How To Understand the Fear of the LORD

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5, ESV)

This actually carries on from where yesterday's Proverb left off. These verses tell us that not only are there attitudes which a person must have in order to be wise, but also actions that he must be in the habit of doing. For obeying the great Commandment, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV) includes the attitude (heart), as well as the actions (might). It involves an inclination, as well as the will.

Now we must understand that to fear the LORD is not natural for fallen man. In fact, the Bible teaches that the defining characteristic of an unbeliever is that they do not fear the LORD (Romans 3:18). We must also understand that In our natural, fallen state, we cannot understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, in order for us, as fallen creatures, to receive and treasure the commands of God, and to make our ears attentive to His wisdom and to incline our hearts to His understanding, we must obey the truths here in verses 3 and 4….we must be spiritually discerning, that we may judge all things (1 Corinthians 2:15). And this is only possible through the supernatural work of God through the New Birth (John 3:3).

Therefore, to understand the fear of the LORD is first a supernatural thing. But we must not, and Biblically cannot, leave out the human will in this process. The Scripture teaches that the unregenerate are unable to choose these things, for they are enslaved to sin (John 8:34, Romans 6:20) and spiritually dead. Dead people don't make decisions, and do not have free will to obey spiritual things. Only through the New Birth is the human will freed to choose obedience to Biblical truth (Romans 6:17-18, John 8:31-32).

For the one who is born again, here is practical wisdom for you to understand the fear of the LORD. Pray….call out for insight and understanding (Proverbs 2:3), and search the Scriptures (Proverbs 2:4). Then you will understand and know the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 2:5).