Soul Rejoice

 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;    Fools despise wisdom and instruction” We come to an important concept in the book of Proverbs: the fear of the LORD . The fear of the LORD is an inclusion in the first nine chapters of Proverbs (cf. 9:10 – “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”) which form a unit. It is also an inclusion for the entire book (cf. 31:30 – “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD , she shall be praised”). So the fear of the LORD begins and ends the first section of Proverbs as well as begins and ends the book. It is also a prominent theme within the book itself. The fear of the LORD... • is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1:7, 29; 2:5) • is the beginning of wisdom (9:10; 15:33), • instills confidence (14:26) • makes rich (22:4). • prolongs life (10:27), • is a fountain of life (14:27), • leads to life (19:2...

There is no definitive definition of a Proverb. The root idea of the word is “likeness.” A proverb gives a description of something by way of comparison. There are many ways that this can take place. We are most familiar with the short two-liners: (e.g. “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”) This teaches a practical truth in a pithy and thought provoking way. Yet we are also familiar with extended proverbs like the parables of Jesus. Parables also teach a core truth in a thought provoking way. Proverbs employ poetry to establish their meaning. Hebrew poetry does not rely on meter or rhyme like some English poetry. Instead, two or more lines are stated in a way that the meaning is deepened by the relationship between the lines. The first line may state a truth that is reinforced through synonymous language in the following line(s). This is called synonymous parallelism. For example: “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loa...

The Bible is the revelation of God that is about God and about how He would have us live life. God is the Creator of all things, and therefore He is infinitely superior to them. There is no one like Him. No one has the infinite knowledge or wisdom that He has. We are limited by our creatureliness. He, as the Creator is unlimited. We are limited by the effects of the Fall, namely sin. He, as the pure and righteous King, is unlimited. Through His Word, God has revealed His eternal plan of redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. He has revealed that one day, Jesus Christ will return and vanquish His enemies in order to rule over a kingdom of righteousness. And He has revealed that the righteous will participate in this Kingdom while the unrighteous are thrown into the Lake of Fire. What does it mean by “righteous?” Who are the righteous ones? If “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and if “the wages of sin are death” (Rom 6:23); who can stand in the day of...