this fear of God come from, and how does it manifest itself?
It was during the reign of Josiah, king of Judah, that the book of the law was found while repairing the house of the Lord. Upon hearing the book read, Josiah, being greatly distressed, tore his clothes and ordered that Hilkiah the priest should “…go…enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book,” (2 Kings 22:13) “…for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us.” (v.13) Because of his exposure to the word of God, even though beforehand he worshipped and served God faithfully, he was gripped by the fact of who God was in His holiness, and faithful in that which He declared He would do. Josiah’s first response to hearing the word of God, apart from tearing his clothes in distress, was to seek a word from God. What was it that God desired to tell him? What should he do? This is an example of the what Scripture calls: “…the beginning of knowledge.”
In the gospels we find the story of a woman who had been sick for twelve years, and was steadily getting worse. She had no more resouces to spend on doctors. However, she had heard of Jesus, and believed in Him. There would come a moment when Jesus, in a crowd, would pass by. It was her conviction that she only had to touch the hem of His garment, and she would be healed. The fear of God drove her to stake all on Christ.
Dear Father, Grant us Thy true knowledge. In Jesus’ name, Amen.