Proverbs 15:33 (Amplified Bible)
The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the instruction for wisdom [its starting point and its essence];
And before honour comes humility.
Proverbs 15:33 (English Standard Version)
33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honour.
Some versions say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
You can write a lot about what the fear of the Lord means.
The first thought is perhaps one of fearing God to avoid being smoted, to use an Old Testament word.
As in, you don’t want to be seen or caught doing anything wrong, so as to avoid punishment.
That’s ridiculous in some ways, as God sees all at a glance. Nothing at all is hidden from him. Not even our thoughts.
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He could easily punish us in an instant for all we do wrong. He doesn’t because of His grace, as evidenced in Jesus Christ.
The Amplified describes the fear of the Lord as ‘worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome’.
Awesome is explained as causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear: an awesome sight.
And that’s just the starting point for gaining wisdom and Godly instruction.
If you don’t acknowledge God for who He truly is, you’ll never really be able to get the wisdom He wants for you.
The reason for this is explained in the next sentence. Humility comes before honour.
If we think we know it all, how can God speak into our lives?
Therefore, our part is to acknowledge that we certainly don’t know it all – and ask God for wisdom.
All done in a humble way… which doesn’t mean being weak and pathetic, but giving God his rightful place, first.
He heart is for us to be a right relationship with Him, always.
He will then honour you, in an appropriate manner. And usually in a far better way than you could ever have hoped for.
But if your heart is to please God and revere Him, then this ‘honour’, especially the type that comes from man, won’t really matter to you.
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