Blogging Through Proverbs Part II - 1:7

Studying:  Romans 3-5, Proverbs 1

Memorizing: Romans 1:1-7

Reading: 900 Days, the Siege of Leningrad

Entertainment: 1 1/2 hours

Thoughts: Good

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 NASB

During the summer before I started college and several summers, holidays and breaks after that, I worked with my father on construction sites as a laborer.  While most of my time was spent shoveling dirt and moving piles of stuff from one place to another, I did manage to learn a few of the basic facts about the process of building a large commercial structure.  

It's a fascinating process really, but the it can vary from one region of the world to another.  It all depends on the type of ground one is building upon.  We lived in Southeast Louisiana in a suburb of New Orleans called Slidell, which gained national attention only after Hurricane Katrina.  Most of the job sites my father ran were in the New Orleans metro area.  Now if you've ever been to that area you may have noticed one salient fact, that New Orleans is basically built on a swamp.  The city is below sea level and the ground is very soft, not the best for building large heavy structures upon.  If one simply pours a concrete slab over the topsoil and erects a building on top it won't be long before the building will start to lean, crack and eventually be damaged beyond repair if it doesn't collapse altogether.  So it is of the utmost importance that the foundation be properly laid.

So, how is this problem remedied?  Long pilings are driven deep into the ground until solid rock is reached.  These pilings are usually made out of treated wood or concrete filled metal tubes.  Once driven into the ground they stick out a couple of feet on top of the ground.  Then, after these pilings are in place the concrete slab can be poured on top.  The pilings provide the stability for the rest of the building, keeping it upright, keeping it from moving and cracking, and keeping it from falling apart.

To draw a comparison here with verse 7, Solomon is "driving the pilings" with these words. Where does wisdom come from?  How can I live wisely before God?  Here's the answer; "Fear the LORD."  This is the beginning of knowledge (later in 9:10 it is also the "beginning of wisdom.")  This is the most basic, most fundamental, most foundational of commands when studying "Living 101."  If one doesn't fear the LORD, every other bit of knowledge that is further built is on unstable, soft and worthless ground, and it is only a matter of time before the whole structure falls apart.

Practially speaking, we can look at the world around us.  Many men and women possess tremendous scholarly knowledge with multi-lingual abilities and unmatched insights into history, yet, they do not fear God?  There is no questioning that many religious liberals are very intelligent.  They may be well versed in the original languages.  They may have written numerous books, conducted archeological digs and contributed much to the scholastic world, yet if they have no fear of God, they do not have the most basic foundation.  A young believing child who fears God is wiser than the most educated of adults who does not.

Matthew Henry comments,

"Of all things that are to be known this is most evident, that God is to be feared, to be reverenced, served, and worshipped; this is so the beginning of knowledge that those know nothing who do not know this.  In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by the instructions that are given us unless our minds be possessed with a holy reverence of God, and every thought within us be brought into obedience to him."

Then Solomon goes on to say that "Fools despise wisdom and instruction."  Going back to the construction site for a moment, suppose a foreman tried to start pouring a concrete slab without first driving the pilings?  Someone with experience walks up and says "Wait!  You've first got to drive pilings or the foundation will sink."  The foreman can either do one of two things.  He can say "Whew!  Thanks.  I didn't know that.  Boy I really could have made a mistake here."  Or he could say "Shut up!  I know what I'm doing."  The first response is wise.  The foreman heeds wisdom and instruction.  The second response is foolish.  The foreman will not be persuaded.  He will continue his course of action, trusting in his own knowledge, and he will pay the consequences later on.

A wise man hears the exhortation "Fear the LORD" and responds with "Yes, I will.  How shall I fear him, teach me, instruct me, I need guidance."  A fool hears the same exhortation and responds with "No, I know what I'm doing.  I can take care myself."  Wisdom and humility go hand-in-hand.  Wisdom recognizes need, guidance, instruction, etc.  Foolishness and self-sufficiency also go hand-in-hand.  A fool does not have a sober assessment of himself.

So Solomon begins here, because to go further without this point would be to build a structure that is going to collapse.  "The basis for everything I'm about to tell you" says Solomon "is that God is to be feared.  Miss that and nothing else will make sense, everything else will fall apart."