Proverbs provide us with wisdom, discipline, and understanding. They teach us to live right, just, and fair lives. God offers wisdom, shows us discipline, and teaches us understanding. Fully seeking a life that mimics Jesus's life causes us to live right, just, and fair lives.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." (1:7)
How do we begin to understand what 'fear of the Lord' is though? The Hebrew translation for "the fear" in this passage is yir'ah (יִרְאָה). Yir'ah of God is to respect. We respect Him by wholly accepting His words and the Word, keeping His commands with us, listening, accepting, and applying the wisdom He gives, living with an understanding heart, crying aloud to Him, and seeking Him like hidden treasure. All of these draw us closer to living in yir'ah of God.
When we learn to live in yir'ah of God and gain His wisdom, things happen! Wisdom enters our hearts, knowledge of God is pleasing to the soul, discretion from the Holy Spirit protects us, and wisdom saves us from the wicked.
"For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in the dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.... ....Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of righteousness." (2:10-15, 20)
Did you catch that? When we live according to scripture, mimic the life of Jesus, and apply the wisdom we are given, we walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of righteousness!
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