Fear of the Lord - The Beginning of Knowledge

“Our generation has more access to knowledge than any in history. We literally hold libraries in our pockets. But Charles Spurgeon warned

‘A man may be full of knowledge and yet have no wisdom.’ (Spurgeon, Sermon No. 2547, Many Kisses, 1886.)

In the 2019 article title “The Skills Gap” The Harvard Business Review wrote:

‘The most valuable employees are not those with the most education but those who learn quickly, adapt easily, and exercise sound judgment.’ (HBR, ‘The Skills Gap,’ Nov. 2019).

Echoing the words of Albert Einstein

“Information is not knowledge.” Source: Quoted in Ronald W. Clark, Einstein: The Life and Times, 1971.

What if our generation is building a theology of idealism — a doctrine of delusion? What if, in our refusal to pursue true knowledge and godly discernment, we’ve crafted an image of God in our minds that does not resemble the God of Scripture at all? A.W. Tozer diagnosed this decades ago when he wrote:

“The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.” Source: The Knowledge of the Holy, Harper & Row, 1961.

We have begun to form a God who looks like us, thinks like us, never corrects us, never confronts us, never disagrees with us. But a God who never disagrees with you is not God. He’s a projection. And once we form an idol in our minds, everything else begins to shift:

Grace without godliness

Relationship without repentance

Love without lordship

Heaven without holiness

This is the fruit of a Christianity built on feelings instead of fear of the Lord, on ideas about God instead of the Word of God.

If we lose the fear of the Lord, we will inevitably replace the real God with a God of our imagination.

Proverbs 2:1–5 NASB95

1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.

four times in this passage the author uses the word “t-bu-na” (tvunah) = to discern, understand, cleverness or skill.

Isaiah 11 tells us that this discernment or understanding, this cleverness and skill is a spirit that we seek and it leads us to the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:2 NASB95

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

What the Psalmist is saying is that if we will stretch our heart, incline our heart, move our heart toward discernment then that discernment will lead us to the fear of the Lord. The path to the fear of the Lord is through godly discernment.

It may surprise you to know that this discernment, and understanding is a gift from God. Where the Fear of the Lord is sought and developed, understanding is a gift.

Exodus 31:3 NASB95

3 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,

Exodus 36:1 NASB95

1 “Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”

1 Kings 7:14 NASB95

14 He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work.

If you lack discernment this message is gold for you.

If you have found yourself making bad decision after bad decision

If you have found yourself moving from one relationship to the nex

Maybe you are loosing money on bad trades

Maybe you are unable to make good decisions -

Today I will give you simple steps to take toward rectifying this. And it will lead you to the Fear of the Lord.

1. Receive My Words

Proverbs 2:1 NASB95

1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you,

Hebrew: emer — speech, declaration, discourse

Literally if you grasp my sayings, my speech, my discourse.

There are five main ways that we can know the words of God.

Five Main Ways We Receive the Words of God - (no need to make slides for every verse)

1. The Written Word — Scripture

God’s primary, objective, unchanging revelation.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NASB95

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Psalm 119:105 NASB95

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Application:

If you ignore the written Word, you silence the clearest voice God has given.

2. The Audible Word — God’s Spoken Voice

Rare, sovereign, unmistakable — but biblical.

1 Samuel 3:10 NASB95

10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Matthew 3:17 NASB95

17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Application:

This is never the norm, but when God speaks audibly, it is unmistakably Him.

3. The Counsel of Elders — God Speaks Through Spiritual Authority

God confirms His direction through godly leadership and aligned counsel.

Proverbs 11:14 NASB95

14 Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Hebrews 13:17 NASB95

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Application:

If you reject godly counsel, you reject one of God’s chosen ways of speaking.

4. Life Circumstances — When God Aligns, Opens, or Closes Doors

God guides through providence, not just pages.

Revelation 3:7 NASB95

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

Acts 16:6 NASB95

6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

Application:

Sometimes discernment is simply watching where God is moving — or blocking.

5. Witness in Our Spirit — The Inner Confirmation of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit speaks, convicts, leads, and gives peace or restraint.

Romans 8:16 NASB95

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

John 16:13 NASB95

13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

Colossians 3:15 NASB95

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Application:

Discernment is impossible if you ignore the Spirit’s nudge, whisper, and restraint.

God speaks through His Word, His voice, His leaders, His providence, and His Spirit — and discernment begins by receiving every one of these voices with humility.

