“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is probably the best known verse in the Bible dealing with “fearing the Lord.” Fear is not something people normally desire to have. It is an emotion we would like to do without. Yet, the book of Proverbs says that the “fear of the Lord” is a good thing.

The Hebrew word yirʾah may mean “fear,” “reverence,” or “piety.” It comes from the root verb yareʾ, “to fear,” or “to be afraid.” The word indicates a genuine fear and respect for the Lord, but it is a fear that results in spiritual, moral and ethical health and wealth before both God and people in the book of Proverbs.

The word refers to the simple, but real fear of “briars and thorns” because of the physical damage they may cause (Isa. 7:25). The destructive judgments that God could bring upon a land or nation engendered fear among the people (Ezek. 30:13), fearing for their lives (Jonah 1:10, 16). The Lord put the fear of Israel upon the nations of Canaan so that they would not try to stand against His people—but rather stand in dread of them (Deut. 2:25).

The Lord came in an awesome epiphany at Mount Sinai to cause the people to fear Him so that they would not sin (Exod. 20:20). So from the beginning the fear of God made a moral and spiritual impression upon God’s people. The fear of Him engendered obedience to Him and righteous living. It was never to engender fear for fear itself.

Proverbs features the “fear of the Lord.” Those who hate knowledge are those who do not fear (yirʾah) the Lord. The person who fears the Lord shuns evil (Prov. 3:7)—in fact, the author says that to fear the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13). Because of the improvement in someone’s lifestyle when he or she fears God, that person’s mental and emotional condition and sometimes even his or her “length of life” improves (Prov. 10:27). The fear of God, rather than being a detriment to a full life, becomes a fountain of life (Prov. 14:27).

For the people of God, the fear of people can be detrimental. But the fear of God is always beneficial (Prov. 29:25). Paradoxically, the person who fears (yirʾah) God does not need to fear anything or anyone else. Jesus agreed with this Old Testament teaching. He told His disciples who they were to Job 6:14; fear—fear God, not man (see Luke 12:5).

The Purpose of Proverbs

1 The proverbs of Solomon a son of David, king of Israel:

2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are;

for understanding insightful sayings;

3 for receiving wise instruction

in righteousness, justice, and integrity; b

4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, c d

knowledge and discretion e to a young man—

5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning, f

and a discerning man will obtain guidance—

6 for understanding a proverb or a parable, g

the words of the wise, and their riddles. h

7 The •fear of the LORD

is the beginning of knowledge; i

fools despise wisdom and discipline. j

KNOW, KNOWLEDGE

The words for “knowledge” and “knowing” in the Bible (Heb. yāḏaʿ; Gk. gin̂skō) represent significant biblical concepts that are difficult to capture with a simple definition; they have a broad range of meaning. Nevertheless, some degree of generalization is useful in an attempt to characterize what is distinctive about the use of “knowledge” in the OT and NT.

In the OT knowledge is experiential and relational. The “man of sorrows” in Isa. 53:3 “is acquainted with” (Heb. “knows”) grief; i.e., he has experienced grief. When the prophet Hosea announces that there is “no knowledge of God in the land” (Hos. 4:1), he is equating knowledge with loyalty and faithfulness. To know God is to be in relationship to God (Hos. 6:6). Knowledge of God involves reverent obedience to him (Prov. 1:7).

The same is true on the human plane: to know another is to have a relationship with that person. For instance, near the beginning of Exodus it is reported that “a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exod. 1:8); i.e., this new pharaoh did not acknowledge any relationship with or obligations toward the descendants of Joseph. The experiential and relational element in the OT use of knowledge is perhaps best seen in the numerous passages in which it refers to sexual intercourse (e.g., Gen. 4:1; 1 Kgs. 1:4). At the same time, knowledge can have the abstract senses of realization (Judg. 13:21), rational discourse (Job 15:2), and insight into the nature of reality (Job 12:3; Eccl. 1:16).

In the NT knowledge can also be experiential and relational, as in the OT (e.g., “the Lord knows those who are his”; 2 Tim. 2:19). In general, however, the NT uses knowledge in a more theoretical sense, consistent with its range of meaning in Greek. For instance, knowledge of Jesus is insight into a revealed truth, namely, that Jesus, against appearances, is actually the eternal Word of God (John 1:10). Because knowledge, both in Greek philosophy and in Hellenistic religion, can have an abstract, even mystical, quality, Paul could be critical of knowledge, casting it as inferior to the supreme virtue, love (1 Cor. 8:1–3). The Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 13:8 (“Love never ends. But … as for knowledge, it will come to an end”) would not make sense to an OT prophet for whom, in Hebrew terms, knowledge of God is equivalent to love for God (Ps. 91:14).

GREGORY MOBLEY

Why Jesus Used Parables

10 Then the disciples p came up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” q

11 He answered them, “Because the •secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, r but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. s 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, t and hearing they do not listen or understand. u 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen,

yet never understand;

and you will look and look,

yet never perceive. v

15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;

their ears are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes;

otherwise they might see with their eyes

and hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn back—

and I would cure them. w x

16 “But your eyes are blessed y because they do see, and your ears because they do hear! z 17 For •I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them. a

☐ Spirituality from God (3:13–4:12)

One of the saddest phone calls I have ever received came from an elder at another church; he barely knew me but was searching for help. His church was without a pastor at that time. The board of elders had interviewed a man and had voted to recommend calling this candidate. Only one elder had dissented, and he had asked his fellow elders to postpone action for one week of further consideration and prayer. The elders had agreed to this reasonable request. However, now it appeared that the one dissenting elder had used that week to begin a campaign of criticisms against the pastoral candidate within the congregation. The church became deeply torn with fears and passionate opinions. By the time the issue came before a larger meeting of church members, there was such rage and shouting that the elder who was phoning me, and who had moderated the meeting, said to me painfully, “I found myself wondering, ‘Are these Christian people? Are these believers?”’ He was agonizing over his divided church and asking for counsel.

Suppose this elder could call a meeting of the congregation to receive spiritual counsel from the apostle James. The people of the church would find him a tough realist. We like to think of ourselves as wise, and we are quick to justify our own role in conflicts. But James is exactly the kind of counselor we need—one who will not let us deceive ourselves and who will bring clarity to the complex issues. For Christians who want to learn true spirituality, James cuts to the heart of the matter.

We will miss the point if we do not recognize the continuity of thought between the previous section and this one. James has just given his readers a sobering picture: the certainty of judgment and their vulnerability in that judgment because of the terrible evil they do with their speech. It leads to one of the most fundamental questions of life anyone must face: How can I hope to purify my behavior (such as my speech) when it flows from my corrupt inward character? How can my heart be changed from its selfishness? Is there any hope?