THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE

Proverbs 1:7

It is not enough to have knowledge and wisdom.  It must be founded on the firm foundation of the fear of the Lord.  It must be rooted in obedience to God.  Knowledge and wisdom are good things to want; good things to have.  When God asked Solomon what he wanted from Him, Solomon asked for “an understanding mind to discern between good and evil.”  God gave him what he asked for but also said to him, “walk in my ways, keeping my statutes, and my commandments.” (I Kings 3:1-15)

Wisdom and the knowledge of good and evil have been a quest of human beings since the beginning of time.  In the garden the first humans were tempted by the promise that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a good thing, even though God clearly told them not to eat of that tree.  But, “the woman saw that the tree was good for food, a delight to the eyes, and was to be desired to make one wise.  So she and her husband ate from the tree and disobeyed God, suffering great consequence for themselves and for the rest of the world for all time. (Genesis 3)

Knowledge and wisdom are rooted in obedience to God.  Knowledge and wisdom come from the counsel of God and the reproof of God.  When we obey God and walk in His ways, keep His statutes, and keep His commandments we will walk in knowledge and wisdom.   If we eat the fruit of our own way and depend on our own devices we separate ourselves from God, just as Adam and Eve did when they were sent out of the garden.

Knowledge and wisdom derive from the fear of the Lord, a respect for God, and the worship of God; anything else is false, of the flesh, and is only the fodder of fools.  The new atheist movement is made up of highly intelligent people who are convinced they can find all the answers to life on their own through knowledge and science.  They believe there is now no need for the “God hypothesis”.  Humans have the intelligence to supersede the primitive superstitions and supernatural beliefs of earlier years.

I am a simple soul who says to these self sufficient intellectuals the same thing David that David would say to them, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 53:1)  Do as you like, walk in your ways, and come to your own end.  I want more.