Well let us kick off the musings on this brilliant book with the theme, the Theological/Practical context, that undergirds all of its words. Again and again through the book you will get words like Wisdom, Understanding, Discernment entwined with this phrase "The fear of the Lord." All those other terms, all of life in fact, if you take this book as a guide to living, grows from this soil-bed of fearing God.
This makes so much sense because if God is creator of all that is reality, if He is the orchestrator of the rhythms of nature and all the laws that make creation exist in balance and harmony, then it will do us an immense amount of good to know Him. But you do not truly know God if you do not fear Him. He alone is awesome (a word sadly abused by our American friends, now adopted by the English), He alone is worthy of this deep-rooted consuming respect and honour. And this alone is the path to living life well (My brilliant philosophy professor at Uni told me that wisdom is simply the knowledge to live life rightly in God's world).
That is what Proverbs wants for you: to live life well. I think when we are younger or if we are immature we want to live life excitedly or quickly; Proverbs does not see that as meaningful or worth our pursuit. Proverbs has greater goals for us. Proverbs wants us to live the great life of peaceful, abiding relationship with God and is loaded with practical tips to enable such a life. In my 30s I now know that I want to live that life.
So, "The fear of the Lord." Do you think this would be a label for your lifestyle: He/She FEARS THE LORD. It in itself is a constant pursuit that must be renewed by an ongoing fixation with knowing and loving Him more.
Again, read this book, it's loaded!
Simon
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