The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
What does it mean to have “the fear of the Lord”?
It means to remember that the Lord is God, and I am not. Once I accept that, I will be on the road to wisdom.
In Eden, Adam and Eve decided they didn’t want to acknowledge God’s authority and guidance, and so they rebelled. What they thought would make them wise made them fools.
P.S. You might find the NIV footnote interesting: “This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.”
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.”
Psalm 111
1 Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.2 Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.