Proverbs 14:26-27

The Fear of the Lord

1. In these two verses Solomon returns to the subject of the fear of the Lord.

2. Here he links fearing God to three positive results: confidence, refuge, and life.

3. What Solomon says in these verses is related to what he says elsewhere about the fear of the Lord.

a. 3:7; 16:6 – The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil.

b. This basic truth is IMPLIED in what Solomon says in chapter 14, though not stated.

c. The end of verse 27 comes quite close to this: to depart from the snares of death.

d. But the three positive results of the fear of the Lord all stem from this truth… that the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil.

26a In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence:

1. Confidence: trust; confidence; refuge; act of confiding; object of confidence; state of confidence, security.

a. Isa. 32:18 – translated “sure” dwelling places…

b. Prov. 25:19 – confidence in an unfaithful man… (leaning on; relying on; trusting in)

c. Psalm 71:5 – O Lord God, thou art my “trust” from my youth…

d. The term speaks of trusting in that which is sure…and from that trust springs a sense of security… strong confidence.

e. When you find an object that is totally reliable and secure, it produces this kind of confidence in our hearts when we lean upon it… stand upon it.

2. The fear of the Lord is that object.

a. This sense of safety and security comes from the fear of the Lord.

b. How does this work?
• Those who fear the Lord depart from evil.
• Because they fear displeasing God, they stay away from those things which God calls evil… regardless of how men describe them. (men call evil good!)
• Those who fear the Lord RUN away from all such evil… they stay away… want nothing to do with it.
• Depart means depart! They don’t even want to touch the unclean thing.
• Thus, they can have strong confidence in areas where others tremble!

c. Examples of how God fearing people who depart from evil have confidence:
• Alcohol: Prov. 23:29, 31-32 – don’t even look at it!
» Those who fear God depart from alcohol.
» They don’t touch it.
» Hence, they have confidence that they will never become an alcoholic… their family will never fall apart because of alcohol abuse!
» They not only have confidence but STRONG confidence!
» If you don’t take your first drink you will NEVER become an alcoholic! (Even if you ARE genetically predisposed to the “disease”!)

• Aids: Prov. 7:21-27 – Solomon warns young men of the sin of immorality.
» Those who fear God run away from temptation… like Joseph from Potiphar’s wife.
» Those who fear God depart from evil… want nothing to do with it.
» Those who do NOT fear God… those who do NOT depart from this kind of evil do NOT have confidence. They are scared to death about aids.
» But those who fear the Lord can have strong confidence. This disease isn’t going to affect you if you walk with God and fear Him.

• Imprisonment: Rom. 13:1-4 – Paul warns the believer that if we obey the laws of the government, we have nothing to worry about.
» Those who fear God will obey the government that God established over us.
» Those God fearers can have strong confidence that they will escape the sword… they won’t be fined, imprisoned, or harmed by the Government.
» But those who do NOT fear God—and demonstrate that by not obeying the laws of the land have NO grounds for confidence. They ought to be trembling in their boots!
» Eventually, the sword of the Lord will catch up to them. God’s wrath will be executed against them. No confidence… no sense of safety or security.

d. The fear of the Lord delivers men from many of the things men in the world fear most…
• The God-fearer is delivered from fear and can stand in confidence.
• Not self confidence, but confidence in God and His Word.
• There is safety and security in walking with God and fearing His Word.

3. The fear of the Lord produces CONFIDENCE… and boldness.

a. The fear of men causes us to cower and shrink away.

b. The fear of man causes us to tremble… to fear what they might DO to us… that removes all confidence and sense of safety.

c. But the fear of the Lord produces confidence.
• It was the fear of the Lord that enabled John Knox to stand up to the evil queen… and proclaim the truth.
• It was the fear of God that enabled Martin Luther to stand up to the Roman church…
• It is the fear of God that enabled the martyrs to have the boldness to face death rather than deny the Lord.
• The fear of the Lord will also enable you and me to be able to stand up for what is right… to speak up for Christ when the Spirit moves… and not to fear men.
• The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
• Cf. Psalm 112:1,2,6-8 – the God fearing man is secure; safe; his heart is fixed; his seed will be mighty upon the earth!

