Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. Psalm 25:12 NIV
My Hebrew Professor was a thin and smaller man in stature. He conducted all of my 5 Hebrew classes in the same manner. We had homework of scriptures and vocabulary that we bring to class prepared to discuss, such as reading the text in Hebrew and then parsing all of the words (1st person singular nominative case, etc). He would teach half of the class and then we would go over our homework. He only had time to call on 8 -12 people per class session, so you never knew who would be next or perhaps not called upon at all.
I remember coming to class one time with little preparation. I hoped that this was the time that I would be skipped. Then it happened, “Mr. Rogers will you please read, translate and parse the next verse.” I slaughtered my pronunciation and had little left to show that I was prepared. He was so kind and would never outwardly embarrass you. BUT, He would sloooowly pick up his pencil, reach for the grade book and scribble a Zero beside your name. The whole class seemed to hold their breath knowing that the day of reckoning had occurred. There was no one to blame and nowhere to hide. All knew that you had failed to be prepared. This only had to occur once…fear had made its mark.
David asks a great question. Who is the person that “fears” the Lord? How would you answer that question? Who do you know that has a healthy, respectful fear of God? Are there some character qualities that you expect to observe in a person who “fears” God? How would you evaluate your own level of the fear of the Lord? What expectations will you use as a measuring stick?
Let’s take a few blog entries to explore scriptures to gain some insight about fearing God. Today’s verse carries a promise that God will instruct, guide and direct the path of that person. If you are looking for direction, perhaps you can start with the fear of the Lord, for it is the beginning of wisdom.
Blessings Love y’all