The beginning of the beginning

Proverbs 9:10 in the Amplified Bible, the Verse of the Day for October 24, 2014, makes a bold statement regarding the origin of wisdom:

The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.

When I hear the word “beginning,” I recall the first verse of the Bible that transports us to place where life began:

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Proverbs 8:23 in the Amplified Bible brings to our attention that even before the beginning spoken of Genesis 1:2, the wisdom of God was on the scene:

From everlasting I was established and ordained, From the beginning, before the earth existed, [I, godly wisdom, existed].

If wisdom existed before the beginning, what is origin or the beginning of wisdom? Once again, the answer comes from Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom:

Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified Bible)

The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].

The Psalmist adds to the discussion with these enlightening words:

Psalm 111:10 [Amplified Bible]

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord; His praise endures forever.

The message regarding the origin of wisdom expressed in the Verse of the Day is reinforced and augmented in Proverbs 1:7[Amplified Bible]:

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

In order to comprehend more fully the essence of wisdom, we must go back to the beginning.

As we reflect upon wisdom, so brilliantly displayed in the Book of Proverbs and elsewhere, we find that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” poetically expressed in this manner:

The Beginning of Wisdom

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 

Psalm 19:9 (AMP)

The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 (AMP)

We begin and stand in absolute awe of You,

Thoroughly washed in the fountain of holiness.

The old has passed away—Behold, You make all things new:

Redeemed and justified by Christ, our righteousness.

As You search the earth, may we find grace in Your sight.

We seek to be wise but never in our own eyes.

We stand as perfected, ones destined to walk upright,

Beloved ones, whose heart Your Word purifies.

We are filled with knowledge and wisdom from above

And bound by a covenant no one can sever,

For nothing can separate us from God’s love:

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

We are renewed in strength and upheld by God’s Word,

As we pursue wisdom, growing in the fear of the Lord.

A perfect musical accompaniment to this blog entry is the song “The Perfect Wisdom of Our God.”

“We Choose the Fear of the Lord” by the Maranatha Music also relates to the beginning of wisdom.

Tags: beginning of wisdom, Genesis 1:1, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 4:7, Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 111:10, We choose the fear of the Lord.