On the road to the Celestial City in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian stops to rest at the Palace Beautiful. There he meets four sisters— Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity (that is, Love). They listen to the story of his journey and teach him valuable spiritual truths. They also encourage him with a vision of the future (Immanuel’s Land) and outfit him in the armor of God, which he will soon need for his battle with the demon Apollyon.
Similarly, in Proverbs 9, we are called to visit the House of Wisdom (vv. 1–4). This house is a welcoming place. Wisdom has set her table for a banquet and sent out invitations. The meal will be delicious. The “seven pillars” of her house symbolize perfection. Who is especially invited (vv. 4–6)? The “simple,” meaning those who are young, naive, or immature. They lack sense, but they can grow and eventually learn to “walk in the way of insight.”
Who is more likely to accept or reject Wisdom’s invitation (vv. 7–9)? Those who are humble enough to accept instruction, correction, and rebuke will probably accept the invitation to learn more. Those who are unwilling, however—the mocker and the fool—will reject the invitation and even respond to it with insults and abuse. Frankly, how we respond to the invitation indicates which category we belong to or desire to join.
The rewards of wisdom are clear (v. 11). Wisdom leads to long life and blessing (see Prov. 10:27). By contrast, for those who enter the House of Folly, “her guests are deep in the realm of the dead” (v. 18). Where does the journey to wisdom start? The answer is the same as we’ve seen in recent devotions: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (v. 10).
Go Deeper
Verses 13–18 give a contrasting invitation to the House of Folly. In what ways does this invitation differ from the first? Which features of both stand out to you and why?
Pray with Us: Our Father, how we want to reach the House of Wisdom, to eat at the Wisdom’s banquet! We want to “walk in the way of insight” (Prov. 9:6). Guide us to this House every step of the way, we pray, and keep us away from the House of Folly.
A Pickles cartoon by Brian Crane shows an older gentleman named Earl hunched over a typewriter. When his wife, Opal, asks him what he’s doing, he responds that he’s writing a memoir and thus passing on “the wisdom that I’ve acquired over my long lifetime.” A bit skeptical, Opal asks how long this might take. Just then, he proclaims “All done!” “Wow,” she observes, “almost a whole page!”
Psalm 111:10 expresses wholehearted praise founded on the fear of the Lord: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”
We praise God for His attributes. He’s glorious, majestic, and eternal, as well as righteous, gracious, and compassionate (vv. 3–4). He’s also faithful, just, trustworthy, and upright (vv. 7–8). He is further to be praised for His deeds, especially in Israel’s history. He powerfully freed them from slavery and brought them to a new land. He miraculously provided food (manna) along the way. He remembers His covenant, even when His people forget and disrespect it (vv. 5–6). The bottom line: “Holy and awesome is his name” (v. 9).
How should we respond? We should praise and worship our God! These truths should delight us and inspire awe-filled gratitude. We should continually ponder them and marvel at God’s greatness (v. 2). This is how we learn the fear of the Lord, grow in godly wisdom, and can begin to seek His glory as our life’s purpose.
The word “beginning” in verse 10 means “start” or “precondition,” and it indicates that tenacious commitment and faith will be required to move forward. One translation renders this word “foundation,” also indicating the first step in a lifelong process.
Go Deeper
Where are you in your journey to wisdom? One way to find out is to make a list of God’s attributes that you especially praise Him for and of things He’s done for you that you’re especially thankful for.
Pray with Us: How do we grow in wisdom? Praise and worship our God, says Psalm 111. Lord Jesus, give us every day the desire to pray, to ponder Your truths, to study Your Word, to marvel at Your greatness, and to seek Your glory. Increase our faith!
To be “righteous” means to be morally upright, to be without sin. Of course, holy perfection is an unreachable goal. Romans 3:10 tells us: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” How then do we “pursue righteousness” (2 Tim. 2:2)?
Psalm 34:9 guides us: “Fear the LORD, you his holy people.” The Psalmist explains that righteousness does not come from us but from God. Fearing the Lord is commanded for “holy people” (v. 9). By drawing near to God in love and respect, we are able to control our tongues and in general “turn from evil and do good” (vv. 13–14).
As we pursue righteousness, the fear of the Lord is comforting and even pleasurable. Why? One reason is that we’re perfectly safe in Him as our refuge (v. 8). Drawing near to God or “tasting” His presence brings genuine pleasure and delight. In addition, “those who fear him lack nothing” (v. 9). God is our Provider. He cares for us. We can trust Him. Even lions, the kings of the jungle, might get weak from hunger, but not us. By relying on God, we “lack no good thing” (v. 10).
