Proverbs 13:13: Do You Fear the Word of God?

Proverbs 13:13 (NKJV)

"He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded."

If you do not already do so, I highly encourage all of my readers to pick up the Proverbs and read one chapter a day, and read the chapter that matches the day. For example, today is the 13th of January, so I read the 13th chapter of Proverbs.

This Proverb, first of all, is a contrast. That is the basic framework that we want to remember as we begin to investigate this verse. Notice the contrast: the man who despises the Word of God, and the man who fears it. The man who despises the Word of God will be destroyed, but the man that fears it will be rewarded.



First, let's begin with the man who despises the Word of God. He does not have any desire for it, nor does he obey the commandments or principles in it. He has rejected it with his entire heart.

They do not want the Word of God telling them what they can and cannot do, they just want to live for themselves and do what pleases themselves. Romans 8:6-8 (NASB) says,

"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

These verse clearly show why man rejects the Word of God. Their mind is set on the flesh and it is hostile toward God. The man who rejects the Word of God is in rebellion against God, so it is no surprise that they reject the Word of God! It is because of their depravity that they reject the Word of God.

The consequence of rejecting the Word of God is clear in this verse: they "will be destroyed." They will be punished eternally for their sin and rejection. They are commanded to repent and believe, and to obey and serve God, but they are unwilling and reject God. For this they will be held accountable.

That is the consequence of living in open rebellion against God. You must remember: this punishment is certain. Unless the sinner repents of his sin and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, he will be punished for the sins that he has committed.

The godly man, instead of despising the Word of God, fears God and seeks to obey the Word of God. Psalm 1:2 says:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,                                                                                 And in His law he meditates day and night.

He loves the law of the Lord, and he fears it. He is careful to obey the commandments in the Word of God. By obeying the Word of God, he has escaped God's eternal punishment. The wrath of God is no longer upon him. He "will be rewarded" for fearing God and His Word.

Of course, we must remember that we can only fear and obey the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only true Christians can obey the Word of God. As it says in Romans 8:8: "the flesh cannot please God." It is by the grace of God that we fear and obey the Word of God.

Now the question everyone must ask themselves is: Am I fearing the Word of God, or am I despising it? If you say that you fear the Word of God: is it impacting the way you think about current issues, or are you taken captive by every idea that the majority desires?

Everyone either fears the Word of God or rejects it. Notice that this verse does not give three characters: one that rejects it, one that fears it, and one that is in the middle. It only gives us two: one that rejects the Word of God and the other one that fears it. One of these characters will be destroyed as a result, and the other one will be rewarded.

Which one are you?