Text: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (Ps 111:10)

Context, Context, Context: Psalm 111 is characterized as a praise/thanksgiving psalm. Why? Because it heralds the holiness, justice, and mercy of God. It is only 10 verses in our English translations. Those 10 verses brim with praiseworthy works of God: righteousness (v. 3); grace and mercy (v. 4); provision (v. 5); covenant faithfulness (v. 6); faithfulness and trustworthiness (v. 7); redemption (v. 9); and holiness (v. 9). Then the writer does a mic drop: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (v. 10a).

Teaching: Attributes of God are manifested. They are clear. They are obvious. They are irrefutable. But they’re not good news to those who suppress them and/or attempt to deny them. They are only good news to those who recognize them for the truth, goodness, and beauty that they are, and embrace them.

The reality is that many despise these truths. Just as one example, think of the 1987 ‘art’ piece by Andres Serrano, the Immersion (Piss Christ). It was a photograph of a plastic crucifix submerged in a plastic container of Serrano’s urine. Art or anger? Art or petulance? Art or just vitriol to stir up culture wars by those emanating more heat than light?

Encouragement: Solomon wrote in Proverbs 9:10 that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” and Psalm 111:10 reiterates this verity. Wisdom hinges upon an accurate reverential posture to the holy. The reason we have a world drowning in plastic bottles, refuse, needles, aluminum cans, and scarred and potholed roads is inseparable from the reality that people have cut themselves off from the sacred, the holy—namely, God. When they don’t value God, we should not be surprised they trash the creation. But for God’s people, we understand stewardship. We understand the value of beauty. We understand wisdom. Why? Because those concepts only make sense when God is at the center. God is the nexus for coherence, truth, goodness, and beauty. Without God, you inherit rubbish.