Proverbs 2:5

Proverbs 2:5 "Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God."

If/then.

As someone who writes a lot of computer programs, I have had to figure out a lot of if/then relationships. One of the challenges of writing a computer program is deciding what to do when the "if" is not true.

For example, if I am writing an inventory program to count green balls, I might say, "if the ball is green, then count it." But what if the ball is red? What do I tell the system to do? Do I send it to the incinerator? Put it in a bin? Ship it back to the manufacturer to be recycled? Ignore it?

In the previous verses, we have some "ifs." If we cry after knowledge, if we ask for understanding, if we seek wisdom like it is a hidden treasure...THEN we will understand the fear of the Lord. THEN we will understand the knowledge of God.

What if we do not cry after knowledge? What if we do not ask for understanding? What if we do not seek after wisdom like it is a hidden treasure? What is the "THEN" then?

What does God do? Send us to the incinerator? Put us in holding bin? Ship us back to be recycled? Ignore us?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of all wisdom. The opposite of wisdom and knowledge is foolishness.

If we cry, ask, and seek then wisdom and knowledge will follow. If we do not have a hunger and thirst for God, then foolishness will consume us.

As we go through Proverbs, let's pay careful attention to joys of wisdom and the consequences of being a fool.

We only have to read a little further to discover a few benefits of wisdom:

2:7 victory, protection (a shield, a buckler)
2:8 projection, direction (guarding our path), preservation
2:9 good judgment
2:10 pleasantness, satisfaction
2:11 discretion - protects us; understanding - guards us
2:12-15 we will be saved from getting caught up in the wicked schemes of others
2:16-19 we will be saved from the life robbing consequences of moral impurity.
2:20-22 we will live at peace in the place where God has placed us.