To “receive” is more than hearing — it’s welcoming - it’s wanting- it is reaching out to grasp ahold and bring it close to your chest.

2. Treasure My Commands

Hebrew: mitsvah — command, commission

Proverbs 2:1 NASB95

1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you,

Literally the word command or mitzvah would speak to the 613 commands outlined for the nation of Israel. However in the context of this writing - at the beginning of the book of Proverbs, the author is speaking more to the moral guidelines that are to follow in the next 29 chapters to follow.

One can find nearly limitless wisdom in the commands of the book of Proverbs.

Again - don’t make slides for all these verses

1. Friendship

Proverbs gives strong commands about who to walk with, who to avoid, and what friendship looks like.

Choose wise friends:“He who walks with the wise will become wise…” — Prov. 13:20

Avoid hot-tempered people: Prov. 22:24–25

Be loyal: Prov. 17:17

Speak honestly: Prov. 27:5–6

Sharpen one another: Prov. 27:17

2. Sexual Life & Purity

Proverbs gives repeated, urgent warnings — almost commandments — regarding sexual integrity.

Flee the immoral woman/man: Prov. 5:3–8

Guard your heart from lust: Prov. 6:25

Honor marriage: Prov. 5:18–19

Avoid adultery entirely: Prov. 6:32–33

Don’t be seduced by flattery: Prov. 7:21–27

3. Finance, Work, & Wealth

Proverbs gives commandments about diligence, honesty, stewardship, and generosity.

Be diligent, not lazy: Prov. 6:6–11; 10:4

Honor the Lord with your wealth: Prov. 3:9–10

Don’t love money: Prov. 23:4–5

Be honest in business: Prov. 11:1

Be generous to the poor: Prov. 19:17

4. Parenting & Family Life

Proverbs treats parenting as a divine commission — full of practical commandments.

Train children in the right way: Prov. 22:6

Discipline with love and purpose :Prov. 13:24; 22:15

Model wisdom: Prov. 20:7

Honor between parents & children: Prov. 23:22

Teach God’s commands diligently: Prov. 1:8; 6:20

5. Speech & Words

Guard your tongue — Prov. 21:23

Speak truth — Prov. 12:19

Avoid gossip — Prov. 20:19

Be slow to speak — Prov. 10:19

6. Anger & Self-Control

Be slow to anger — Prov. 14:29

Rule your spirit — Prov. 25:28

Avoid quarreling — Prov. 17:14

7. Justice & Leadership

Speak up for the poor — Prov. 31:8–9

Judge righteously — Prov. 29:4

Abhor dishonest scales — Prov. 11:1

8. Humility & Pride

Fear the Lord and turn from evil — Prov. 3:7

Pride leads to destruction — Prov. 16:18

Seek wisdom with humility — Prov. 11:2

3. Make Your Ear Attentive to Wisdom

Hebrew: qashav — to listen attentively

Proverbs 2:2 NASB95

2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;

This is a learned skill. As a musician I had to learn to hear when my strings were out of tune. Later as I began to work in the field of live production my ear became very good at hearing certain frequencies. “suck 400 hz out of the female voice to make it less boxy”, add 250 hz in the bass guitar to give it bite and grit. We can teach our ears to know the sound of wisdom by intently studying the Scripture and carefully noting what it has to say about wealth, generosity, relationships, family, business etc.

But here me out - you will have to turn down many other voices in order to tune in to the voice of wisdom. You may find that: Fox News needs a lower volume,

The Today Show

Joe Rogan

Ben Shapiro

MrBeast

Every day, millions are discipled by news channels, TikTok influencers, political figures, and celebrities — yet almost none of these voices lead you toward the fear of the Lord.”

4. Incline Your Heart

Proverbs 2:2 NASB95

2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;

Hebrew: natah — to stretch, bend, extend

What the author is telling us is this: Discernment requires heart-posture, not just head-knowledge. You must want understanding. Many want to understand a lot of things, but this author is speaking of stretching our heart toward understanding the things of God.

My wife often has to make me work our- I don’t like doing it, but I’m always thankful when I’m done. How do we develop the fear of the Lord? We stretch our heart, we lean our heart, position our heart toward the knowledge God has given us available in His Word.

