Proverbs 1 … Consider His Gift That Keeps On Giving

Posted on by

0

A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel…
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… (1:5, 7).

Many of us celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving gifts. And all of us who know Jesus, also know the inspiration behind this tradition. Christmas is the day we commemorate the greatest Gift every given by the Father, the greatest Gift ever to be received by all who would believe… salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him,” (John 3:16-17).

The book of Proverbs is God’s Gift of wisdom that speaks to the soul of man and points us to His Greatest Gift, Jesus Christ. With so many nuggets of wisdom laden throughout every chapter of this book, the thought of writing daily about each chapter seems daunting. The Planting Place was never intended to be a structured verse-by-verse teaching. It is merely an attempt to see one aspect of our magnanimously glorious God in each day’s reading. So, in the next month, I hope to find one, and only one, thought to consider.

As I was thinking about beginning the book of Proverbs on Christmas Day, I was struck with a familiar thought, “The Gift That Keeps On Giving.” This phrase was first used and trademarked in the 1920’s by the Victor Talking Machine Company, and became their slogan for advertising their “talking machines,” phonographs and records; the idea being that recordings of voices would be a continuous source of delight.

Today, may we hear His voice as we consider His Gift That Keeps On Giving.

Consider His Gift That Keeps On Giving

To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
3 To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
4 To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction, (1:2-7).

The fear of the Lord is where it all begins. It is the beginning of opening His Gift That Keeps On Giving. The fear of the Lord Keeps On Giving everything we need to know, and everything we need in order to receive His wisdom and understanding so that we will walk uprightly and continue to grow and increase in learning.

fear: :3374. יִרְאָה yirʾāh: A feminine noun meaning fear. The word usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. This fear acknowledges God’s good intentions (Ex. 20:20)… This fear is produced by God’s Word (Ps. 119:38; Prov. 2:5) and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 1:7; 9:10)… This fear restrains people from sin (Gen. 20:11; Ex. 20:20; Neh. 5:9); gives confidence (Job 4:6; Prov. 14:26); helps rulers and causes judges to act justly (2 Sam. 23:3; 2 Chr. 19:9; Neh. 5:15); with humility, leads to riches, honor, and life (Prov. 22:4)…” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

Today, let’s unpack His Gift That Keeps On Giving with its beginning in the amazing Gift of the Fear of the Lord as defined in the Hebrew Language.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… (1:7).

  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving acknowledges God’s good intentions.
    • Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin,” (Exodus 20:20).
  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving is produced by His Word.
    • Establish Your word to Your servant,
      As that which produces reverence for You,       (Psalm 119:38).
    • My son, if you will receive my words
      And treasure my commandments within you…
      5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
      And discover the knowledge of God,       (Proverbs 2:1, 5).
  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving makes us receptive to wisdom and knowledge.
    • The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
      Fools despise wisdom and instruction,       (Proverbs 1:7).
    • The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
      And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding,       (Proverbs 9:10).
  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving restrains us from sin.
    • Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife, (Genesis 20:11).
    • Again I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? (Nehemiah 5:9).
  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving gives us confidence.
    • “Is not your fear of God your confidence,
      And the integrity of your ways your hope?”       (Job 4:6).
    • In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
      And his children will have refuge,       (Proverbs 14:26).
  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving helps those in leadership to act justly.
    • “The God of Israel said,
      The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
      ‘He who rules over men righteously,
      Who rules in the fear of God,’”       (2 Samuel 23:3).
    • Then he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly,” (2 Chronicles 19:9).
    • But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God,” (Nehemiah 5:15).
  • His Gift That Keeps On Giving, when accompanied by humility, leads to riches, honor and life.
    • The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
      Are riches, honor and life,       (Proverbs 22:4).

How do we respond to His Gift That Keeps On Giving?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of His Gift That Keeps On Giving. Because our hearts are easily divided, let us commit to daily come to Him in faith and ask Him to teach us to walk in His truth, that He would unite our hearts that we may continually and persistently open His Gift that Keeps On Giving.

Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name, (Psalm 86:11).

Oh, that our hearts would be yoked to His, that we would walk in the truth and the fear of the Lord that we might become a sort of living gift that keeps on giving, always ready to share with those who have yet to open His Gift That Keeps On Giving.

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (1 Peter 3:15).

Let’s Grow Together as we daily open His Gift That Keeps On Giving!

Leave a Reply