The Beginning of Wisdom
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
–Psalm 111:10
Last night at Valley Mosaic we enjoyed a great discussion about fear. The discussion centered on the above quoted verse from Psalm 111. The conversation ranged from defining what fear means to each of us, to speculating on what the Bible means when it says it is good to “fear God.”
At one point I suggested that this above verse could be read as: realizing that God can never fully be known is the beginning of wisdom. My thinking is that, when it comes right down to it, the things that frighten us the most in life are when we encounter things that are unknown and different from us. This anxiety and fear of the unknown naturally manifests in us because we are ultimately afraid to die. It’s only logical then to assume that the people in the Bible who encounter God are terrorized because they have encountered a force that is unlike anything they have ever encountered before. They fear what they don’t understand.
We also noted how the Christian Church has gotten away from interpreting “Fear of God” as being genuine terror that is found in those who encounter God in the Bible. The modern day Church tends to downplay the reality that the people in the Bible who encounter God are actually and categorically afraid that they are going to die. It’s no wonder that in most cases when people encounter beings from the heavenly realm, they have to be told over and over to “fear not.”
I do have a problem, though, with one way in which this “fear of God” language of the Bible can and has been interpreted throughout the years. One problem with the word “fear,” as far as the way we think of it, is that it is often associated with punishment. Thus, “fear of God” comes to mean fearing God’s wrath and punishment. This, in my opinion, can be very detrimental and is essentially some really twisted theology.
We did find great solace in 1 John 4:18 where these words are written about fear:
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Ultimately we came to the conclusion last night that the Hebrew Bible’s concept of “fearing God,” therefore, can be compared to the feeling of looking at the nighttime sky and being awed by the immensity of space and simultaneously terrified by the thought of our smallness in such a vast expanse. That is to say, it is the feeling of being overwhelmed by a reality greater than oneself and greater than that encountered in ordinary life. It is the feeling that the theologian Rudolf Otto called the Mysterium Tremendum.
Once we experience this fear we have nothing else to fear in life because thankfully, as it is written, we are immediately told to fear not.
Good stuff! Interesting.When it comes to interpreting Scripture - whether it be a verse, sentence, or simply a word (as in this case) - one of the tools in helping discover a deeper understanding of what the author originally intended to convey is to consider the context of the particular passage.
As I read Psalm 111, what struck me is that that chapter (context) is an expression/declaration of the goodness and faithfulness of God in his providence and covenant with his creation. We see words such as "praise", "thanks", "wonders", "delight", "splendid", "gracious", "compassionate", "redemption". Therefore, the word "fear" seems out of place in such a parade of inspiring prose.
I also discovered that verse 10 is not the only place in the chapter where "fear" is mentioned. It is found earlier in verse 5: "He has given food to those who fear him..."
The question that immediately comes to my mind upon reading that verse is this: Is God's providence here (food) given as a reward for fearing him? Or, is this providence born out of a compassion and given as a consolation to those who are in fear? Considering the context of the chapter, my vote would go with the latter interpretation. And, if that is true, then this may help in understanding better verse 10 where, "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom".
Throughout Scripture, whenever someone encounters God, that person's reaction is always terror (which is actually one of the definitions given for "fear" as used in the verses above [see also Jesse's introduction to his post]). God's reaction to our reaction of fear is always consolation: "Fear not", "Peace be with you", for example.
Fear assumes an unknown, an uncertainty. While we can certainly never fully know God which should produce a natural fear, he reveals himself to us in that fear. His revelation is not a reward for our respect or awe, rather it is a personal experience and encounter with divine compassion and love. While this experience begins through fear, God does not leave us to drift in fear.
We can see throughout Psalm 111 that God is deeply personal with his creation. In understanding our inability to comprehend him, God reaches out to us in relation and providence. The result is not that we understand him fully, but we understand him fully to be personal with us. Fear, then, is not a state of being, but a catalyst. As the author says in verse 10, it is the beginning...