Proverbs 8:13 - To Fear God And Hate Evil.
Proverbs 8:13 - To Fear God And Hate Evil.
Proverbs 8:13 (NIV) To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate
pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Proverbs 8:13 (NLT) All who fear the LORD will hate evil. That
is why I hate pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverted speech.
Proverbs 8:13 (CWR) To respect God means to hate evil. I hate
pride and arrogance, evil behavior and a filthy mouth.
OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
Verses 12-21. Wisdom here is Christ, in whom are all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge; it is Christ in the word, and Christ in
the heart; not only Christ revealed to us, but Christ revealed in
us. - Seek him early, seek him earnestly, seek him before any thing
else. [Matthew Henry Commentary]
Verses 22-31 make you think of Jesus Christ, who is the Wisdom
of God (1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 2:3). To love wisdom is to love Christ,
and when you love Christ, you live for Him ... Spend time daily at
wisdom's door as you read God's Word and meditate on His truth. [Chapter
by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
Wisdom's eternal character is shown in 8:22-31 and ultimately
points to Christ, in whom is found "all the treasures of wisdom" (Col.
2:3; cf. Phil. 2:3-11; 1 Cor. 1:24; Jer. 9:23-24). [New Bible
Companion]
Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24, 30) ... To know Him
is to have true wisdom. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
According to verse 14, God will give you counsel (what to do),
wisdom (how to do it), understanding (why you do it), and strength (the
ability to do it). [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe]
"Listen" (8:32) means to both hear and obey. [New Bible
Companion]
COMMENTARY
The offer of wisdom is held out only to those who fear God.
Coming to wisdom requires coming to God, and coming to God means
turning away from all that God hates--evil, pride, arrogance,
misbehavior, and perverse speech. Jesus said that the truth is found in Him
(see John 8:32). [Nelson SB]
`The beginning of pride is when one departeth from God, and his
heart is turned away from his Maker: for pride is the beginning of
sin.' (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)
The more a person fears and respects God, the more he or she
will hate evil. Love for God and love for sin cannot coexist.
Harboring secret sins means that you are tolerating evil within yourself.
Make a clean break with sin and commit yourself completely to God.
[Life Application SB]
As we grow spiritually, we gradually change from trying to stop
doing the evil thing that we really want to do, to actually hating the
evil thing so that we no longer want to do it. [Life Principles SB By
Charles Stanley]
Ice cream can sometimes be bought in a "swirl" - a mix of two
flavors, usually chocolate and vanilla. It's for those who can't decide
on one or the other, or who like both equally well, or who like the
mix itself. But what is good in ice cream is bad in moral habits.
Proverbs 8 is a call to make right choices - to hate evil.
There is no mixing of good and evil here.
Other proverbs in this chapter teach us why wisdom is more
valuable than gold and even priceless.
"All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate
pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech" (Proverbs 8:13).
Most of us have a mix of love and hate for evil. We know we should
hate lying and hypocrisy, yet there are times when they come in
handy. We know we should love sexual purity and honesty, yet there are
times when our minds turn to impure thoughts, and deceit seems less
painful than being honest.
Respect for God clears away the inconsistencies. Think about
the place God deserves to have in your life, and fear the
consequences of not giving him proper place. When you make the decision to
love God wholeheartedly, love for sin will not be able to coexist in
your life. [The One Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave
Veerman]
We are taught over and over again in Scripture that because
God is uniquely and awesomely holy - pure, separated, and shining in
His moral majesty - we are to draw near to Him with godly reverence
and fear. The fear of the Lord, as we know, is the beginning of
wisdom. Contemplation of His character, particularly His holiness, will
lead to a reverential fear that prepares the soul (as it did for
Isaiah) for more profitable service and activity.
But what does it mean to "fear" God? There are times in the
Bible when we are told to fear and times when we are told not to fear.
There is a fear that helps and a fear that hinders. How do we know the
difference?
The fear that helps is the fear that expresses itself in
reverence, veneration, awe, a sense of the grandeur and majesty of God. The
fear that hinders is described for us in 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has
not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and
sound judgment."
The Greek word deilia, which is translated "fearfulness" or
"timidity" in this verse, comes from a root that means "wretched, sorry,
miserable" and implies someone lacking in courage. God is not to blame for
attitudes of cowardice or timidity; they come from within our own hearts.
Timid people are frightened people, and if you want to explore this
thought still further, ask yourself: what kinds of things frighten me
that are not related to the fear of God? If we fear them more than we
fear God, then we are being ruled by the wrong kind of fear.
O God, I bring to You all my unhealthy fears and lay them at
Your feet. Help me develop such a reverential fear for You that all
other fears are quickly swallowed up. In Jesus' name. Amen. [Every Day
With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional]
CROSS REFERENCES
Job 28:28 (KJV) And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the
Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Psalm 111:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his
praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 15:33 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the instruction of
wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty
of man.
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110516-1002.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2006/20060210-0940.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040510-0914.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20041108-1056.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON EXPERIENCING GOD:
http://sda.biggytv.com/watch/Revive!_-_Dwight_Nelson:_Experiencing_Gods_Grace/revive/
