Proverbs 9:10,  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (We will cover only the first part)

Ecclesiastics 12:13b,  Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Fear God, and keep his commandments: This is my whole duty? To fear God!

Yes, and the result of fearing God is obedience to his commandments.

Fearing God will lead me to obey him.

I had better learn what the fear of the Lord is because it is of great importance to my well being.

This proverb tells us that the fear of the Lord is a necessary passage or way on the road of wisdom.

It is that necessity if one is to enter into the quest of wisdom.

We are told to seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures.

We are told that the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

We are told that wisdom is more precious than rubies: and all the things that you can desire are not to be compared unto her.

She adds length of days, riches and honor, ways of pleasantness, and her paths are peace.

Wisdom cries, come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled, forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding.

She stands in the top of high places, she stands by the way in the places of the paths.

She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming of the doors.

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

What a promise! Everyone ought to want wisdom. What a gift!

But wait! You can not go any further in your quest without passing through the gate called the fear of the Lord.

This is the starting gate that all must pass if wisdom is to be known. This is the rub!

This tells us that wisdom is only given to those who fear the Lord. All must start at the beginning.

According to scripture there are two kinds of fear.

One kind is a fear which is beneficial to you and the other kind is harmful to you.

John tells us in 1 John 4:18 that,  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

This verse says that when there is perfect love there is no fear.

It tells us that the kind of fear that John is talking about brings torment and perfect love does not bring torment.

Perfect love and this kind of fear are not compatible.

This fear is the kind of fear that you do not want.

God has made a way for it to be cast out. Perfect love casts out this kind of fear. Perfect love is Jesus Christ. Perfect love is God.

Webster's 1828 dictionary tells us that scripture uses the word fear to express a filial (pertaining to a son or a daughter, duty or obedience due parents by a child) or a slavish fear.

Webster continues by saying that:

"In good men the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience."

And keeping with the loving nature of God and the fact that everything he requires of us is for our benefit, he also desires that we fear him for our benefit.

This kind of fear is good fear. This is the kind of fear that produces good in our lives.

We know what good fear is don't we? God has put in us a healthy fear which keeps us safe.

We should fear death, we should fear accidents, we should fear damage to our bodies.

Children should fear their fathers, their mothers.

They should fear their teachers, their school bus drivers.

We should fear those in authority because this kind of fear produces good in our lives. What keeps us from going 100MPH?

Fear keeps us from doing things that will cause us harm.

But that is not the message today. Today the message is no fear.

No fear. Do not hamper me with fear. I want to do my own thing and fear hinders me.

Do not tell me what my actions will bring me.

Do not try to make me afraid of the results of my actions.

No fear for me! That is even the message we see on a popular line of young people's clothing that we see today. "NO FEAR"

But God gives us friendly fear. Friendly fear causes us to not walk off a cliff to our deaths.

Friendly fear causes us to walk right.

We need this kind of fear. This is the kind of fear which produces action of our part.

One man has said that fear is a passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil.

God knows that evil is approaching, that we are evil, that evil desires to consume us.

So he tells us to fear him and in fearing him he offers us refuge in himself.

Ought not we fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The proper fear of him who is able to do this will cause us to cry out for refuge.

We will be like David who cried:   Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

The same one who tells us to fear God says "Come unto me and I will give you rest."

How do we desire, how do we crave, how do we know we need this rest?

Only because we fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

This is good fear because it produces action on our part.

It excites us to provide for our security, because of the approach of evil.

The fear of God is a necessary ingredient to salvation because it produces in us an understanding that evil is approaching and a desire for security that only God can provide.

Jesus said to put things in perspective.

He said to get your priorities straight.

Don't worry or fear those that have control of your body.

Don't let this kind of fear control your life.

That kind of fear hath torment and that is not the kind of fear that the child of God is to have.

That kind of fear does not produce good things in your life.

It is vain fear. It is fear in the wrong things.

It is slavish fear, the kind of fear that paralyzes a person from action. That is the devil's fear.

It is the spirit of bondage as mentioned in Romans 8.

It is the fear of man that brings a snare, that brings a trap to bind man.

God is a jealous God and he is even jealous of your fear and he does not want you to fear another, he desires that you only fear him.

Because fear in him is designed to produce good things in your life. It is beneficial fear.

Proverbs 14:26,  In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."

Last Sunday we studied the first part of this proverb and discussed the necessity of fearing the Lord if one desires to know wisdom.

Fear is a must. God has so ordained this to be, in order to enter the road of wisdom.

