If … Then

It’s an oft-used phrase in Scripture - ‘the fear of the Lord.’ Obviously, this fear is exceptionally good for us. It is not a terror that limits us, but instead it is a respect for, and honouring of, God that draws us into deeper relationship with Him. What is more, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), it prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27) and teaches us to hate evil and arrogance (Proverbs 8:13).

Clearly the fear of the LORD is something to be desired and developed in our Christian walk. Wisdom and ‘the fear of the LORD’ seem like two sides of a coin. They inevitably go together. Solomon tells us that true wisdom is not rational, or academic, knowledge, but the desire to know God more and have a right relationship with Him.

When you read a verse of Scripture that starts with the word ’then,’ it is necessary to look back to see the conditions that have led to the ‘then.’ In the very first verse of Proverbs Chapter 2 we find the relevant word - ‘if’. ‘If’ gives us the conditions necessary to reach this ‘then.’ They are outlined in verses one to four. We can all learn from Solomon if we want to grow in true wisdom and in ‘the fear of the LORD,’ as he speaks out God’s teaching to his son, and by extension to us today.

‘My son if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you,

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding,

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures’ (Proverbs 2:1-4).

I’ve taken the liberty of making some of the words bold to emphasise that this is not a passive pursuit. We need to be active in this endeavour. We can, of course, pray and ask God for a gift of wisdom, but we also need to do our part. We are set some challenges by Solomon’s words.

‘Receiving’ can seem passive, but when we receive and treasure something we are much more involved. We keep thinking of what we treasure, we keep it secure and work to protect it. We never forget or ignore something that is a treasure to us. Do we feel like this about Jesus’ challenging commands in Matthew Chapter 5?

We need to lean forward to listen to God and open the ears of our human spirit to His voice, which is often a small voice in a noisy world. We are urged to cry out, as if in desperation, to know how to discern good from evil, so necessary in these confusing days. We need to seek and search for God’s truth, His wisdom, and His ways, as if we were looking for buried treasure. That clearly might take some energy some commitment, some time, and lots of determination.

So today, if we want to understand more of God and walk increasingly in the fear of the Lord, let’s set our hearts to follow these instructions with renewed focus.