Introduction
Are you trying to build your life “without the instructions,” only to realize later that one missed step has tilted everything off course? God has not left us to guess at life, His central teaching in Proverbs is that He offers wisdom and instruction for how we’re designed to live, and the foundation for receiving it is this: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). We’ve just come from studying Jesus in Mark, His power, His resurrection, His reigning at the Father’s right hand, and now we enter a new season by spending the summer in the wisdom writings, especially Proverbs: “Instructions for Life.” We can’t realistically go verse-by-verse through all 31 chapters in a short series, but we can learn the major themes. And before we talk about relationships, money, speech, discretion, planning, and work, we must start where Proverbs starts: Will you receive God’s instruction, or will you assume you can figure life out on your own?
Main Points
Are you trying to build your life “without the instructions,” only to realize later that one missed step has tilted everything off course? God has not left us to guess at life, His central teaching in Proverbs is that He offers wisdom and instruction for how we’re designed to live, and the foundation for receiving it is this: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).
We’ve just come from studying Jesus in Mark, His power, His resurrection, His reigning at the Father’s right hand, and now we enter a new season by spending the summer in the wisdom writings, especially Proverbs: “Instructions for Life.” We can’t realistically go verse-by-verse through all 31 chapters in a short series, but we can learn the major themes. And before we talk about relationships, money, speech, discretion, planning, and work, we must start where Proverbs starts: Will you receive God’s instruction, or will you assume you can figure life out on your own?
God’s Invitation to Skillful Living
Proverbs opens with a purpose statement that frames the whole book:
- “To know wisdom and instruction… to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity” (Proverbs 1:2–3)
- “To give prudence… knowledge and discretion” (Proverbs 1:4)
- Even the wise “will hear and increase learning” (Proverbs 1:5)
I want you to see that biblical wisdom isn’t merely information, it’s skill for living according to God’s design. Proverbs is like God’s instruction manual for life. And just like ignoring a manual can make furniture collapse, ignoring God’s wisdom can lead us down a path that looks fine at first but ends in destruction.
The critical question, then, is not whether Proverbs has wisdom for your life, it does. The question is whether you’ll hear it with humility.
The Foundational Fork: Fear or Folly
Proverbs 1:7 gives us the dividing line:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
There are only two paths introduced right away:
- Fear of the Lord → the beginning of knowledge
- Despising wisdom → the posture of a fool
The reason this matters is simple: everything we’ll learn in Proverbs only “lands” on a heart that fears God. Without that foundation, we may treat God like we treat a manual we don’t want to read: “I’ve got this.” And that attitude, being “wise in your own eyes”, is exactly what Proverbs warns against (Proverbs 3:7).
So I’m urging you: don’t approach these teachings as tips. Approach them as the voice of God, worthy of your trust.
Fear of God Is Not Hiding From Him
Our culture often treats fear as purely negative: “No fear,” “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and the idea that being “phobic” is among the worst labels. So we need clarity: the fear of the Lord is not being “God-phobic.”
Scripture gives a surprising angle:
“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him” (Psalm 25:14).
Fear of the Lord is compatible with closeness, friendship, covenant, intimacy. That means fear of the Lord is not the posture of Adam after sin:
“I was afraid… and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10).
That kind of fear is the fear of unrepented sin, the fear that drives you into hiding, shame, and distance. God called Adam out of hiding. He didn’t want Adam to remain there. In the same way, God is not inviting you to cower from Him, He is inviting you to return to relationship and walk with Him again, as we were designed to in the beginning.
Reverence and Awe Before God’s Holiness
Proverbs repeatedly links fear of the Lord with wisdom and holiness:
- “Fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:7)
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10)
So what is it? A working definition that fits the biblical patterns is this: the fear of the Lord is utter respect, reverence, and awe for God, His authority, His Word, and His holiness.
It’s the kind of awe you might feel in the presence of someone powerful or influential, except infinitely greater, because God is not a fading celebrity or a temporary ruler. The psalmist says:
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalm 89:6–7).
