In the very first proverb, God sets the tone for the entire book with a purpose statement in verse 7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Do you fear the Lord?
If so, that is the very beginning of knowledge.
Fools (who say in their heart that there is no God according to Psalm 14:1) despise wisdom and instruction; in other words, they do not listen to advice! They do not heed warnings!
So, before you can even begin to dig into the knowledge and manifold wisdom of God, you must first fear Him. I heard a great preacher say that the fear of God is the fear that you might bring shame to His glorious reputation and Name by your sins; therefore, you would not choose to sin against God as a believer.
To fear God, one MUST be a Christian. No if’s and’s or but’s about it, you must be a Christian to fear the Lord God and to benefit from the manifold wisdom He offers in His Word.
So as we search through proverbs each day this month, the first thing to consider is: do you fear the Lord?
If so, then you will find wisdom more abundantly than silver and gold.
-Mark (“Lord, may I fear You above all other fears”)