The [BLANK] of the LORD

What leads to life, wisdom, prosperity, length of days, and teaching from God Himself?

Read the following verses to see the repetition and the emphasis on the virtues of [BLANK]:

In the [BLANK] of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. The [BLANK] of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. Pro 14:26-27

The [BLANK] of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited by evil Pro 19:23

The [BLANK] of the LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. Pro 10:27

Who is the man that [BLANK] the LORD? Him shall He teach in The way He chooses. He shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with those who [BLANK] Him, and He will show them His covenant. Psa 25:12-14

The [BLANK] of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge Pro 1:7
The [BLANK] of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, Pro 9:10
Behold, the [BLANK] of the LORD is wisdom, Job 28:28
The [BLANK] of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, Pro 15:33
And to man He said, “Behold, the [BLANK] of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding. Pro 28:28

And by the [BLANK] of the LORD one departs from evil. Pro. 16:6b

He will fulfill the desire of those who [BLANK] Him. Psa 145:19
The LORD takes pleasure in those who [BLANK] Him. Psa 147:11
The [BLANK] of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; Psa 19:9a
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: [BLANK] God and keep his commandments, Eccl 12:13

What is the [BLANK]? You guessed it… FEAR

What are we talking about though when we say “fear?” In the 2nd and 3rd dictionary definitions fear is defined as: 2. respectful dread; awe; reverence, and 3. Extreme reverence or awe, as toward a supreme power.

So we won’t walk around, just being afraid God, let’s look closer…

Here’s some thoughts from Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary, “the Fear of the Lord is in the Old Testament used as a designation of true piety. It is a fear conjoined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather filial reverence. God is called "the Fear of Isaac", i.e., the God whom Isaac feared. A holy fear is enjoined also in the New Testament as a preventive of carelessness in religion, and as an incentive to penitence."

From the Rabbi Jeffrey Wolfson Godwasser, “There is no one-to-one correspondence between any two words from two different languages. While Yirah usually is translated as "fear," its usage suggests a meaning that might also be translated with the English word "awe." Different Hebrew words are used in the Bible for the kind of anxious fear one might describe as "dread" or "loathing." The Hebrew Bible's concept of "fearing God," therefore, can be compared to the feeling of looking at the nighttime sky and being awed by the immensity of space and simultaneously terrified by the thought of our smallness in such a vast expanse. That is to say, it is the feeling of being overwhelmed by a reality greater than oneself and greater than that encountered in ordinary life. Rather, "fearing God," is living life with a trembling awareness that life has meaning -- that the choices you make have consequences of ultimate significance. To "fear" God as a Jew means to hone within yourself an awareness of the divine Presence around you all the time. One who fears God in this way would never say, "It does not matter how I behave in this circumstance because no one will ever know." To live in this way is a profound and spiritual experience. Yet, Jewish tradition says that, in addition to experiencing the fear of God, a person also should develop an awareness of the love of God. The Jewish liturgy says that God loves us with an unending, infinite love. Just as we wish to feel the awe of God around us, we also should desire to know and to feel that we are loved -- deeply and passionately -- by God.”

May you live life fully, in the [BLANK] of the LORD!