Day 1 of 14
What Is Wisdom?
The Foundation of All Knowledge
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Proverbs 1:1-7: "The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight... The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Then read James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."
Reflection
The book of Proverbs opens with a purpose statement: this book exists to impart wisdom, instruction, understanding, and insight. It is a manual for living well — not just morally but skillfully. The Hebrew word for wisdom (hokmah) carries the sense of skill, competence, and expertise. A skilled craftsman has hokmah. A wise person has the skill of living.
But the foundation of this skill is not education, experience, or intelligence. It is the fear of the Lord. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Everything in the wisdom tradition starts here.
J.I. Packer explains what this fear means:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and there is no wisdom worth having that does not begin here. To know God is the foundation; everything else is built on it."
The fear of the Lord is not terror — it is not cringing before a tyrant. It is reverent awe before the Creator of the universe, a recognition that He is God and you are not, that His understanding is infinite and yours is limited, that the world runs on His terms, not yours. This posture of humble trust is the soil from which all true wisdom grows.
Without it, you may be clever, educated, and successful — but you will be what Proverbs calls a "fool." The fool in Proverbs is not stupid. The fool is the person who thinks they can navigate reality without reference to the God who made it.
Charles Spurgeon connects wisdom's beginning to Solomon's own experience:
"The proverbs of Solomon are not mere moral maxims. They are the distilled wisdom of a man who knew that all true knowledge begins and ends with the fear of the Lord."
James 1:5 offers the wonderful promise that God gives wisdom generously to anyone who asks. You do not need to earn it. You do not need a degree. You need only to ask the God who made the world — humbly, honestly, in reverent dependence.
Going Deeper
Over the next thirteen days, we will explore the three great wisdom books of the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. Each one approaches the question of wisdom differently. Proverbs teaches you the rules. Ecclesiastes questions the rules. Job breaks the rules. Together, they form the most honest, searching, and ultimately hopeful exploration of what it means to live as a human being before God. It all begins here: the fear of the Lord.
Key Quotes
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and there is no wisdom worth having that does not begin here. To know God is the foundation; everything else is built on it.”
“The proverbs of Solomon are not mere moral maxims. They are the distilled wisdom of a man who knew that all true knowledge begins and ends with the fear of the Lord.”
Prayer Focus
Asking God for the wisdom that begins with reverent awe before Him — not cleverness, but the deep knowledge that comes from knowing the Maker of all things
Meditation
What does it mean to 'fear the Lord'? Is this about being afraid, or about something deeper?
Question for Discussion
How would you explain the 'fear of the Lord' to someone who has only ever associated God with punishment — and can genuine reverence exist without any element of being afraid?