Proverbs 19:23 Commentary and Bible Study

The fear of the Lord, or reverence for God and great respect for his commandments, leads to life. How does it do so? The fear of offending one whose character is perfect and whose laws are holy and right, has the effect of aligning us with him. Fear of God is a deep reluctance to do anything that does not please him. It is to place him at the centre of our lives and to recognize his right to govern every aspect of our lives. It is to realise that his holiness is so great that it is far beyond our ability to reach. It is to know that we must come to him for he is the source of life for us, and yet to approach near to him is an awesome matter, because we are fallen and sinful and his presence would destroy us. Fear of him might therefore make us draw back, but the right type of fear is mixed with faith and makes us overcome that desire to draw back, because to do so leads to certain destruction and death. We go forward in the confidence that he is the source of all our good and he has invited us to come to him, and we believe that in inviting us to come he knows what we are and has also promised to transform us so that we may come into his presence without terror. This proper reverence for God leads to life, because it makes us avoid the pitfalls which many others fall into to their eternal destruction. The opposite pathway is the pathway to death which comes from breaking the commandments of God. He who fears the Lord remains satisfied because he knows he has found what really matters. Many around him are preoccupied with the pursuit of passing things, evil things. He cannot stop them from this pursuit, and he observes that God allows them some success in this, but all that they gain will be taken away from them, and the man of God is ready to let other follow a different path without being in the least persuaded that they have gained anything of real value. In his heart he know that God has shared a secret with him, and it is the secret of contentment with what God allots his people. Their gain in this world may be meagre and mixed with much hardship, but their eternal reward will make up for all. That is a large part of their satisfaction: not the possession of all now, but the promise that God will give them the true riches in the world to come. He shall not be visited with evil, because although in the world they have tribulation, none of this is able to take away their eternal reward. Indeed, their right handling of tribulation will add to their eternal reward, for God loves those who are willing to suffer for his name’s sake. Our lives are in the hands of one whose skill is far greater than the combined skill of our enemies. They wish to do us harm, but at every step God outmanoeuvres them. He exposes their malice and he protects his people.