The starting-point of human wisdom.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." This is the familiar statement of the Book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10). "Here the fear of God, keeping his revealed commandments, is the key of 'wisdom,' which is the knowledge of the true end and purpose of life." The "fear of the Lord" is the Old Testament term for piety. The fear is not dread, but loving reverence, which finds its expression in ready and hearty obedience. It includes belief in God, knowledge of God, recognition of the claims of God, awe of the power and holiness of God, and the cherished sense of the presence of God. The fear of piety is a glorified fear.
I. PIETY IS THE INSPIRATION OF THEORETICAL WISDOM. It always awakens a thirst for knowledge. It has been constantly observed that when a man becomes pious he begins to become intelligent. His eyes are opened to the supreme mystery, and he wants to know all mysteries. He who becomes interested in God is sure to become interested in God's works and God's Word. And it may further be urged, that wisdom cannot be limited to the knowledge of material things which the senses can give us. There is a spiritual world apprehensible by those spiritual faculties which are only quickened by the revelation of God to the soul. The scientific man who ignores the spiritual cannot attain true wisdom. Belief in God is the absolute foundation on which alone can rest a complete knowledge of the world, of facts that are both sensible and spiritual. "Spiritual knowledge—the knowledge of self, the universe, Christ, and God—is the true knowledge. This grows out of piety—grows out of reverent love."
II. PIETY IS THE INSPIRATION OF PRACTICAL WISDOM: which is, obedience. Every man has the practical ordering of a human life, and human relations. A man of him self can only shape his life under the impulse of what he finds pleasing to himself. And no life can be ordered wisely under that rule. Man cannot act wisely if he be his own king, because he is created as a dependent being; and can no more bear fruit by leaning on himself than can the trailing vine. Dependent man must fear God. He must cherish the sense of duty; must carry out the designs of his Creator. Practical wisdom is taking our lives to God day by day, and saying, in filial love, to him, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Life is only ordered aright when God orders it.—R.T.