The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7)
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (Psalms 25:14)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:10)
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The Hebrew word for fear (yirah) is the same as revere, or to show devotion to. So the secret of the Lord is with those who devote themselves to Him.
Rabbi Alan Lew describes yirah as:
“The fear that overcomes us when we suddenly find ourselves in possession of considerably more energy than we are used to, inhabiting a larger space than we are used to inhabiting. It is also the feeling we feel when we are on sacred ground.”
Rabbi Fern Feldman wrote:
“When we experience yirah, it can mean we are terrified, or it can mean we are in awe, or it can mean we are experiencing some feeling that is both awe and fear.”
Rabbi Yoel Glick explained:
“To feel awe at the beauty of God’s creation is also yirat shamayim. To rejoice in the miracle of birth and the splendor of a sunset; to be dazzled by the incredible diversity of life in its manifold forms, to marvel at the amazing array of personalities, cultures and religions that have emerged from the human race – all these experiences are expressions of yirat shamayim, the awe of God.”
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– Tom Irvine