4/16/2023
Turn with me to Proverbs 15:30-33. These are our verses to finish studying and memorizing this week.
Proverbs 15:30-33 Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. 32 He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
Introduction
As we have looked at this introduction to Proverbs 15:30-22:16 we have noted how carefully these four verses were written to connect with what came before, with what would be coming, and with itself. We have also noted how the themes of wisdom, of listening to reproof, of the life-giving nature of wisdom, and of humility are emphasized through their repetition.
Our last verse of this introduction ties all of these themes together. It is very helpful to know of wisdom’s importance, of the need to listen to reproof, and of the blessing of life that wisdom brings, but all of that could be in vain if we do not know where true wisdom is found and how we are to get it. This verse tells us that with its direct pronouncements about both the fear of the Lord and humility.
Overall we are seeing that these verses declare the good news that wisdom for life may be had through the fear of the Lord as we humbly listen to God’s reproof.
With that background, let’s now take a look more closely at verse 33.
33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
To get wisdom we must fear the Lord and to have greatness humility is required.
Do you want to have wisdom? The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom. Do you want to know when, how, and what you should do in life? Do you want to know the right thing to say in different circumstances? The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom. Do you want to know the purpose of your life? Do you want to know why this world is so messed up with pain, suffering, selfishness, and confusion…and what to do about it? The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom.
The weight and importance of this verse here in Proverbs can hardly be overstated. It could very accurately be said that this verse contains the foundation for understanding and learning the rest of the book of Proverbs and even the rest of the Bible. We could also say that it is the truth that can and should guide us in everything that we do in life.
Since this is true, we need to make sure that we understand it and get it. We have, of course, looked at the fear of the Lord earlier in our study of this book. But here it even more clearly, specifically, and unequivocally declares the essential, foundational relationship that exists between the fear of the Lord and wisdom. Without the fear of the Lord there is no wisdom. To get wisdom, we must have the fear of the Lord. The content of wisdom is fearing the Lord. If we do not get this, it does not matter how many facts we have. We do not have wisdom.
In the past we have given a couple definitions. We have said that:
The fear of the Lord is a real belief in the living God’s holiness, in one’s own sinfulness, in God’s judgment upon sin, and in God’s way of redeemed life.
We have also simplified that to say the fear of the Lord is living life in light of God in all that we do.
The reality which continues to be emphasized throughout Proverbs is the same. Until we truly learn the fear of the Lord we will not have wisdom. We ought to be terrified of the wrath of God which our sin deserves and will receive. Until we see the depths of the wickedness and destructiveness of our sin and until we see the coming reality of God’s judgment of it as real we will not be able to see the reality of our situation in this world. We will not see our need for redemption. We will not see the amazingness of His love. We will not truly come to Him for forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. We will not see sin as abhorrent. We will not run from it and live in God’s redeemed way of life.
The farther we move from the fear of the Lord the more we will do what is right in our own eyes. There will be no objective right and wrong, only selfishness with its murder, mayhem, and self-destruction. There will be nothing solid or real to build one’s life on. Without the fear of the Lord we cannot truly know and live in the real purposes God created for our existence.
Yet, this verse does not stop here with teaching us about the fear of God. It adds an additional indispensable element which is often just implied: humility. The demons know God’s power over everything, His hatred of sin, His coming judgment of sin, and yet they do not bow the knee to Him (James 2:19). They do not humble themselves and serve Him. They do not listen to reproof and surrender to Him. Whatever faith they might have, it is not a saving faith that produces transformation. They, and many people who follow their lies, do not fear the Lord enough to humble themselves before Him. Without that there will be no honor, no forgiveness, no restoration, no reconciliation, no redemption, no true fulfilled life, no eternity with God. There will only be certain judgment. The fear of the Lord must move beyond a mere mental acknowledgement and terror to a true humbling surrender to Him as Lord and Redeemer. It must move us from our proud self-exaltation to a broken and contrite heart.
We have to truly know the fear of the Lord in a way that smashes through our pride. 1 Peter 5 puts it this way:
1 Peter 5:5b-6a GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
Until we see that God’s almighty just, holy hand of judgment is hanging over us and that we are but a breath away from our impending doom because of our proud sin against Him there is no hope of our repentance and surrender to Him. Without our turning to Him in humility there is no hope of His mercy, grace, and love forgiving us, transforming us, and giving us life. 1 Peter 5:6 continues and adds this:
1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
He cares for us. But until we see the fearful situation that our sin has brought us into in our relationship to God, there is no hope of life, nor of us ever walking in a wise way. We will only persist in our foolish, destructive, hopeless path away from Him towards death.
