The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew definition(s).

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. ¹¹ For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. ¹² If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

Security and Long Life

The starting point for wisdom is to have a proper fear of God. Without a proper fear of God you will most likely not be someone given to the use of godly wisdom. People who mock and scorn the things of God are people who usually act in very foolish prideful manners thinking they have life all figured out.

Fearing the LORD, Jehovah, has different aspects to its dynamics (v.10). Before I go into to those aspects let me provide you with the definition of this word “fear” found in verse ten from the Hebrew language.

“fear” in the Hebrew language means:

3374. יִרְאָה yir˒âh, yir-aw’; fem. of 3373; fear (also used as infin.); mor. reverence:— × dreadful, × exceedingly, fear (-fulness).

3373. יָרֵא yârê˒, yaw-ray’; from 3372; fearing; mor. reverent:— afraid, fear (-ful).

3372. יָרֵא yârê˒, yaw-ray’; a prim. root; to fear; mor. to revere; caus. to frighten:— affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence (-end), × see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

When we fear the LORD, we have a moral reverence for Him, His Ways, His Purposes, His Will, and His Wisdom. We have a keen sense of the Almighty’s power and position in the universe and rightfully fear what that power is capable of if need be in the face of evil. God loves, but God is not a marshmallow man or a teddy bear He is the HOLY ALMIGHTY GOD and we should be afraid both for other people and ourselves should they or we fail to follow God’s wisdom. We can learn to fear God by learning about and understanding His character or we can learn to fear God through painful trial and error, it is our choice.

To have “knowledge” of the holy is, according to the Hebrew language, to have awareness of the holiness of God and the sacredness of the things of God (v.10). This is where getting to know God, His Ways, His Character, His Purposes, and His Word is important. There is truly no other way to come to a proper understanding of God. Having this type of “knowledge” about God’s and God’s holiness is “understanding” and according to the Hebrew language understanding is a form of “wisdom” (v.10).

The use of wisdom comes with a spiritual law and effect or what some might call a promise. It is more of a spiritual law than a promise. The use of wisdom will lead to a much greater chance of a longer life (v.11). If we do what God directs that is best for us, wise, live according to His Will not our own will or desires, we are likely to live much longer, and I dare say have a much better quality of life along the way.

There is security in the use of wisdom. If you use godly wisdom under God’s guidance following His directives and things “appear” to go wrong, I use the word appear because if you are following God’s Wisdom any difficulties you face have a godly purpose, thus God will be with you in the mist of the difficulty to guide you through and show you His Purpose for allowing the difficulty (v.12).

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.