The Hebrew word for fear is yare and does not mean to have a fear of punishment but have an overwhelming awe and reverence for God. There are other scriptures that even relate this fear to love. Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God, require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” So, maybe approaching God in fear, as our English translations suggests, may need to be reevaluated.
Deuteronomy 5:29 says, “Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their son’s forever.” Walking with a love (ahav) in their heart and fear (awe and reverence) was a priority before keeping the commandments. Heart in this verse is not about emotion as much as it is to have a strong resolution or determination of your will to be faithful to God’s covenant. Fear is not a feeling, but a motivation of the heart expressed through behavior. It can be learned by faithful loyalty. Therefore, all human wisdom begins in this covenant behavior. We must start from the knowledge of God (knowing Him) and a dependence on him.
Proverbs 8:11 says, “For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.” All our desires and wants are not in the same category as wisdom. How can wisdom be better than fulfilling all our desires and pleasures of our senses? Solomon tried it and he found his desires and pleasures left him unfulfilled. The beginning of wisdom is a proper relationship and reverence to the Lord, through love.
As we continue to develop a healthy relationship with the Lord, let’s begin with a proper attitude and respect for who God is as we listen and respond to Him. Every insight our father gives brings about a transformation or an internal change in our perspective. If we start desiring things more than His wisdom, maybe we need to take a moment to rethink and reassess if it is what God has in mind for us. Let’s choose life and wisdom and fully satisfy our souls.
In His Covenant Love,
