Wisdom Literature- Job to Song of Solomon Flashcards
How can we understand the full impact of the book of Job?
it must be read and understood as a whole.
When was Job likely written?
before Genesis was written
Name each of the 5 people who give Job advice, and describe the kind of advice they give to him.
Eliphaz (roughly) bases his (bad) advice on personal experience.
Bildad (roughly) bases his (bad) advice on tradition
Zophar (roughly) bases his (bad) advice on doctrine
Elihu (the student) comes closest to an appropriate response
Job’s wife bases her advice on desperation, grief, and unbelief
Can the advise of those to Job be used for doctrinal purposes?
cannot be used for doctrinal purposes, for they are often wrong
Name the titles of 3 other books of wisdom literature (not Bible) written in the Near East at this time in History.
“Man and His God”
“I Will Praise the Lord of Wisdom”
“The Babylonian Theodicy”
What 3 things did Job’s friends do that we can actually use in our ministry today?
They came.
They wept (sympathized) with him.
They were present and saying nothing for 7 days.
In Job, What is Elihu’s view of suffering?
suffering can be preventative as well as punitive.
Describe the impact on the subject of suffering that comes from the whole monologue from God (in Job).
The whole monologue from God is changes from considering God’s justice to considering God’s wisdom.
What is God’s message from Job 38-42?
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.
What 2 things does the book of Job test?
retribution theology (The righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer).
pagan cultures of his time
Is there some suffering that lies beyond explanation? What can be the best answer to the question “why”? What can the answer bring to someone who is suffering?
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?”
The Psalms are not ______, _________, or ______.
Doctrinal statements
Creeds
History
The Psalms are _____ and _____ intended to be _____.
Poetry
Prayer
… intended to be:
set to music and prayed in worship
What is another term for the Book of Psalms?
The “Psalter,”
When considering the authorship of the Psalms, how is it best to understand them?
as the product of a community of faith who composed, collected and passed on their prayers, hymns, songs and liturgy as a witness to their experience as being the people of God.
Name the 3 main categories of Psalms mentioned in class.
Lament psalms:
Thanksgiving psalms:
Hymns:
Which category contains the most number of Psalms?
Lament psalms:
Name 3 ways that the Psalms have become 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.
Who affirms the biblical authority of the Psalms in the New Testament?
Jesus Himself, as well as the testimony of the New Testament
Explain what the material in the Psalms was:
- not written to communicate
- was written to communicate
The 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.
What is the function of a lament Psalm?
is to expresses a faith and trust in God even when there is no immediate evidence that He is active
What is the function of a thanksgiving Psalm?
to praise God for something He has done for the Psalmist or to offer thanksgiving in the form of worship.
What is the function of a hymn Psalm?
to praise God because He is God, and we know He is because we have cried to Him and He has acted.
All Psalms are different aspects of _______.
Praise
How do the Psalms perceive God?
not in intellectual terms or doctrines, but in dynamic terms that see God active and interactive in human affairs.
What does the Book of Psalms teach us about praise?
that praise in the mode of lament is just as important as praise in the mode of doxology
What is the theological implication of the order to the Psalms?
This order suggests that the cycle lament-thanksgiving-hymn was a deliberate progression
What does the Book of Proverbs completely concern itself with?
instructing people in the path of godly wisdom
Recite Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
What does wisdom involve, according to Proverbs?
having a measure of humility both before God as well as before others
What is the primary stated function of Proverbs?
to instruct youth
When applying Proverbs to life, how is it best to understand them?
as wisdom not promises
Are Proverbs about promises or probabilities?
probabilities
How much material in Proverbs 1-9 speaks about wisdom?
52%
24% of the material in Proverbs 1-9 speaks about what?
warn young men against adultery.
Recite Proverbs 27:17.
“As iron sharpens iron,so one person sharpens another.”
Quote from G.K. Chesterton:
“___________ does not come from being weary from _________, it comes from being weary from ________.”
Meaninglessness
pain
pleasure
Name 3 purposes to the book 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.
What are the 2 main messages to the book of Ecclesiastes?
“Everything is meaningless” (1:2)
It is of value to serve God faithfully throughout life
What does the word “vanity” or “meaningless” mean?
are used to emphasize the temporary limited nature of worldly things.
What does the phrase “under the sun” mean? How often does it occur in Ecclesiastes?
The phrase “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.
How is the Song of Songs 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
Why do some reject the often interpretation of Song of Songs?
How do they view the material?
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
What does the Song of Song teach us?
can teach us about love.
What two extremes does the book combat?
asceticism (the denial of all pleasure)
hedonism (the pursuit of only pleasure).
