The Common Fool
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 ESV Those who would reject the fear of the Lord as the foundation of their philosophy, and would dethrone theology from her rightful place as queen of all sciences are indeed foolish. The rest of the book of Proverbs will detail their folly, but to summarize they do themselves harm. They are fools not because they displease God, though they do, or because they miss the fullness of truth, again they do; but because they inevitability secure their loss and destruction they are fools. This second half of 1:7 is then both a true statement and a warning. Would you be a fool? Then receive wise instruction and fear the Lord. It is this fear of the Lord which humanity in its folly is prone to despise. Few if any like to be thought of as foolish or uned...