The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

“King Solomon” Simeon Solomon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

(Proverbs 1:1-7)
Andy Nagahara

After finishing the series of Psalms that I had been reading over the course of several years, I thought over the New Year holidays about what to read next, and I decided to continue with Proverbs, which come after Psalms in the Old Testament, and then Ecclesiastes, which comes after them.
Today I would like to start with the first part of Proverbs, talk about what kind of book it is and how we should read it.

1. About Proverbs (1)

Let me read the first verse.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

The first verse of Proverbs says, “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.” That does not mean that it was written by King Solomon. Just as some psalms are marked “of David,” some proverbs have been handed down as the word of Solomon, but many are of later date.

By the way, what are Proverbs? Let me talk a little about the origin of this word.

The original word for Proverbs, Mishlei, has many meanings, including proverb, parable, and saying. In Matthew 13, we see Jesus quoting Psalm 78:2.

“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”(Matthew13:35)

The word of Jesus translated here as “parable” is Mashal, the singular form of Michelei. The English translation was given the word Proverbs. It is a common word in Japanese that can be translated as proverb, aphorism, or lesson.
It is a word of Latin origin that combines the meanings of “pro” (to give) and “verbiorum” (words).

In most Japanese Bibles, this is translated as “Proverbs.” It is not a very common word, and its nuance is closer to “proverb” or “aphorism. “言”(gen) is the well-known meaning of “words,” but the question is the meaning of the character “箴” (shin). It’s probably a kanji that the average Japanese person would never use in their lifetime.
The original meaning of this character is “hari” (needle) used for sewing and treatment. In particular, the kanji used for needles used in treatment is often “hari,” and in that case it is easy to associate the two because they use the same kanji structure. Before needles were made from iron, they were made from stone, animal bones, and wood such as bamboo, and it is thought that the top part of the kanji character for 箴(shin), called the bamboo crown in Japanese, to be a trace of this.
When we consider the use of needles, we can better understand the purpose for which Proverbs was written. Needles are used for sewing and healing, that is, to mend tears and keep the body healthy. Therefore, the “needle” of words is meant to maintain the health of the soul.
The details are written in verse 2 onwards, so let’s continue reading.

2. Why we should read Proverbs? (2-6)

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young–
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance–
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

First, the book of Proverbs was written so that we might receive words of wisdom, instruction, and understanding.(2) Let’s replace these “words” with “information” and think about it. We can see that even in the time when Proverbs was written, there was information that was beneficial and information that was harmful, which led to confusion in people’s minds.

Jesus strongly condemned many of the things that the religious people of his time said, which seemed to lead people to God, but were actually distancing them from God.

And now we find ourselves drowning in a vast amount of information, neither of which is clear whether it is fact or fake. In such a situation, the “wise instruction, justice, fairness and equality” mentioned in verse 3 is overwhelmed by the volume and multitude of voices of hatred, temptation, attack, and self-justification. Such situations are very dangerous for the unwise and the inexperienced youth. This is exactly the situation of today’s social networking sites. Some countries have become so concerned about this that they have begun to restrict its use by children. I think that’s very wise.

On the other hand, even Facebook has bowed to the new US administration and followed X’s lead by abandoning fact-checking. Social Networking Sites will likely become increasingly flooded with false information, conspiracy theories, hate, and discrimination. The unthinking and the inexperienced will accept these statements without question, and public opinion will tend to lean to extremes.

Who on earth can show the world “discerning instruction, justice, fairness, and equity”? So verse 4 says that Proverbs is the one to play that role. Verse 5 also says that those who speak these proverbs to others will be able to improve their judgment and leadership skills by reading these proverbs. The “wise men” mentioned here refer to those called “elders,” who were spiritual leaders along with the priests and prophets of Israel at that time. Ezekiel 7:26 states:

They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders.

Israeli society in Jesus’ time was facing just such a spiritual crisis. And Jesus came to save people from that. This salvation movement that Jesus began has continued into the modern day as the church.
However, the journey has not been smooth sailing. The Church, like Judaism in the past, has also fallen into spiritual crises and somehow managed to overcome them (the Reformation in the 15th century being a typical example).

More than 500 years after the Reformation, I believe the Church is facing a new crisis. There is something going on in the church that seems to have seriously drifted away from the gospel of Jesus. For example, these include corruption among leaders, attachment to worldly wealth, collusion with power, and complicity in various forms of discrimination.
I think Proverbs can give us some clues on how to get through this crisis.


3. The Heart of Proverbs (7)

Finally, let’s read verse 7.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” is a phrase that is not only at the heart of today’s text but of the entire book of Proverbs. That is literally the first wisdom to embrace.
But that’s not all. No matter what proverbs, wisdom, or knowledge we try to understand and acquire, an attitude of “fear of the Lord” is essential; without this, no matter how many proverbs we memorize, we will never gain wisdom. Reading books and listening to lectures will increase our knowledge. It may help us in passing entrance exams, getting a promotion, or getting a raise.

In fact, at a morning meeting of the company’s sales department, the manager would send the salesmen off with encouragement, saying, “The Bible says that a diligent person plans well and makes a profit, but he who does things in a hurry brings about loss. Today, I hope you work diligently and calmly to make a good profit.” But there, the part “in the fear of the Lord” is completely missing. If Proverbs were merely a precept for one’s life, it would not have been included in the Bible. Wisdom and discipline are a gift from God.

Please check out the kanji for wisdom. I think this clearly shows that this is knowledge that comes by God’s grace, knowledge that only God can give. Therefore, the true meaning of Proverbs cannot be grasped unless we understand them in the context of our relationship with God. Enjoying the true value of Proverbs is the privilege of those who believe in Jesus and follow him.

We are not only priests and prophets in the modern age, but also those who are responsible to convey God’s wisdom to the world as “wise ones.”

(Prayer) Dear God, please grant us your wisdom.
As Solomon once pleaded with you, what we need most is wisdom from you.
Give us your wisdom to correctly receive and share with this world the words and deeds that you came into the world and demonstrated up to the cross.
From now on, we will learn Proverbs little by little.
May the fear of You always be at the root of that learning, and may You guide us in the right direction.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.


Summary

Proverbs is a collection of words of knowledge, wisdom given through “the wise one.” Knowledge and wisdom can also be read as ways of living that are useful in social life and various human relationships. However, Proverbs begins by saying that the heart of knowledge and wisdom is “the fear of the Lord.” This can only be properly understood and practiced in a life of obedience to the Lord.

For Discussion

1. What purpose was Proverbs written for?
2. What does it mean to fear the Lord?