It is one of those precious Bible “IF” … “THEN” texts! If we do certain things … then God will respond in a promised manner!
Let me show you what I mean.
“My son, IF thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; THEN shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5
I have highlighted in red the key words IF and THEN!
Fellow believers, if we will do 8 things … God promises that He will do (for us) 2 things!
Let me explain a couple of these verbs.
If we will RECEIVE God’s Words … we are on the road to finding true understanding and knowledge of our Lord! Receive (in Hebrew = “laqach”) means to fetch, seize, lay hold of or acquire. But 4 times in the King James Bible it is translated “married!” (As it is in its first Bible use … Genesis 19:14!)
In other words, this is not a casual or careless receiving of God’s Words here! No! No! It is a diligent (like pursuing one’s future wife) action based upon sheer love and adoration! I have not seen a lot of this lately, how about you? BUT that’s what it will take to get a real understanding of the Fear of the Lord!
Each of the next 7 verbs is equally instructive (hide, incline, apply, criest, liftest, seekest and searchest)!
Again to illustrate, “hide” (in Hebrew = tzsphan”) is the word used in Scripture to relate how they hid baby Moses, a special goodly child! It is used when Rahab hid the 2 spies, precious men upon whom Israel’s war intelligence depended! (The idea here is carefully hiding something special!) If the Word of God is that special to you … you will hide it somewhere! Maybe even in your heart!
The verb “incline” (in Hebrew = “qashab”) means “to prick up the ears!” (Much like your little doggie does when he hears you coming home!) It is an indication of loving something or someone so much that you eagerly anticipate their arrival!
IF we do these things ….
THEN God will respond!
He promises to do two things!
He will give us understanding!
This is an understanding of the Fear of the Lord!
The Bible literally lists dozens of benefits and precious side effects of the Fear of the Lord! No real Christian growth ever occurs without it! The expression “Fear of the Lord” is found 30 times in the King James Bible! We should study every one of these references! In fact, Job 28:28 calls the Fear of the Lord WISDOM!
It is clean! Psalm 19:9 (And it will make you clean too!)
It can be learned … if one has the right Teacher! Psalm 34:11
It is the beginning of Wisdom! Psalm 111:10
It is also the beginning of knowledge! Proverbs 1:7
It can be rejected! Proverbs 1:29
It makes one hate sin! “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13
It adds years to one’s life! Proverbs 10:27
It brings safety to one’s children! Proverbs 14:26
It is priceless in value! Proverbs 15:16
It will make you depart from evil! Proverbs 16:6
It will keep evil away from you! Proverbs 19:23
It brings honor and riches to one’s life! Proverbs 22:4
It is to become the constant “lifestyle” for the growing Believer! Be in it “all the day long!” Proverbs 23:17 and Acts 9:31
It gives one “quick understanding” in the things of God! Isaiah 11:3
In other words God’s first consequential action for us (giving the Fear of the Lord) … leads us His second gift … the knowledge of the Holy!
Oh! To know God better and better! Is that not the hunger (the very heart cry) of every healthy Christian?
Folks, we have found a “jewel” of a paragraph of Scripture today!
IF … THEN.
These are also called the “cause and effect” sequences of Scripture! The Bible is full of them. You will want to go on a “treasure hunt” for some of them soon!
Until then … think about the one we’ve so briefly studied today!
It has the power to change our lives forever!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell