Proverbs 1:7

Fear of the Lord. That is, reverence for the Lord. The fear of the Lord is that reverent attitude compounded of love, awe, and gratitude that distinguishes men who have realized their own unworthiness and have found salvation in God’s gracious plan. There is no form of mental training that can compare with the earnest study of the Scriptures.

Beginning. Heb. re’shith. This word can also mean “principal part.” The fear of the Lord not only is the first step in the acquirement of all true knowledge but is also the central emphasis of knowledge. If knowledge does not lead to a surrender of life to Jesus Christ, it has missed its aim. “Call no man brilliant who has not the wisdom to choose the Lord Jesus Christ — the light and life of the world. The excellence of a man is determined by his possession of the virtues of Christ” (EGW letter 106, July 15, 1902).

Fools despise. In the OT two different words are commonly used for fool, (1) ’ewil and (2) kesil. Both designate stupid persons. Both occur frequently in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and seldom in any other book of the OT. Because the fool is contrasted with the wise man who has the fear of God, he stands portrayed as an impenitent sinner. Solomon presents the contrast between those who are continually learning more and more of God and His ways, and those who turn from righteousness and tread the path to everlasting death. The fools — those who do not fear the Lord, whether through a careless love of pleasure or willful defiance — reject all genuine wisdom. However much knowledge they may accumulate, the lack of the true center leaves them unbalanced, slaves to vain philosophies.