The only reason there was a need for Christ to add on humanity to His deity and die nailed to a cross is because our sin is so evil that that was what God’s justice and holiness required for it to be atoned for. That death is what my sin and your sin deserves and will receive. It is either received and paid in full by the eternal Lord Jesus Christ through what He suffered on our behalf, or it will be received and paid in full individually by us in the lake of fire as we are eternally separated from God.
The wages of sin is death.
Our sin, whether as believers or unbelivers, is a transgression of God’s holy righteous law. It is a missing the mark of what is holy, righteous, and good. It is a defiant disobedience of the One who gave us life. It is a refusal to carry out the purposes for which we were made. It is a twisting and perversion of what was made for good, righteous, and holy purposes. It is living and acting as if we were God and God was not.
That is what we have all done and what we are continuing to do when we sin against God. We are doing it against the sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, righteous, holy, just, eternal God who created everything. Nothing will escape His justice. Remember what God said in Hebrews 10:30-31.
Hebrews 10:30-31 “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Not only are our lives fully in His hands, but our eternal souls are simply awaiting His final sentencing. The only thing holding that up is His temporary patience while He carries out His work of redemption. If we ignore that there is absolutely no hope for us. There is only the fearful expectation of eternal judgment.
This fear of God, though, does not end when one humbles oneself before God and trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is not just something we need to start us out on our journey of wisdom. We just saw a strong warning in Hebrews 10:30-31 about sin that was to both unbelievers and believers. Vengeance would be upon unbelievers, and God’s judgment would be upon His people. To both He says that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Sin against God is always a serious thing.
Likewise, what does our proverb say? It says that “The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom.” It is not just the foundation for wisdom. The fear of the Lord is an ongoing instruction which continues to teach us wisdom. As we grow as believers, our hearts, minds, and consciences should be heightened to a greater understanding of the reality of what our sin is against God and what it deserves from Him.
This fear of course is coupled with a new and brilliant, appreciative understanding for God’s amazing grace and love in Jesus Christ. Our fear is not in isolation and it is not our sole motivating factor. Rather it is fully complemented by the joy, peace, patience, hope, and love that we have in God. In Jesus there is indeed the perfect love which casts out fear. That is why, after mentioning the fear of the Lord motivating him in 2 Corinthians 5:11, Paul also mentions the love of God controlling him in 2 Corinthians 5:14. Nonetheless, because of sin, the fear of the Lord remains necessary for us to have to continue to teach us wisdom. Otherwise when we were tired or sorely tempted we might glibly refuse God, disobey Him, and think that there would be no consequences. Or we might, like our culture does, deceive ourselves into thinkings God’s love means He no longer hates sin.
Hebrews 12 strongly reminds us otherwise. After commanding us to focus on Jesus in faith through all the circumstances of life (Hebrews 12:1-4) it reminds us that God disciplines every true child of His (Hebrews 12:5-17). When God commands us in 1 Peter 1:16 to “be holy For I Am Holy,” He means it. Because of that He is working to continue making us holy now in this life until we go to be with Him and He finishes our sanctification. But Hebrews 12 does not stop in verse 11 with the reminder that His discipline of us is designed to produce righteousness. Rather, the author of Hebrews then takes the time to also remind them of how fearful it was when God came to Mount Sinai with Moses. He contrasts that with the even more fearful reality of our situation before God now. Carefully notice what he said:
Hebrews 12:18-21 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.”
If we think that was fearful for the Israelites, consider the reality of our situation if we refuse to obey God and walk in sin. Our blessing is greater, but so also is the terrifying reality if we defy Him and put ourselves into the judging hands of almighty God. It is not just a mountain that will shake in His presence.
Hebrews 12:22-29 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire. (cf. Hag. 2:5-9)
It is not a light thing to ignore and refuse God and to pursue sin. Mount Sinai shook when God came and gave the law. The whole heavens and earth will shake, be melted, and remade when God judges the world and brings in His everlasting kingdom. That ought to inspire a fear, reverence, and awe in us. It should reshape our thinking and actions when we gain an accurate understanding of God as a consuming fire. No sin will be left standing defiant against Him.
Therefore, when you sin, as a believer, are you terrified of God judging you? We ought to be. We have no security or safety from God when we choose to walk in unbelief and sin. Rather, we have a warning in Scripture that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
It is an amazingly blessed, encouraging thing to think that no one can pluck us out of God’s hands. Likewise, as I love to repeatedly emphasize from Romans 8, it is an overwhelming encouragement to know that nothing can separate us from the love of God. But, we must also realize that this judgment of God in Hebrews and this fear of God in Proverbs is fully compatible with that. It is a loving thing for God’s protecting hand to also become a terrifying hand when He judges us for breaking our fellowship with Him through our sin.