5. Lift Your Voice for Understanding

Proverbs 2:3 NASB95

3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;

Hebrew: natan — to give, to surrender, to offer

To “lift your voice” is to pray, cry out, and ask boldly. You give your voice to God before you give it to opinion. I know we all have opinions, and we all have our own way of perceiving things. But Scripture is clear - His ways are higher than our own, His thoughts above our thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9

I half believe that if we would have found the woman in John 8 who was caught in the act of adultery - we would have sided with the Pharisees - But Jesus had a different understanding - a Fear of the Lord understanding. John 8:7

John 8:7 NASB95

7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Where do you need to lift your voice and pray for Gods will, Gods direction, heavens desires. To lift our voice is to surrender our voice - to give up our voice for the purpose of declaring Gods will over ours.

6. Seek Her as Silver

Proverbs 2:4 NASB95

4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Hebrew: baqash — to seek, demand, pursue, require

Historical & Practical Facts About Silver Mining (Biblical & Ancient World)

1. Silver rarely sits on the surface — it must be extracted from deep rock.

Silver is almost never found lying openly.

It is trapped inside ore (often galena).

Miners had to dig, crush, smelt, and purify to get it.

2. Ancient mining was dangerous, exhausting, and slow.

Mining required:

picks made of bronze or iron

hammers

chisels

fire-setting (heating rock with fire, then cooling with water to crack it)

Workers often labored in tunnels two to four feet high, crawling or lying down to chip the rock.

3. Miners risked their lives for silver.

Ancient sources report:

suffocating dust

toxic fumes

tunnel collapses

heat from fire-setting

long hours in darkness

Some mines employed children because they could fit into narrow shafts.

4. The refining process was intense.

After mining, the ore was:

Crushed

Washed

Smelted at extremely high heat

Refined repeatedly until pure silver appeared

This is exactly the imagery Scripture uses for God’s Word and God’s wisdom.

Psalm 12:6 NASB95

6 The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

7. Search for Her as Hidden Treasure

Proverbs 2:4 NASB95

4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Hebrew: chaphas — to investigate, examine, track down

(Proverbs 2:4; compare Matthew 13:44)

When I was ten years old, my family moved from Tumwater, Washington to Portland, Oregon. We bought this massive, old four-bedroom house built in 1901. It needed everything—new floors, new paint, new wiring—you name it. But for a kid? It was paradise. This house had more crawl spaces, cubby holes, and strange little attic pockets than you could count. I spent hours exploring every hidden corner, hoping I’d find… well, something. Most days, all I found were old mattresses, rusty cans, and strange relics from lives long gone. But one afternoon, while my mom was cleaning, I made a discovery that changed everything: I found a 1949 Leaf baseball card tucked behind a loose board.

That was it. Evidence. Proof. Treasure. And in my ten-year-old brain, where there was one baseball card, there had to be more. I just knew that house was sitting on top of a fortune. I was ready to tear up floorboards, rip open walls, and excavate the entire place like an archaeologist possessed. My mom had to physically stop me from dismantling my bedroom trying to find “pirate booty.”

It’s a silly story—true, but silly. But it points to something serious:

When you believe something valuable is hidden, you don’t search casually—you search relentlessly.

Jesus told a very similar story in Matthew 13:44

Matthew 13:44 NASB95

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The man didn’t treat the treasure casually.

He didn’t shrug at it.

He didn’t walk away from it.

He rearranged his entire life to get it.

This is the exact picture Proverbs paints:

Search for wisdom—search for discernment—search for the fear of the Lord—like treasure.

Salvation Response

And Jesus said that this treasure—this kingdom—is available to anyone who will search for it. Anyone who will dig. Anyone who will seek. Today, if you’ve never surrendered to Christ, or if you feel far from Him, this is your moment to find the treasure you’ve been searching for your whole life.

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We know that sin leads to death – you’ve felt the sting, and pain of sin. The good news is this, Paul calls God’s gift of life a “free gift”. I want to pray with you right now to receive this gift. If you would say, I want God’s forgiveness, I want to accept this gift of life, I want Jesus to live in my heart, raise your hand so I know who I am praying for.

KEEP YOUR HANDS RAISED HIGH - I HAVE A PRAYER PARTNER COMING TO PRAY WITH YOU

“Heavenly Father, I trust You to save me through Your Son, Jesus. Forgive me for all of my sins. Make me brand new. Because You died for me, I want to live for You. Fill me with Your Spirit, so I could follow You. Jesus, You’re now my Lord and the Savior of my life. Take my life. It is Yours. In Jesus’ name, I pray.”