Wisdom is one of Scripture’s great treasures, but it is often misunderstood. In the world’s eyes, wisdom is measured by intellect, achievement, and influence. In God’s Word, wisdom begins somewhere far different: with the fear of the LORD.
This two-part series, The Way of Wisdom, traces the journey from wisdom’s beginning to its fulfillment. In Part 1, Delighting in the Fear of the LORD (Proverbs 1:1–7), we stand at the threshold, learning that true wisdom begins with reverent, joyful surrender before the Creator. In Part 2, Christ, Our Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18–31), we follow that reverence to its destination in the One who embodied wisdom perfectly, fulfilled it fully, and now lives His wisdom in those who are His.
Together, these two messages invite us to bow low before God, to look up to Christ, and to walk in the Spirit of wisdom who rests upon Him, and now rests upon us.
Treasure Received
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 tells the story of tens of thousands who braved mountains, hunger, and snowfields in pursuit of a rumor. Drawn by the promise of treasure, they poured into the rugged passes of the Yukon, not to admire the beauty of the land, but to extract its riches. Their journey was brutal. Their reward was uncertain. Many never found what they were looking for.
That pursuit, in all its desperation and determination, offers a sobering picture of the human heart. Most today are not chasing gold, but we are still searching. We long for clarity, meaning, and direction. We crave insight that will help us live wisely and walk securely. This hunger is not misplaced. It was woven into us by our Creator. But until the heart recognizes that true wisdom belongs to God, it will chase after counterfeits, striving with all its might, only to be proven foolish in the end.
The book of Proverbs speaks directly to this longing. It does not shame our desire for wisdom. It names it, welcomes it, and redirects it. But it also draws a line: the wisdom of God is unlike any earthly pursuit. It cannot be claimed through ambition or acquired by intellect. It does not reward the determined or flatter the strong. Wisdom from above is not seized, it is received.
And it is only received through surrender.
Unlike the feverish rush for gold, where men sought to possess a treasure they might lose, the wisdom of God begins with reverence. Proverbs warns that if we seek wisdom apart from the fear of the LORD, we will end up either empty, having gained nothing eternal or proud, mistaking borrowed insight for personal brilliance. But true wisdom begins not with a self-made ascent, but with a surrendered heart. It begins with the fear of the LORD, a posture that knows who God is, trusts His Word, and gladly yields.
The Hiddenness of Wisdom
Long before Solomon wrote Proverbs, Job sat in the ashes of grief and asked, “Where then does wisdom come from” (Job 28:20)? Job was not contemplating theory. He was lamenting in loss. His children were gone, his body broken, and his reputation shredded. Yet it was in that moment of desperate honesty that he reached the right conclusion: “The fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).
Job did not find wisdom by conquering his pain or mastering his circumstances. He found it by beholding the God who knows all things. Wisdom is not discovered in the brilliance of man, it is received from the heart of God.
That is what makes Proverbs 1:7 so essential. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This verse is not simply the first in a list. It is the foundation beneath all that follows. Wisdom begins with worship, not with intelligence. It begins with reverence, not resourcefulness.
The Posture of the Wise
So what is the fear of the LORD? It is not panic or dread. It is not hiding in shame. The fear of the LORD is a humble and reverent heart that honors God, trusts His rule, and obeys His Word with joy.
This fear draws near. It bows low. It listens before it speaks. It delights in holiness.
Without that posture, even the most practical advice in Proverbs becomes cold, distant, and powerless. Wisdom becomes a set of instructions rather than a way of life anchored in communion with God.
When we forget the fear of the LORD, we do more than lose wisdom. We drift from the One who gives it.
Realities of a Foolish Heart
Solomon writes that “fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). The foolish heart is not always loud or defiant. Often, it appears self-assured, even reasonable. But beneath the surface, it resists the voice of God and rejects the fear of the LORD.
One reality of a foolish heart is the loss of humility. It becomes unteachable, closed off to correction or counsel. Pride whispers, “I do not need help,” and the heart begins to trust its own judgment above all else.
Another reality is the dismissal of God’s Word. Rather than being shaped by Scripture, the heart turns inward for guidance. Discernment is replaced by self-authorship. The foolish heart declares, “I know what is best for me,” while setting aside the very truth that gives life.
The conscience also suffers. What was once tender to the Spirit becomes calloused. Conviction fades into noise. The heart preserves its autonomy by refusing to be interrupted.
Joy, too, disappears. The delight that comes from walking with God is replaced by the weariness of self-rule. The heart grows tired, anxious, and skeptical of surrender.
These are not just flaws. They are symptoms of a deeper resistance to the wisdom of God. They reveal a heart disconnected from reverence and in need of return.
Yet there is another way.
The Listening Heart
When Solomon became king, he was not wise, seasoned, or secure. He was twenty years old and overwhelmed. God came to him in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for a listening heart.
He did not ask for riches, power, or long life. He asked to hear God.
That posture changed everything.
God answered his request and “gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure” (1 Kings 4:29). The wisdom of Proverbs flowed from that divine generosity, not from Solomon’s intelligence or pedigree, but from a heart that feared the LORD.
This same heart posture remains the beginning of all wisdom today. And it is no longer reserved for kings.
The Fulfillment of Wisdom
Job beheld wisdom.
Solomon instructed in wisdom.
But Christ embodied it.
Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). In Him, wisdom came down, not as principle, but as Person. He did not merely teach us how to live wisely. He became our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). And now, by faith, we are in Him.
To read Proverbs apart from Christ is to reduce it to moral advice. But in Christ, Proverbs becomes a living invitation to participate in the wisdom of God from the inside out.
We are not left to perform wisdom. We are called to abide in the One who is wisdom.
Isaiah foresaw this. He wrote concerning the promised Messiah, “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD… and His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2–3).
In His incarnation, Jesus not only feared His Father; He delighted in that fear. The awe, the trust, the surrender…it was not burdensome to Him. It was His joy. And now, for those who are in Him, that same joy begins to grow in us.
Letting Wisdom Take Root
So how do we respond?
We begin by beholding God. Each morning, before solving problems or making plans, we lift our eyes in worship. We fix our attention not on what we must do, but on who He is.
Throughout the day, we return to the quiet prayer of Solomon: “Lord, give me a listening heart.” Not a busy heart. Not a self-protecting heart. A listening one.
As the day ends, we ask ourselves not just, “Was I productive?” but, “Did I walk in the joy of Christ’s wisdom today?”
The fear of the LORD is not a detour from joy. It is the very path into it.
So let us draw near. Let us bow low. Let us behold the One who gave Himself for us.
Let us delight in the fear of the LORD.