The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge

Martin Luther’s Small Catechism shares a great deal with the book of Proverbs. It is short and (intentionally) filled with punchy little sayings scientifically designed to stick in the memory, to be recalled at a moment’s notice by children and adults alike, whatever their level of literacy.

Some of you may have noticed I have a fondness for the Small Catechism and tend to quote it a good deal in sermons and studies. It’s something I return to frequently because it gives me something on which to hang my faith and understanding. And Proverbs, at its best does the same.

In fact, there have been periods in which I read through Proverbs, a chapter at a time, each month (an idea I picked up from my wife Alena). Not only does it conveniently have 31 chapters, but there was rarely a day I didn’t come away with something I could apply to my life. Again conveniently, there are exactly 31 non-Sunday days left in Lent before Maundy Thursday, so I’ll be trying again and I invite you to consider joining me, starting with Proverbs 1 tomorrow. You’re welcome to make it a personal quiet discipline or, if you prefer some encouragement and discussion, I’ll try to post a brief reflection on one verse from the day’s chapter that strikes me each day on our Facebook page (and others are welcome to share their own).

But there’s another similarity between Proverbs and the Catechism that specifically concerns today’s lesson, and that can be found in Luther’s explanations of the Ten Commandments.

Let’s start with the First Commandment:

You are to have no other gods.

[2] What is this? Answer:

We are to fear, love, and trust God above all things.

For every subsequent commandment, the explanation follows a consistent pattern: “What is this? Answer: We are to fear and love God, so that…”

What does Proverbs 1:7 say?

Proverbs 1:7 NRSV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What does it mean to fear the Lord though (and here I borrow heavily from Newheiser’s Opening up Proverbs)?

To fear God is to regard God with reverent awe. He alone is holy, awesome, and glorious (Isa. 6:3). He is worthy of our respect. Because God is righteous, we should be concerned about the consequences of displeasing him. Our fear is not one which leaves us cowering and terrified but rather is like the respect a son should have towards his father. The fear of God leads to wise and pure living: ‘By the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil’ (Prov. 16:6b).

To fear God is to submit to him, turning from self-assertion and evil: ‘Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil’ (3:7). We are not autonomous beings, free to assert our own will and decide what is right for us. We must acknowledge the Lord’s sovereign moral governance of the universe. We should be open to his training and correction and trust that his way is always best. To fear God is to know God. To know God is to have life (19:23a). When you fear God, you no longer fear men (29:25).

The fear of the Lord is not a beginning like the first stage of a rocket which is cast aside after it has served its purpose. Rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom in the same way in which a foundation is the beginning of a house: everything that comes after the foundation is built upon it. (Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, 27-28)

This verse is more or less the thesis of the Book of Proverbs, if it can be said to have one. Despite it’s structure as a combination of a handful of smaller collections of wise sayings or poems (some of which may have originally come from non-Jewish sources), it does hold together - because Proverbs, when it comes down to it, is a catechism. Today’s reading tells us as much about what they are for:

Proverbs 1:2–6 NRSV

For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight, for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young— let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Those of you who took up my challenge on Sunday and came prepared with a Proverb (whether biblical or not), how is it tied up with the fear of the Lord? Can it point you to a better way or pull you back from temptation? How might it help (or hurt) your understanding of God or our world?

As we work our way through Proverbs together this Lent, I invite you (whether you’re reading a chapter each day with me or just joining us for soup and evening prayer on Wednesdays)… I invite you to hear the Word of the Lord in this kind of secular-seeming book filled with mostly just good advice and to try to be in a posture of listening with the fear of the Lord. Not a fear like that of a cruel master but a fear that begins from acknowledgment of God’s holiness and sovereignty and gratitude for his abundant generosity toward us.

Let’s close by returning to the catechism itself, to the close of the section on the Ten Commandments:

[21] What then does God say about all these commandments? Answer:

God says the following: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Against those who hate me I visit the sin of the fathers on the children up to the third and fourth generation. But I do good to those who love me and keep my commandments to the thousandth generation.”

[22] What is this? Answer:

God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore we are to fear his wrath and not disobey these commandments. However, God promises grace and every good thing to all those who keep these commandments. Therefore we also are to love and trust him and gladly act according to his commands.

Like me, you may not feel satisfied warm fuzzies about the talk of jealousy and judgment in God’s word and Luther’s explanation. You may encounter the same in Proverbs. But let’s persevere together, and together we can maybe work through some of those questions and come out more confident not only in the ideas of our faith but in our readiness to live out lives inspired by the fear of the Lord and full of the knowledge and wisdom undergirded by God’s boundless love.