When you begin to grasp His holiness, how utterly “set apart” He is, you don’t yawn in His presence. You listen. You worship. You tremble in the right way: not as someone hiding, but as someone who finally realizes who God is.
Fear of the Lord Protects From Sin’s Traps
Why does this matter so much? Because the fear of the Lord is not merely a feeling, it is a safeguard.
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27).
God calls you to fear Him because He loves you. He wants to keep you from what destroys you. We see this clearly in Exodus when God reveals His power at Sinai, thunder, lightning, trumpet, smoke, and the people shrink back in terror. Moses says something that sounds like a contradiction, but it’s the heart of the matter:
“Do not fear… that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin” (Exodus 20:20).
In other words: Don’t be afraid of God in the hiding way. But do fear God in the sin-preventing way. Be afraid of what sin does. Be afraid of the road that leads to death. Let God’s holiness establish boundaries that keep you alive.
And Proverbs immediately brings this into everyday life:
“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” (Proverbs 1:10).
That word consent is crucial. Sin is constantly asking for your agreement. And in our moment in history, those invitations arrive fast and often, envy, greed, lust, pride, sometimes quite literally through the “sin machine” in our pockets. When the fear of God fades, pride rises, and we become “wise in our own eyes.” But when the fear of God is before you, you begin to say, “No. I won’t consent.”
Growing Fear Through Love-Soaked Authority
Let me make this practical: healthy fear often comes from knowing someone’s authority and love so deeply that you won’t cross certain lines.
Sometimes God uses human relationships to illustrate this. A mother’s love can be so present, so watchful, so shaping, that it keeps her child from stepping into destruction, even when that child is far from solid theology or church community. That’s a faint echo of something greater: God is inviting you into friendship and covenant (Psalm 25:14) where His love is not permissive, and His authority is not negotiable.
Here’s what I want for you as we move through Proverbs: a heart posture that says, “Lord, I trust You. You designed life. You know what destroys me. You know what gives life. When You speak, I will listen.” That is the soil where wisdom grows.
Conclusion
Proverbs is God’s instruction manual for life, but it only benefits the person who receives it with the right foundation: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). This fear is not hiding from God like Adam in shame (Genesis 3:10). It is reverent awe, deep respect, and glad submission to God’s holy authority (Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 89:6–7). And it matters because it becomes a fountain of life, turning you away from sin’s traps (Proverbs 14:27).
As we begin this journey through Proverbs, I’m calling you to a simple but decisive posture: stop consenting to sin, stop trusting your own wisdom, and start listening to God as your loving King. That is where wisdom begins.
Father, You are holy and unlike any other. Forgive me for the ways I’ve treated Your wisdom lightly, as if I could figure life out without You. Put Your fear in my heart, not a fear that hides, but a reverence that draws near in faith and obedience. Teach me to depart from evil, to refuse the enticements of sin, and to receive Your instruction with humility. Make the fear of the Lord a fountain of life in me, and build in me true wisdom through Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Conclusion
Proverbs is God’s instruction manual for life, but it only benefits the person who receives it with the right foundation: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). This fear is not hiding from God like Adam in shame (Genesis 3:10). It is reverent awe, deep respect, and glad submission to God’s holy authority (Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 89:6–7). And it matters because it becomes a fountain of life, turning you away from sin’s traps (Proverbs 14:27).
As we begin this journey through Proverbs, I’m calling you to a simple but decisive posture: stop consenting to sin, stop trusting your own wisdom, and start listening to God as your loving King. That is where wisdom begins.
Closing Prayer
Father, You are holy and unlike any other. Forgive me for the ways I’ve treated Your wisdom lightly, as if I could figure life out without You. Put Your fear in my heart, not a fear that hides, but a reverence that draws near in faith and obedience. Teach me to depart from evil, to refuse the enticements of sin, and to receive Your instruction with humility. Make the fear of the Lord a fountain of life in me, and build in me true wisdom through Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.