The fear of the Lord is the most basic ingredient in wisdom. All wisdom depends on knowledge of God and submission to his will. To know something and not know God overturns the value of having knowledge at all. The foolish have rejected the fear of the Lord. The term despise packs a strong negative strike of not fearing God is the same as altogether rejecting wisdom.
Wisdom can undoubtedly help us acquire wealth, influence people, or career success, however, it involves more than knowledge alone. It is also a matter of understanding God's perspectives in applying what you know and having the character to act accordingly. True wisdom - the kind that begins with the fear of the Lord, often runs counter to what our culture values and applauds. This is the wisdom the book of Proverbs teaches.
We could all use more wisdom in our lives; thus the book of Proverbs was designed to guide us into it. It has multiple authors and employs diverse styles. But its goal remains simple: to equip us for living in a way that succeeds first and foremost in God's eyes through his Word.
sablack