Fear and Fountains

(Proverbs 14:27 KJV)  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

All of us are familiar with “fear” (3374) but us city boys don’t know much about fountains.  For modern urban dwellers a fountain is in a public place and is usually associated with some artistic statue.  In some areas children play in it.  It is a decoration.

This “fountain” (4726) would be natural.  It would be a place where the water bearer of the family would come to get water.  It was a source of life.

If I had to haul my water I would prefer a fountain to a well.  A well means I must labor to bring the water up.  A fountain delivers the product.  Has someone dropped something in the well?  If they drop something in the fountain it gets washed away and replaced.  Well water stays put.  Fountain water overflows and goes on to new areas.

I prefer a life-giving fear.

So?  Someone said there are two reasons not to fear.  One is because you are very brave.  The other is because you don’t understand the situation.  For us, we fear because we know the situation.  We live because we know the Fountain.