Proverbs 1:7
Fear and Respect the LORD
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 4:1-27
Wisdom Is Supreme
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house,
still tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said,
"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot sleep till they do evil;
they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.
27 Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Proverbs 18:1-24
More on Understanding and Wisdom
1 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
7 The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.
10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord.
23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Romans 8:28
God is Near All Who Love Him
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
In the beginning of Proverbs we are taught to fear the LORD...Fearing the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...Fear means to respect the LORD and to worship the LORD...We are to recognize that the LORD is our Creator, He is Almighty, and we are to stand in awe of Him...We are to fear Him out of His deepness and mystery, and give Him reverence...Our minds cannot understand the complexity of His Being...He LOVES us and He does not want us to be afraid of Him...But having the attributes that He has, we should have this great respect for Him and we should live our lives according to His will, as best we can -all the time knowing the He is Perfect...
These Proverbs teach us about wisdom, knowledge, and understanding...It seems with the internet and google, twitter, and other computer tools -that information and knowledge are coming at us more and more...The question as we get more and more information and with it knowledge, with all the information at our fingertips -is that a good thing or bad thing?...Solomon tells us that the heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out...He says that we should get wisdom, and also get understanding; and do not forget my words or swerve from them...Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you...Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom...Though it may cost all you have, get understanding... While the fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions...
So as we get all this information (that is at our fingertips) we should seek to understand what it means?...Does more information help us understand things better?...Does more information help us get closer to the LORD?...Solomon tells us that wisdom is supreme, therefore we should seek it...There is more information now on God and the Bible than ever before on the Web...Are we using it too help us get to wisdom and understanding?...
Solomon advises us to get knowledge, and then to understand it, and then as we grow and mature, let us find wisdom in all the things...We need to take the knowledge and information from it and realize that their maybe glimpses of God in it...Wisdom and knowledge of the LORD is Supreme and is eternal...God is True Wisdom...And God is in all the lives of those who love Him, and do their best to do His will and His purpose -and because He LOVE's us, He will protect us and watch over us ...