Parables of Origin Chaos #2
The Two Sisters: On the Fear of the Lord and What it Means to Be a Fool
This parable is in response to a curious adolescent who requested my interpretation of Proverbs 1:7—
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Two sisters stood before their father after baking him his favorite cake.
One held her head high with pride, eager for praise.
The other lowered hers in reverence, awaiting his response.
The proud sister left shouting, “Of course he loves it! I’m a great baker!”
The humble one stood in silence, heart open.
Seeing her posture, the father gently lifted her head, smiled, and shared his thoughts. She asked, “How can I improve?”
And he answered.
In time, the one who feared him in love baked cake after cake, each better than the last. His joy in her grew deeper, and her reward was sweeter with every offering.
But the proud sister never learned what truly pleased her father.
She either stopped baking altogether...
Or worse—spent her life making cakes he never liked, too proud to listen, baking in vain.
Note on Interpretation:
"Fear" in this parable doesn’t mean terror—it comes from the Hebrew yirah, meaning holy awe, reverence, a love so great it fears to offend. Like a child standing before a beloved coach, teacher, or father—not afraid of punishment, but desperate not to disappoint.
To fear the Lord in this way is to humble the heart—
To make room for wisdom.
“But fools despise wisdom and instruction…” (Proverbs 1:7)
The Hebrew root of fools describes the one who is morally dull, hardened, or lacking humility.
The one who cannot receive correction—
Because they believe they don’t need it.