“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.”
Proverbs 22:4
Fourteen words can offer us so much for so little. In this verse, there are two conditions and three blessings. The world stumbles on in educated ignorance, wondering why they are so poor, despised, and dysfunctional. They will never know this wisdom or its rewards.
Praise His glorious name! And thank Him for the opportunity to learn divine truth from the true and living God.
First Condition: Humility
Humble yourself before your Creator, and reject every idea you have contrary to the wisdom before you. It is proven by taking correction, saying you are sorry, avoiding public praise, serving others quietly, being reserved publicly, and never talking about yourself.
Second Condition: Fear of the Lord
This is reverently seeking to honor God in all you do. It’s when a man does everything he can to obey and please the true God, and He avoids anything to dishonor Him as much as possible. It is identified by the desire a man has for preaching, the Bible, and righteousness, and how much he hates sin (Proverbs 8:13).
To "fear" God is to respectfully recognize how great He is and act accordingly. The "fear of the Lord" is more than respect, but it is not abject terror. True reverence drives out pride and fills the heart with humility.
First Blessing: Riches
This comes in the form of spiritual and financial blessings, and other things as well. Things that money cannot buy. There are many things greater than money in the bank to everyone but greedy misers (Proverbs 15:17; 16:8; 17:1).
Second Blessing: Honor
A humble man who fears the LORD will grow in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). A man who fears the LORD will be honored by others, for his conduct will be gracious and righteous (Proverbs 18:12; 22:11). Men will want to be his friends, and he will be lifted up from among other men by these two excellent and exceptional traits.
Third Blessing: Life
The senses in which life is meant here include things that cannot be described (I Corinthians 2:9). But Scripture does mention an abundant life, a good life, a joyful life, a peaceful life, a productive life, an extended life, and eternal life. And both now and eternity will be spent with God Himself as your friend (Genesis 15:1; Exodus 33:11).
You cannot have riches, honor, and life any other way. There is no shortcut to avoid humility and the fear of God as the necessary conditions for prosperity and success. Grab this wisdom and run with it!
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