Proverbs 14:16 - Meaning and Application

Holy fear is a very good guard over all that is holy, and against everything that is unholy. It is wise to turn away from evil, especially the evil of sin, and in doing so to avoid every other kind of evil as well. So it is wise to fear, that is, to keep a careful watch over ourselves with godly jealousy. We should keep a healthy dread of God’s wrath and be afraid of coming near the edge of sin or toying with its first beginnings. A wise person, for fear of harm, stays out of harm’s way and quickly draws back when he finds himself moving toward temptation.

Presumption is foolish. The person who is warned of danger but still rages ahead and feels sure of himself, who cannot bear to be stopped, who openly defies the wrath and curse of God, and who keeps on in rebellion without fear, is acting rashly. If he makes himself comfortable around sin and plays near danger, he is a fool. He is acting against both reason and his own good, and his ruin will soon prove how foolish he has been.