Verse 11 is a summons: “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” And what does he advise? Control your tongue, do good, and pursue peace, and the loving eyes of the LORD will be upon you (vv. 13–15). But be warned. The opposite is also true: “The face of the LORD is against those who do evil” (v. 16).
The implication is that we cannot live in this way—righteously—without the fear of the Lord. If we draw near to Him in awe and reverence, however, and depend wholly on Him, the relationship is a blessing beyond imagining!
Go Deeper
As James 3:1–12 teaches, controlling our tongue is a major challenge. How can we bring our words under God’s control, including everyday speech and social media?
Pray with Us: Too often our words are unloving and hurtful. Remind us today, Lord, that as Your people we have to control our tongue and let the Holy Spirit guide our speech. Give us a holy fear and a heart of thankfulness.
According to the Journal of Food Research, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake multiplies the number of bacteria on the frosting by 1,400 percent! This varies by person—the “top blower” in the study increased bacteria by 120,000 percent. Although most experts don’t see these results as a serious health risk, I wouldn’t blame you for choosing cupcakes or ice cream, instead, on your next birthday.
In the Bible, the word “pure” is not referring to being germ-free but is associated with righteousness and goodness. In Psalm 19:9 we read, “The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.” In this case, the phrase “fear of the LORD” is used as a synonym for God’s Law or God’s Word. We know this from the context. The first half of Psalm 19 (vv. 1–6) presents the witness and praise of God by creation, while the second half (vv. 7–14) presents the witness and praise of God by the Scriptures. Specifically, in the parallelism of verse 9, the “fear of the LORD” is equated to the “decrees of the LORD,” meaning His Word. This makes sense, since the Scriptures clearly teach the fear of the Lord.
What qualities does God’s Word show? And what can it do? It’s perfect, refreshing, trustworthy, and right (v. 7). It gives wisdom, joy, light, and truth (v. 8). It’s pure, eternal, stable, and righteous (v. 9). It’s precious and delightful (v. 10). It warns us that we have choices to make and that those have consequences (v. 11). It provides an objective and infallible moral standard, helping us fight temptation and prompting repentance when we stumble (vv. 12–13). Without God’s Word, we wouldn’t even realize our errors. We can live in the fear of the Lord by thoroughly immersing our minds, hearts, and wills in the truths of Scripture.
Go Deeper
How has God’s Word shaped your life? Can you give a recent example? For individuals and churches, in what ways does inward knowledge become outward obedience? How can we pray more toward this end?
Pray with Us: Lord Jesus, our risen Savior, show us how to live in the light of Your Word. Thank You for giving us God’s Word, thank You that You are the Word who removed the separation between God and us, so that we can live in the truth of Scripture.
In biblical times, the relationship between the idol and the worshiper seemed like a competition for control. People tried to manipulate the idol with gifts and flattery. In turn, the idol would keep people in line with perceived threats of punishment or disaster.
The covenant relationship between God and His people was much different. Its central feature is God’s lovingkindness or “unfailing love.” His people are to love Him in return. Alongside it, as a covenant obligation, is to fear the Lord, acting in service and obedience (vv. 12–13).
These are fitting responses both in terms of who God is—Creator and King—and in terms of Israel’s being God’s chosen people (vv. 14–15). The Lord is not a local god or idol. He doesn’t really need anything from His people. They didn’t deserve Him. They hadn’t earned His favor. He freely willed to “set his affection” on them and chose them to be His own.
So they should act like it! Instead of being stubborn and “stiff-necked,” they should circumcise their hearts (v. 16). Circumcision was a mark of the covenant identity and of consecration to the Lord. It thus carried the sense of purifying or rededicating themselves.
These arguments repeat in the rest of the passage. God is mighty, awesome, and just. There’s no comparison with other “gods”—He alone is God Most High (v. 17). He’s just and generous in that He upholds the cause of those with the lowest social status, such as orphans, widows, and foreigners (v. 18). Since this is the case, being rebellious or prideful is absurd and childish. They must not take oaths in His name and then act in ways that dishonor Him. The only appropriate response is worship, fear of the Lord, and grateful obedience (vv. 19–21).
Go Deeper
To fear the Lord is the same as to put our hope in His unfailing love (Ps. 147:11). What is the meaning of hope in the Bible? How might it affect our lives in the present moment?
Pray with Us: Father, help me follow You all the days of my life in obedience, gratefulness, and service to others. Help me remember every day that You’ve already won the spiritual war, and I can live in light of Your victory, fully committed to You.