Those who refuse to fear will not be allowed on the road.

The fear of God is a necessary ingredient to salvation because it produces in us an understanding that evil is approaching and also produces in us a desire for security that only God can provide.

It is two fold. It reveals to us our own sinful selves and it reveals to us that God is the only refuge to which to flee.

We talked about the loving nature of God and the fact that everything he requires of us is for our benefit.

His command to fear him is for our benefit.

This kind of fear is good fear. This is the kind of fear that produces good in our lives.

It is not slavish fear, the kind of fear that paralyzes a person from action. That is the devil's fear.

God's fear is only good and is to be desired in our lives.

This week we shall look at the second part of this proverb and see past the beginning of wisdom to the place of understanding.

For we are told that:  the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

This beginning then is connected to the knowledge of the holy.

The second part of this proverb says that the fear of the Lord comes with knowledge of the holy and true knowledge of the holy is understanding.

There is a natural progression on the road of wisdom.

Look what Revelation 15:4 says,  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

The key to a proper fear of the Lord is a knowledge of the holy or the holy one.

A knowledge of the holy one equals understanding.

Those that have knowledge of the holy one will understand.

Those that do not have knowledge of the holy one will not understand.

Those that have knowledge of the unholy will also not understand.

Therefore the key to the fear of the Lord is the holiness of the Lord.

In order to obey the command to fear the Lord you must have knowledge of the holy one; you must have knowledge of the holiness of God.

There are four meanings to the word Holy. The first meaning is "to be set apart", or separate.

As far as God is concerned this applies to places where he is present, like the Temple and the tabernacle or the mount upon which Moses met God.

Next, it means to be "perfect, transcendent, or spiritually pure, evoking adoration and reverence."

It also means someone who summons "veneration or awe, being frightening beyond belief." Someone who evokes fear.

And lastly it is someone who is, "filled with superhuman and potential fatal power."

As Jesus said:  Ought not we fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

It is logical that we fear such a one.

These definitions are perfect toward God. God is holy.

He is a jealous God, He is a wrathful God.

He is remote; he is clean, he is glorious, he is majestic.

He is unsearchable, incomprehensible, incomparable, he is great, wonderful, and exalted.

If you called the name "Holy" he would answer.

He cannot be comprehended rationally. He cannot be sensed and protected against.

There is no getting around him. He cannot be avoided in contact and sight. Thou God seest me!

He spans both ends of time, he transcends space, he is beyond space. Time or space do not define him or hold him.

The universe is too small to contain God.

He repels, yet draws. He is always awesome, always mysterious, always unnerving. He demands worship and submission.

He knows all things. His understanding is beyond measure.

He knows the thoughts of our minds and the secrets of our hearts.

He knows past events, present happenings and future events.

And yet he is personal. He can be understood in terms of earthly relationships that he has established to reveal himself.

We can receive him, we can respond to him, we can accept him, and we can love him.

He forgives sins, he restores fellowship. He is the Creator, we are the creature.

He is the Judge, we are the sinner. He is the Savior, we are in need of saving.

He is the Lord, we are the servant. He is the Father, we are the child.

Thus "holy" defines the godness of God.

But it is not enough to know the facts about God's holiness.

This proverb tells us that the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

The knowledge that is described in this proverb is true knowledge.

Knowledge that does work in a life, because it is knowledge that brings understanding.

Knowledge of the holy One brings absolutes into a life because God is absolute.

Only with absolutes can there be understanding because understanding indicates a standing under fixed unchanging principles.

Understanding means exactly what it says.

Standing under, supporting and holding in the mind the knowledge of the holy One.

True understanding will result in application of the knowledge of the Holy One to one's own life.

Understanding causes action to happen.

Read the instructions to put together a bicycle.

The knowledge is there. It can be memorized and placed in the mind.

But unless there is understanding no action takes place.

Understanding the instructions will result in a bicycle being put together.

The beauty of the knowledge of the holy is that God has so ordained, true knowledge of him will result in understanding.

The knowledge of the holy is understanding.  The knowledge of the holy equals understanding. It is guaranteed. As Jesus said in:

John 15:5,  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Abiding is the knowledge of the Holy One.

Abiding in Christ is the knowledge of God because Jesus Christ reveals the Father perfectly.

The knowledge of God results in understanding which always results in fruit bearing.

It is guaranteed for those who know God, those who have the knowledge of the Holy One.

Therefore the key to a proper fear of the Lord is a knowledge of the Holy or the Holy One.

And the knowledge of the holy one equals understanding which is ordained to bring forth fruit.