My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

¹² Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³ who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
¹⁴ who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵ whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways. Prov. 2:1-15

Why do you think knowledge of God has to begin with the fear of God as described in verse 5

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

¹² Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³ who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
¹⁴ who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵ whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways. Prov. 2: 1-15

How does seeking wisdom produce the fear of the Lord?

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

Define waywardness and complacency.

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

Why do you think people have a hard time accepting that some calamity is from the Lord?

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

What are some of the teaching of the Lord which have most transformed your life?

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

What are the ramifications of having God’s thoughts poured out on you?

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

What is the reason God rebukes people?

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

How long will you the simple love their simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:20-33

Why is wisdom so public with her declaration?

More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking about the Psalms. Now I have begun asking you about the Proverbs. While I begin that work I am also now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. So! Let’s continue:

On May 21, 2016 in the evening meditation I asked:

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Psm. 1:1-6

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED OUTLINED IN THIS PSALM?

There are many differences between the righteous and the wicked: The righteous avoid sin while the wicked embrace it; The righteous avoid mocking others while the wicked make it a normal part of life (ouch!); The righteous are hungry for the Word of God and study it voraciously while the wicked find it so boring they would rather watch T.V. than enter into a study of the word of God; The righteous bend but don’t break and their lives bring forth lasting fruit while the wicked not only break their lives work is forgotten by history; Finally all of this is because of the last big difference, the Lord watches out for the righteous and even when they start going the wrong way He turns them around while He lets the wicked go their own way into destruction.