Wisdom Books Flashcards
To understand impact of Job
It must be read and understood as a whole
Job was written
Likely even before Genesis was written
Eliphaz
Bases his bad advice on personal experience
Bildad
Bases his bad advice on tradition
Zophar
Bases his bad advice on doctrine
Statements of Job’s friends
While technically in the Bible, cannot be used for doctrinal purposes, for they are often wrong. In the end of the book, God rebukes them for not speaking the truth about Him
Other Wisdom Literature of the Near East at this time
Man and His God
I Will Praise the Lord of Wisdom
The Babylonian Theodicy
What we can use in ministry
They came
They wept (sympathized) with him
They were present and saying nothing for 7 days
Elihu’s view
Suffering can be preventative as well as punitive
God’s monologue
Changes from considering God’s justice to considering God’s wisdom
God’s message
Just as God’s wisdom is infinitely higher than Man’s, so God’s understanding of justice is higher than Man’s. So it should be no surprise that we might not always ‘get’ God’s justice.
Why is Job at peace when none of his questions have been answered?
Because Job has accepted the fact that God’s wisdom is so high above his own that the most healing thing is to know God rather than knowing all the answers
Book of Job tests
Retribution theology. (The righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer)
Job also tests
Pagan cultures of his time
There is some suffering
That is beyond explanation and we should resist efforts to try to make sense of it. The answer, “I don’t know” is sometimes the best (and most healing) answer to someone’s begging question “Why?”
Psalms are not
Doctrinal statements
Creeds
History
Psalms are
Poetry
Prayer
Intended to be set to music and prayed in worship
Psalter
Book of Psalms is often called
Types of Psalms
Lament
Thanksgiving
Hymns
Most Numerous Psalms
Lament
Psalms have been authoritative for us
As a guide for worship
As an example of honesty before God
As a demonstration of the importance of prayer, praise, and meditation
Jesus Himself
As well as the testimony of the New Testament affirms the biblical authority of the Psalms
Material in the Psalms
Was not written to communicate abstract theology for us. It was written to help people come to worship God from all the turmoil of life, good and bad
Function of Lament Psalms
Is to expresses a faith and trust in God even when there is no immediate evidence that He is active
Function of Thanksgiving Psalms
Is to praise God for something He has done for the Psalmist or to offer thanksgiving in the form worship
Function of Hymns
Is to praise God because He is God, and we know He is because we have cried to Him, and He is acted
All Psalms
Are Different Aspects of Praise
Psalms think of God
Not in intellectual terms or doctrines, but in dynamic terms that see God active and interactive in human affairs
Psalter teaches us
That praise in the mode of lament is just as important as praise in the mode of doxology
Cycle of Psalms
Lament-thanksgiving-hymn
Proverbs
Concerns itself completely with instructing people in the path of godly wisdom
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Wisdom
According to Proverbs, involves having a measure of humility both before God as well as before others.
Primary function of Proverbs
Is to instruct youth
Applying Proverbs
An important note is to understand them as wisdom not promises. Proverbs is about probabilities rather than promises
52%
Of the first 9 chapters speak of the value of wisdom
24%
Of the first 9 chapters warn young men against adultery
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another
Song of Songs
Is often interpreted as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel, God and the Church, or Christ and the human soul, as husband and wife.
However, some reject any allegorical interpretation of this book claiming that a better interpretation is to take it at face value; as a collection of passionate love songs between a husband and wife.
Understanding Song of Songs
It either way can teach us about love. Song of Songs is probably best seen as both.
Book combats two extremes
Asceticism (Denial of all pleasure) and hedonism (pursuit of only pleasure)
G.K. Chesterton
Meaninglessness does not come from being weary from pain, it comes from being weary from pleasure
Purpose of Ecclesiastes
- In the end, the Preacher comes to accept that faith in God is the only way to find personal meaning
- He decides to accept the fact that life is brief and ultimately worthless without God
- The Preacher advises the reader to focus on an eternal God instead of temporary pleasure
First Main Message
Everything is meaningless
Vanity
Emphasizes the temporary limited nature of worldly things
Under the Sun
Occurs 28 times, and refers to the mortal world. When the Preacher refers to “all things under the sun”, he is talking about earthly, temporary, human things
Second Main Message
It is of value to serve God faithfully throughout life