Why? Because that kind of temporal judgment in this life is designed sanctify us and call us back into fellowship with Him through repentance. His aim is for us to repent, as 1 John 1:9 talks about. His desire is to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness as He sanctifies us, restores us to fellowship, and causes us to be the light in this world for the truth of the gospel that He designed us to be.
God knows that in our flesh we need reminders of both sides of this reality of His love for us and of His fearful hatred and judgment of sin in us. That is why our remembrance in communion has both sides of it. There is the reminder to remember His amazing love through His death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf. This is placed alongside of the stark reminder in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 to eat and drink in a worthy manner lest we too be sickened or die under God’s judgment like happened to some of the early believers. There is an important reason that Ananias and Sapphira’s deaths have a prominent place in the record of the book of Acts. Galatians 6:7 gives us the bottom line.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Fearing the Lord, living in light of Him in all that we do, is indeed the instruction that brings wisdom. It is wisdom. It is what pushes us to wisdom. It is what brings us to wisdom. Similarly, humility leads to honor. It is a necessary aspect of fearing the Lord and a precursor to true honor. Before God none of us have a right to any pride in ourselves. True honor comes from Him. Unless we humbly submit to and follow Him we will only have the disgrace and humiliation of His judgment.
When we stop and examine, “What does God think about what I am going to do?” and allow ourselves to be humbly guided by the true answer to that from His Word then we have wisdom. We rightfully talk a lot about living by faith. That faith, though, has to have something specific in which it trusts. We can say we are trusting in Jesus day by day, but what does that actually mean for us? We are to trust that God’s specific directions for life in the wisdom of His Word are right and best for every area of our life and every situation that we encounter day by day. That is the life of faith. We are to trust in God’s Word and obey it.
When it says to have no other god’s before God we are not to make materialism and pleasure our gods. We are to trust and obey God’s Word as right and best. When it says to abstain from sexual immorality we are not to be committing fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, pretending we can change our genders, or looking at pornography of any kind. We are to trust and obey God’s Word as right and best. When it says we are to love our wives as Christ loves the church we are not to be selfishly using, abusing, or manipulating our wives. We are to trust and obey God’s Word. When it says we are to submit to our husbands we are not to be disregarding God’s roles for us. We are to trust and obey God’s Word. When it says we are to obey our parents we are not to do things behind their backs. We are to trust and obey God’s Word. When it says to not be unequally yoked we are not to start marriages or business arrangements with unbelievers. We are to trust and obey God’s Word.
When God’s Word says to obey our government and work quietly with our hands and not steal we are to trust and obey it. When God’s Word says we are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us we are to trust and obey it. When God’s Word says not to let the sun go down on our anger we are to trust and obey it. When God’s Word says to speak the truth in love and always be ready to give an answer for the hope in us we are to trust and obey it. When it says we are not to be drunk with wine but controlled by the Spirit and to have the Word of Christ dwell in us richly we are to trust and obey it. When it says we all have spiritual gifts to be used we are to trust and obey it. When it says to make disciples as we are going through life we are to trust and obey it. That is wisdom. That is fearing the Lord.
Scriptural Example: Scripture is full of examples of this kind of examining of one’s life by God’s Word. Think about it. Who got wisdom in Scripture by stopping and thinking about what God would have them to do? Caleb and Joshua feared, respected, trusted, and obeyed the Lord. Because of that they did not fear the inhabitants of Canaan when they spied out the land. They did not give in to the fear of the people when they heard of the giants in the land. That fear of the Lord, living in light of Him in everything that they did, guided them in what wisdom’s course of action would be. They trusted that God would keep His word and enable them to be victorious in battle regardless of the apparent obstacles.
The same could be said for Daniel with not wanting to be defiled by food in the Babylonian court, with interpreting the dreams of the king, and with praying despite the king’s edict against praying to anyone other than himself for a month. He examined what God’s Word said and determined to do that regardless of the threat of lions or anything else. He feared the Lord and it guided his life as he walked by faith. It also could be said for Daniel’s three friends when they were confronted with worshipping the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar. Similarly, Joseph gained this same wisdom and instruction when he chose to not give in to the advances of Potiphar’s wife. Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25, KJV).
