January 3, 2026

Proverbs 1:5-7 (ESV)

⁵ Let the wise hear and increase in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

⁶ to understand a proverb and a saying,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The call to listen continues. Even the wise are urged to hear. A listening posture is not something we ever outgrow. Those who are truly wise understand that growth in wisdom requires humility and continual attentiveness. To hear is to place ourselves under instruction, willing not only to learn, but to change.

Proverbs 1:5-6 emphasize understanding. The repetition makes the point clear. Wisdom does not come effortlessly. It requires attention, careful thought, and diligent study. Proverbs, sayings, the words of the wise, and their riddles describe different forms of teaching. Some truths are simple and direct. Others are layered and require more insight. God intends wisdom to be pursued.

Proverbs 1:7 provides the foundation for everything that follows. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. This truth is repeated throughout Proverbs because it is essential. There is no true knowledge apart from a right relationship with the Lord. The Hebrew word translated as “Lord” here is Yahweh, God’s covenant name. Wisdom begins not with information, but with an attitude toward God himself.

The fear of the Lord includes reverence, awe, and a proper understanding of who God is and who we are not. It is not mere terror, but reverent obedience. It is living with a continual awareness that God is the Creator and ruler of all things. To reject him is to reject the very source of knowledge.

In sharp contrast, fools despise wisdom and instruction. This does not mean they lack intelligence or information. Rather, they refuse to seek their Creator or submit to his ways. To despise wisdom is to assume we know better than God. At its core, folly is pride. The fool lives according to her own desires and instincts. The wise woman, by contrast, lives with an ongoing awareness of God’s presence and his rightful authority over her life. She trusts that God’s ways are better than her own and willingly aligns herself with his will.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning, the source, and the foundation of wisdom. If we want to live wisely, we must start here. At times, obedience to God can feel costly, as though it will leave us missing out. But it will not. In the end, rejecting God’s truth in order to live our own way leaves us empty and unsatisfied. God knows what is genuinely best for us. Let us not despise his instruction, but choose today to walk in reverent obedience, trusting that his ways lead to life.