Proverbs 9:10 Commentary and Bible Study

The first part of this verse repeats the wonderful statement in the opening chapter of Proverbs – ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’, or the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom, the first principle, the chief thing. If we have no respect for Christ we cannot find him. There is an awe of Christ in the heart of the seeker after God as well as a conviction, a realisation of who he is. There must be this fear or sense of accountability. He is God, not some lowly person, and there must be a readiness to obey in us. The fear of the Lord is the attitude which will help me to take the right next step towards God, and respond to what the gospel says to me in the right way. I will not be able to brush it aside and dismiss it easily. I will not forget about its implications for my life. I will not be able to suppress conscience and drive it all out of my mind. This is real and it will not go away, and I have got to respond to it.