The Beginning of Wisdom

Then the Israelites declared to Moses, "Look, we’re perishing! We’re lost; we’re all lost! Anyone who comes near the LORD’s tabernacle will die. Will we all perish?" - Numbers 17:12-13

After the events with Korah's rebellion, the Israelites feared God as never before, and the depth of that fear was expressed in their cries above. Yet, as seen in the events that followed, this fear did not translate into faith. It was a good start, but it was not enough.

The psalmist wrote, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight (emphasis mine)." God's wisdom is a direct result of His possession, but faith begins with "fear," an understanding of His holiness, a conscious reverence of who God is. This reverence then translates into a God-honoring wisdom and obedience, but only if true faith is present.

Perhaps the greatest problem in the prosperous church today is our lack of a God-honoring reverence. Abundance and a lack of persecution have brought a spirit of independence and pride and we no longer possess a conscious "fear" of the LORD.

One thing is certain, we shall certainly perish if we do not regain it.

To fear God, is one of the first and greatest duties of His rational creatures. - Charles Inglis