The fear of the Lord comes from only one place – that true knowledge of the Lord. Only when we deal with Him after His character, perfections, immensities, plans, purposes and and power do we come to truly and rightly fear Him.

Only in knowing Him can we know what frames all of reality.

Solomon’s words here need careful consideration. This is not an appeal to a bare knowledge of a nondescript deity.

This is the knowledge of God as Holy.

He is not just “God”, power. But He is the holy God. He is light. He is purity. He cannot err, sin or fail – and in all things holy so that He cannot abide sin. He will judge. We must grasp the terror and the glory of His holiness if we would truly know Him so as to fear Him and to have true wisdom. And certainly, we cannot live wisely in His universe apart from knowing Him this way. Apart from knowing Him as He is and not as we simply imagine Him to be.

Building off of the preceding verses, we see that you cannot bring God’s wisdom to bear on those who do not have the very barest fundamental of fearing God. At least in some respect. If there is no sense of personal responsibility to something higher than oneself in terms of right and wrong and justice – you waste your time until that is resolved.

We must help others come to know God as He has revealed Himself in His Word – and ultimately as incarnate in Jesus Christ. It is why Paul in his famous address in Acts 17 begins by declaring to them the “unknown God.” Until people know who this God of the Bible is in reality, the truths of the Gospel and of a call to trust in Christ for salvation makes no sense.

How glorious are the Gospels then? For in them, we come to see and know the living and true God. And how desperately we need to know this One who made all things – especially ourselves – for Himself. Herein do we come to know the real meaning of life itself. And to His glory, He has not left us with a clear witness.