Hebrews 11, with its list of people who lived by faith in God, is a list of people who lived in the fear of the Lord. Thus they had the wisdom of God’s guidance to lead them. When we trust God with His way of life over our own sinful way of life we have His wisdom. We gain His discernment and wisdom on what is best and right to do in each situation. If we want wisdom we must trust God that His way of redemption and life is indeed always better than anything and everything else. We must recognize the foolish destructive deadliness of our sin. As we do this we look at our life and actions through a completely different lens that will give us wisdom.
When we specifically look to see the humility aspect to this fear of the Lord from our proverb, we find a helpful example in the early life of Saul. In the past we have noted a number of Saul’s shortcoming’s later on in life, but consider how things started. When Samuel began to tell Saul about God’s plan to make him king Saul had great humility. We see this in his initial response in 1 Samuel 9:21.
1 Samuel 9:21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”
Then, when Samuel called all the tribes together at Mizpah to anoint Saul as king he was out back hiding among the baggage. He was not trying to exalt himself (1 Samuel 10:22). Even after the public anointing and gifts were brought to the new king he did not respond in pride and anger when certain worthless men scorned him. Rather he kept silent and let it pass (1 Samuel 10:27). He let his actions speak louder than his words. He ended up being greatly exalted as king by his humility. If only he had kept that humble heart which did not exalt itself throughout the rest of his reign! If only he had continued to humbly walk in complete obedience to God! Who knows the even greater exaltation that might have occurred.
There is a warning for us even in this. It is not enough to simply be humble at the beginning of our relationship with God. When we begin to have exaltation or greater responsibilities we must continue to fear God through humbly obeying Him. We will never outgrow our need to humbly fear the Lord.
Proverb in Comparison: When we compare this proverb with the rest of Scripture we see that this humble fear of the Lord is the way that God chose to build up and increase the early church in Acts.
Acts 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.
If we want to be built up as individuals, or as a church, we must have God’s wisdom guiding us. To have that we must live our lives in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. It will not come through pride. It will not come through our wisdom. It will not come through living like the culture around us. It will not come through every man or woman doing that which is right in their own eyes. It will not come through following our heart. It will not come through pursuing riches and so-called financial security. It will not come through pursuing pleasure and doing whatever we feel like with our sexuality. It will only come through humbly living in the fear of the Lord.
Jesus was very clear that in His kingdom being the greatest would not come through self-exaltation but rather humble service.
Matthew 18:1-4 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus expanded on this in Matthew 23:1-12. Notice especially verses 8-12.
Matthew 23:8-12 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Luke 22:24-27 adds this:
Luke 22:24-27 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
Jesus was the greatest among them. Yet He served them. Do you remember to what great extent Jesus humbled Himself and served us? Philippians 2:3-11 lays it all out plainly. It is the pattern we are all called to follow.
Philippians 2:3-11 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We will all bow before Jesus one way or another. Either we will humbly bow now as we learn to fear Him, or we will bow before Him when He returns and judges the world. He humbled Himself and is exalted. The only way that any of us will ever be truly exalted is if we too humble ourselves, fear the Lord, and in Christ are exalted.
Truth in Connection: Have you bowed the knee to Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you seen your sin as He sees it? Have you seen the truth about the fearful judgment that awaits all sin? Humble yourself before Him. Trust in the salvation that Jesus alone brings.
Are you continuing to walk humbly in the fear of the Lord? That is the only way that we will have and continue to have wisdom for life.
What will that look like to live in the fear of God? It looks like we what we saw earlier. We will trust and obey what God’s Word says about every aspect of our lives. It looks like a real awareness of God and belief in Him. It looks like a real awareness of God’s presence, of His holiness, of His judgment of sin, of His redemption of sinners in Jesus, of His involvement in our lives now and eternally, of His coming return, of God’s amazing grace, of God’s amazing mercy, of God’s amazing love, of our utter unworthiness of His love and forgiveness. Are you believing in these truths about God?
When that belief is real it then looks like a care and concern for what God wants. It looks like living for God’s glory and not our own. It looks like carrying out God’s purposes for our lives. It looks like a delight in what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praise worthy (Philippians 4:8). It looks like valuing what God values and hating what God hates. It looks like having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reproving it (Ephesians 5:11). It looks like all goodness, righteousness, and truth (Ephesians 5:9). It looks like trying to learn what is pleasing to God (John 8:29, 2 Corinthians 5:9, Ephesians 5:10, Hebrews 13:21).
Conclusion
May this humble fear of the Lord be true and continue to be true of our lives. May we day by day commit to trusting and obeying all that God says. If you have any questions on any of this or want help in coming to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior please come talk with us. We are available. Let’s pray.
© 2023, Kevin A. Dodge, All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
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