The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge… - Proverbs 1:7
The word fear here is not meant to convey the meaning that one must be afraid of God because He might hurt or harm you. I’ve come to understand that the meaning is like the fear one might have of heights.
Actually, it isn’t really a fear of heights, but a fear of the law of gravity and what it would mean if one stepped or fell over the edge. You see, gravity is a law. It works the same all the time for anyone, and we can count on it to work in a predictable manner. God set that law in motion to benefit us… but the law applied wrongly can produce harm.
Electricity works by law. It was a relatively short time ago in the history of humanity that certain people learned how electricity works, and that we can count on it working in a predictable manner. When one correctly applies the laws of electricity there will be benefit. When applied wrongly, the law can produce harm.
I have an understanding of the law of gravity… it’s not hard to understand how it affects us. I don’t have a very good understanding of electricity. There are those who have learned the law of electricity and have done wonderful things with it so you and I can simply flip a switch or turn a key to realize the benefits of their knowledge. But anyone who wants to learn the law of electricity can learn how to do wonderful things within the boundaries of the laws governing its action.
God has set in motion Universal Laws that govern the universe and, in particular, your life. All things work according to laws, and when one learns those laws he will find that the proper application of those life principles will cause things to work in a predictable manner and in ways that will benefit the person who understands. And through the Bible God has given us access to the knowledge of those laws and how we can operate in them to our benefit.
Fearing God is the same as fearing the laws of the universe. If we operate them without understanding, we open ourselves up for harm. If we gain understanding we will be able to do marvelous things.
…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. – Daniel 11:32
