Main Text: Proverbs 1:1-7; 9:10

I. The first and foundational principle.

A. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

B. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

C. Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

D. Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

E. "But what is this fear of the Lord? It is that affectionate reverence by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father's law. His wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet, that hence springs an earnest desire to please Him and--because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptations--a holy watchfulness and fear, that he might not sin against Him." Charles Bridges

F. "The fear of the Lord is opposed to pride, high-mindedness, and vain conceit; this includes reverence of God, faith in Him, dependence upon Him, acknowledgment of Him, seeking to Him for direction, and carefulness not to offend Him." John Gill

G. "Filial fear is a holy inclination of the heart, generated by God in the hearts of His children, whereby they, out of reverence for God, take careful pains not to displease God, and earnestly endeavor to please Him in all things." Wilhelmus A'Brakel

H. "The child of God has only one fear--to offend his Father, and only one desire--to please and delight Him. The true fear of God is a holy, happy, reverential principle. We fear Him, because we love Him. We fear Him, yet we are not afraid of Him. The fear of man produces cowardice; the fear of God emboldens." Charles Bridges

 

II. Submitting our minds to the mind of God.

A. Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

B. Proverbs 2:4-5 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

C. Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

D. Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

E. Psalm 34:9, 11 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. . . Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

F. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

 

III. The sanctifying influence of the fear of God.

A. Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

B. Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

C. Proverbs 14:2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

D. Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

E. Exodus 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

F. Nehemiah 5:15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

G. I Kings 18:3-4 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly: For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

H. Psalm 2:11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

I. Psalm 19:9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

J. Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

K. Psalm 147:11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

L. I Chronicles 16:25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

M. Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

N. Jeremiah 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

O. Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

 

IV. The abundant blessing of the fear of the Lord.

A. Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

B. Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

C. Proverbs 15:16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

D. Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

E. Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

F. Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

G. Psalm 112:1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

H. Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness  rise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

I. Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

J. Hebrews 12:28-29 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

 

Heidelberg Catechism #94

Question. What does the LORD require in the first commandment

Answer. That for the sake of my very salvation I avoid and flee all idolatry, witchcraft, superstition, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. Further, that I rightly come to know the only true God, trust in him alone, submit to him with all humility and patience, expect all good from him only, and love, fear, and honour him with all my heart. In short, that I forsake all creatures rather than do the least thing against his will.

 

"Let God's distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear Him greatly. He hath put His fear in thy heart, and hath not given that blessing to thy neighbor. Oh what an obligation should this consideration lay upon every heart greatly to fear the Lord. Remember also, this fear of the Lord is His treasure, a choice jewel, given only to favorites, and to those that are greatly beloved. Great gifts naturally tend to oblige, and will do so with thee, when thou shalt seriously consider it. Therefore love it, nourish it, exercise it, use all means to cause it to increase and grow in thy heart." John Bunyan