26b And his children shall have a place of refuge.

1. This speaks of the children of a God fearing man or woman.

2. Young people: if your parents are walking with the Lord and fear God—you are in a privileged position… a place of safety.

a. In a sense, YOU are advantaged by THEIR fear of God.

b. Prov. 20:7 – if your father is a godly man who walks in integrity, there is a blessing that his children receive from that. Kids benefit from godly parents… from their lifestyle.

3. I Cor. 7:14 – in a sense, this is what Paul meant when he said that the children in a household where a believer resides are “holy.”

a. Holy = set apart; separated.

b. This does not mean that the child is saved or even has a holy lifestyle, necessarily.

c. Rather, it means that that child is separated from all other heathen children in the sense that there is a Christian testimony in his home.

d. That child is in a special environment where he will hear God’s Word… see a God-fearing person live before them…

e. They have the very special advantage that a Christian lifestyle brings to a home… (parents that love each other; minimal fighting; no swearing; no infidelity; no gambling; no drinking)

f. Children brought up in that environment are “holy” in the sense that they live in a special and unique—a set apart environment… and that has its advantages.

g. Unfortunately, children brought up in Christian homes don’t even KNOW how the other half lives… and thus don’t VALUE the special privilege and advantage that it is to be brought up in a Christian home!

4. A place of refuge.

a. Place of refuge: refuge; shelter: from rain or storm, from danger; from falsehood.

b. Children who have God-fearing parents are holy—in a set apart, special, unique, privileged position.

c. Children who have God-fearing parents are in a place of shelter and safety: from the storms of life that attack other families; from different forms of danger;

d. They are in a place of safety—from falsehood! Their parents know God and fear Him. They know the truth—and bring those children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

e. This is an AWESOME advantage…

f. These children have the advantage of being taught God’s Word; they have been prayed for daily by a godly parent; they can SEE the power of God operating in their godly parent…

g. Those children (OUR children) are growing up with a hedge about them… they are sheltered from storms, trouble, danger, and snares of life that other children face every day!

h. Not every child HAS a place of refuge.
• Some are forced to live in abusive situations… physically, emotionally, and even sexually abused.
• Some grow up with parents who are stoned on drugs or drunk on alcohol and have to try to survive through it all.
• Some grow up in an atmosphere of constant fighting.

i. But the children of those who fear God have a place of refuge from all that.
• They don’t appreciate it, but that’s what God says.
• It might be a good idea sometime to let our kids actually SEE how other children have to live…
• Many of the children on the Indian reservations have a struggle just to survive in their homes… hardly a place of refuge.
• Young people: thank God for what you have! Learn to appreciate it! It is only by God’s grace that you live in a place of refuge.

27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

1. Here Solomon states that fearing God prolongs life… because it results in departing from evil… and the snares of death that are often associated with evil.

a. Longevity was mentioned in conjunction with certain types of behavior.

b. Prov. 3:1-2 – Obedience to parents results in longevity…

c. Prov. 3:13,16 – following the ways of wisdom results in longevity

d. These are not promises in each and every case… but are proverbs: those who live in the fast lane will die in the fast lane.

e. A refusal to go by the rules will normally shorten one’s life.

f. Those who fear God have a fountain of life… a fountain that refreshes, restores, and sustains life.

g. God in His great wisdom has told us which roads to take and which roads to avoid.

h. Those who fear God will comply—and it will enhance their lives… prolong their days…

2. Those who do NOT fear God will find that they will not escape the snares of death.

a. They don’t fear God… don’t walk in His ways… don’t listen to His words of wisdom…

b. Hence, they will pay a dear price.

c. These are the young fools who contract aids and die…

d. These are the young fools who drive drunk and wrap their car around a tree… killing themselves or their friends… or themselves AND their friends…

e. These are the young rebels who run up huge gambling debts and discover that people with guns are looking for them…

f. The fear of the Lord KEEPS men from the snares of death. But a LACK of Godly fear leads a man, woman, or child right into that snare… right into that trap…