The Fear of the Lord and the Opening Principles of Wisdom

“Come, children, listen to me; the fear of Yahweh I will teach you.” —Psalm 34:11

Solomon tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). But before Solomon ever wrote that, his father David said something strikingly similar: “Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11). It’s easy to overlook, but this connection between father and son may be more than poetic. It reveals something foundational: the fear of the Lord isn’t merely a theological concept—it’s a skill, a posture of the soul, something that must be taught and learned, especially by the young.

That insight leads to a simple but important observation: the book of Proverbs is written for children. It says so in the very first verses: “To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth” (Proverbs 1:4). These are lessons for beginners—novices in the school of life. Proverbs presents us with foundational principles, general truths meant to train us in how to live wisely before God and others. These aren’t situational tactics or clever moral shortcuts; they are formative disciplines.

It reminds me of chess. When you’re learning the game, you’re taught opening principles: control the center, develop your pieces, protect your king. These principles aren’t laws; they’re guides. They train your instincts. And while grandmasters sometimes break those rules, they only do so because they’ve mastered the game. They know when an exception is called for—and more importantly, why.

Most of us are not spiritual grandmasters. We are spiritual children. And that’s okay—what matters is that we are willing to be trained. That we sit at the feet of wisdom and learn the fear of the Lord. For just as opening principles in chess prepare us for the deeper complexities of the game, so too the fear of the Lord prepares us for the deeper wisdom of walking with God. The mature never outgrow this foundation—they simply grow into it.

If David thought it necessary to teach this to his children, and if Solomon built an entire book around it, then surely we must treat it with the same reverence. The fear of the Lord is not a relic of religious thought; it is the first step on the path to true understanding.

So let us approach the Proverbs not with a sense of mastery, but with childlike readiness to learn. For the beginning of wisdom is not knowing everything—it’s fearing the One who does.