Reading
SAA Notes
Verses 13-16 all major on the heart – a happy heart, a discerning heart, a cheerful heart. Verse 19 is one to laugh over. A wise man is not easily put off by a few difficulties.
SJA Notes
“The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”
The idea of _instruction_ is such an important part of Proverbs.
Wisdom is being able to take instruction. Folly is rejecting instruction.
Previously Solomon has pointed us to the truth that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
So we see that if we fear God we gain wisdom – By the very fact that we have and are affected by that fear.
This is a fundamental truth to grab a hold of – We need to fear the Lord.
He is the God who opened up the earth and swallowed the camp of Korah in His wrath. He is the God who threw fiery blazing meteor strikes on Sodum and Gomorrah. He is the God who will come back again as the Rider on the White Horse, the king who will tread the winepress of His fury.
But. He is also the God who calmed the wind and the saves. He healed the bleeding woman and raised Jairus’ daughter up. For His friend Lazarus He waited until death came to show His saving power – That death was not the end-point.
He is the God who for our sake, mere mortal and broken and having rejected Him – He poured our His just wrath on Himself, the person of God the Son becoming curse for us, hung on a tree. So that we might be free from the power of death, saved from our sin and the judgement of it.
This is the God we are to fear!
He is our dear heavenly FATHER. He is our King, Jesus, the SON. And He is our friend, the HOLY GHOST, always with us and working for our good.
We are to fear with a holy fear, and reverent and obedient kneeling before Him, coming before Him, casting our cares on Him and asking Him for help.
And in the act of working out this fear, of wrestling with what it means for us – We are being instructed in wisdom.
* Almighty God,
Please teach us to fear You, more and more as the final day draws near.
Instruct us in Your wisdom heavenly Father.
Please show us Jesus today!
Amen.