Wisdom Wednesday: Blessed are the Wise who Fear the Lord
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways. (Psalm 128:1.; NASB 95)
The Psalms exalt the Lord and extol the blessings on the person who fears the Lord and then lives (walks) in the way of the Lord.
The passage in the 128th Psalm is similar to the introduction to the 112th Psalm: Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. His (Psalm 112:1). This blessing is enumerated in the remaining ten verses of the Psalm:
- Strength and material blessings for his household and descendants. (vv. 2-3.)
- He will have light to guide his way in the darkest time. (v. 4.)
- He will be well as he is gracious, compassionate, and righteous as he deals with others, including the poor. (v. 4-5, 9.)
- He will be confident in his judgments, holding a steadfast heart as he trusts in the Lord, not fearing his enemies. (vv. 6-8.)
- His righteous life will be remembered (v.6), and honored (v.9), and his righteousness will forever endure (v.9.)
Both Psalm chapter 112 and 128 passages are the first verse in a chapter that describes the blessings to a man and his family as fear of the Lord and follow through in their life. This applies to all who begin with a reverent fear of the Lord. Of course, the fear of the Lord is the beginning (and bedrock) of wisdom as repeated throughout the Proverbs and Psalms:
- Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
- Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
Upon entering the promised land, Moses’ instructions to the Israelites also repeated the importance of reverent fear: You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. (Deuteronomy 6:13, see also 5:29, 6:2, and 13:4) This is the way to walk in wisdom—with reverent fear and awe of the Creator.
After reminding the people of Jerusalem that, though oppressed by the Assyrians, the day will come when they will “weep no longer” (Isaiah 30: 19) and the Lord will be their Teacher, and they will hear Him say, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, is sustained by a faithful walk with Him, and results in the blessings enumerated by the Psalmist.