Fear of the LORD
11 Come, my children, and listen to me,
and I will teach you to fear the LORD.
12 Does anyone want to live a life
that is long and prosperous?
13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies!
14 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
What does it mean to fear the LORD?
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.
7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil
