Of all the Old Testament verses I’ve memorized over the years, I have to say Proverbs 9:10 is among my favorites! It’s a succinct summary of the entire book of Proverbs — and of our call as the children of God! The New International Version renders this passage as follows: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
The late Dr. R.C. Sproul’s Tabletalk magazine put forth the following explanation of the meaning of this passage — one worth quoting!
“Fear, in this context, is not the fear one has of an enemy; rather, it is honor and love for the Lord. Such fear is manifested in reverence and awe, a disposition to apply what God has revealed in order to live a life that pleases Him in gratitude for His salvation.” (Tabletalk, 1/2/15)
In short: To live an upright life is the fear of the Lord! Though our shortcomings are great, God’s grace is greater yet. The children of God are called to live a life of surrender to the will of God as revealed in the Word of God. When we fall short we simply and reverently acknowledge our sin, thank God for His forgiveness (secured by Christ on Calvary’s cross), turn from that particular sin, then get on with our life, our walk with God.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18-19a