Going Over The Edge

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! [Psalm 111.10] 

Let's explore the fear of the LORD in its foundational position.

If all who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom, then the First Commandment should be foundational to that, right?

You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

THINK! Why would God make "You must not have any other god but me" the first Commandment? Because everything else that follows can only be built upon that foundation.

There exists an analogous story in a variety of versions about one's ability to avoid "going over the edge." As the story is told, a person is being sought out to convey passengers or cargo past a treacherous drop-off and the single criterion for their employ is the proximity to which they pass the drop-off. While most proudly passed as close as possible to impress their potential employer with their skill, the employer hired the one who humbly stayed the farthest away.

If "going over the edge" is idolatry (having other gods), then "the fear of the LORD" would be staying as far away from idols as humanly possible. 

The safest, most God-fearing position relative to idols is the position farthest away from them!

It is not really the fear of the LORD to defend how proudly close we can get to idols without actually worshiping them (falling off the edge), but rather how humbly far we can stay away from them.

If debt, insurance, medicine and technology all promise benefits God Himself promised (wealth, protection, health and conveniences), is there not a "dangerous edge" there that (at the very least) they could become idols? Why then would anyone wishing to fully and humbly honor the First Commandment want to be any closer to this "dangerous edge" than absolutely necessary?

True wisdom is staying as far away from idols as possible. The foundation of this true wisdom is fearing even the possibility of having any other god but the LORD.

Father, may the truth of Your Word pierce our hearts and minds as we uncover lies we have believed about what idols are and what they are not. May we not be found proudly defending idolatry by how close we get to it, but rather be found humbly fearing You and any possibility of inadvertently "going over the edge" to serve idols by staying as far as possible away from them. So be it.