THE F

EAR OF

THE LO

RD IN

PROVERBS

VI N

EY A

RD

AT

HO

ME

ONE OF THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRITRoman Catholics consider the Fear of the LORD to be one

of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (taken from Isaiah 11: 2, 3) along with:

Wisdom

Understanding

Counsel

Strength (courage)

Knowledge

Piety (Reverence)

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS NOT:

The fear that God will act capriciously and out-of-character with His nature or His covenant (that God will randomly “turn on us”).

It is NOT the slavish dread of an ugly deity.

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS:

A reverent and respectful awe of a holy and beautiful God

A sign of healthy spirituality, healthy theology, and healthy church life (Acts 9:31)

A by-product of a proper understanding of how God has made Himself known.

A lack of it is considered a spiritual deficit and a fatal flaw of the wicked (see Psalm 36:1-3, quoted by Paul in Romans)

In other words: where God is rightly known and truly loved He is reverently esteemed and properly feared.

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IN PROVERBS:

In Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is portrayed as:

the beginning of knowledge and of wisdom, especially the knowledge of God.

It leads us to shun evil and, therefore, promotes well-being. It adds length to life and leads to “upright” living. It gives a person a “secure fortress” in life which also benefits their children and it is a life-generating force. It produces the contentment of a well-lived life untroubled by evil. And it is a praise-worthy characteristic of a godly and highly-esteemed woman.