The Wisdom Literature!Introduction!

There  are  three  books  in  the  Old  Testament  that  are  generally   put   in   the   category   of   “Wisdom   Literature”.    This   is   despite   that   fact   that   they   are   very   different  from  each  other.    Those  three  books  are,  Job,  Proverbs  and   Ecclesiastes.     For   the   purpose   of   this   sermon  series,  we  are  including  Song  of  Songs  even  though  this  is  not  really  a  ‘wisdom’  book.  

Just  as  the  Psalms  tend  to  be  associated  with  David  (with   73   of   them   having   his   name   in   the   Ltle)   the  wisdom   literature   has   always   been   associated   with  Solomon.    Whether  he  actually  wrote  any  of  the  books,  or  even  part  of   them,   is  not   really   important ,   for   the  1

value  of   them   lies  not   in   the  author  but   in  what   they  tell  us  about  life  lived  as  the  people  of  God.  Again  like  the  Psalms,  most  of  the  Wisdom  books  are  wriQen  in  poetry.  

Hebrew  wisdom  literature  is  not  the  only  example  of  similar  genres  in  the  naLons  around;  we  have  examples  from  Egypt  and  Mesopotamia  as  well  as  in  the  Apocrypha.  In  the  New  Testament,  the  LeQer  of  James  has  many  of  the  characterisLcs  of  Wisdom  literature  reading  it  as  such  can  be  helpful.  

Proverbs!The  Hebrew  word  that  we  translate  as  ‘proverb’,  mashal,  is  best  understood  to  mean  ‘to  be  like’  

and  we  should  understand  the  proverbs  as  object  lessons  which  set  out  the  right  course  of  acLon  in  given  situaLons.      

Structure of Proverbs !2

1:1-­‐9:18   ‘The  proverbs  of  Solomon  son  of  David,  king  of  Israel’                                                                  10:1-­‐22:16   ‘The  proverbs  of  Solomon’                                                        22:17-­‐24:22   ‘The  words  of  the  wise’                                                    24:23-­‐34   ‘These  are  also  the  sayings  of  the  wise’                                                                25:1-­‐29:27   ‘These  are  the  proverbs  of  Solomon  that  the  officials  of  King  Hezekiah                                                        

of  Judah  copied’  30:1-­‐14   ‘The  words  of  Agur  son  of  Jakeh’                                                                    30:15-­‐33   A  collecLon  of  numerical  proverbs                                                                31:1-­‐9   ‘The  words  of  King  Lemuel’                                                                        31:10-­‐31   An  acrosLc  poem  about  a  capable  wife                                                                

Potential traps!Unlike  many  ‘self-­‐help’  books  of  our  Lme,  the  book  of  Proverbs  is  not  aimed  at  teaching  us  how  

to  control  our  desLny.    Rather,  they  are  about  the  working  out  of  principles  that  have  shown  the  test  of  Lme,  all  within  the  context  of  the  fear  of  God;  of  true,  meaningful,  acLve  faith.  They  are  not  a  set  of  rules.  A  simple  example  of  this  is  the  following  proverb:  

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One  of   the  ways  of  expressing  what  these  books  have   in   common   is   to   say  that   they   are   all   concerned   with  ‘wisdom’.     This   can   be   jusLfied   simply  on   the   level   of   vocabulary.     Various  forms   of   the   Hebrew   root   hkm,  meaning   ‘wisdom’   occur   relaLvely  frequently   in   them…   Taken   together,  these   three   books   account   for   the  majority  of  the  occurrences  of  the  root  hkm  in  the  Hebrew  Bible.  Exploring   the  Old  Testament  Volume  3,  79

If you wish to follow this up, any introduction to one of these books in a good commentary will deal with the 1

issue of Solomon and his authorship or otherwise.

Taken from Exploring the Old Testament Volume 3, 912

Introduction to the Old Testament

Train  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go  And  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  turn  from  it.  (Proverbs  22:6)  

This   is   a   proverb   that   comes   out   of   observing   generaliLes   and   much   heartache   amongst  ChrisLan   families   could   have   been   avoided   if   it   were   remembered   that   it   is   a   proverb   not   a  promise.    A  few  verses  further  on  in  the  same  chapter  we  read,  

He  who  loves  a  pure  heart  and  whose  speech  is  gracious          will  have  the  king  for  his  friend.  (Proverbs  22:11)  

You  may  have  both  a  pure  heart  and  gracious  speech  but  not  have  a  king  for  a  friend.    What  we  take  from  this  proverb  is  a  general  principle  about  how  we  behave  and  the  type  of  people  that  will  mean  we  have  friendships  with.    It  reminds  us  of  the  type  of  life  that  will  be  beneficial,  it  does  not  give  a  cast-­‐iron  guarantee.  

This  also  helps  us  understand  some  of  the  examples  of  contradicLons  in  the  book.    Experience  leads  us  to  realise  that  one  way  of  doing  things  is  not  always  the  only  way.      "

Take  this  example  from  Proverbs  26:4  

Do  not  answer  a  fool  according  to  his  folly,    or  you  will  be  like  him  yourself.  

Then  compare  it  with  the  very  next  verse:  

Answer  a  fool  according  to  his  folly,    or  he  will  be  wise  in  his  own  eyes. "

To   understand   a   proverb   correctly,   then,   we   need   to   always   bear   in   mind   that   they   lack   a  context.    The  two  examples  above  are  both  true,  but  they  are  true  in  different  situaLons.    We  have  similar  contradicLons  in  English  proverbs.  “In  certain  circumstances  the  proverb,  ‘Look  before  you  leap’   is   an   appropriate   admoniLon;   in   others   ‘He   who   hesitates   is   lost’   provides   a   valuable  insight.”  3

Job!Job  is  one  of  the  most  difficult,  yet  rewarding,  of  books  in  the  Old  Testament.    It  deals  with  the  

problem  of  suffering  and  God’s  ordering  of  the  universe,  topics  which  conLnue  to  raise  issues  for  believers  and  unbelievers  alike.    

It  is  difficult  to  sum  up  the  message  of  Job  in  a  few  sentences,  however  the  following  ideas  may  help.  4

• Grounds  for  courage  in  the  face  of  the  mystery  of  suffering  • Suffering  can  deepen  our  knowledge  of  God  • Valuing  God’s  presence  for  its  own  sake  • The  ‘redempLon  of  God’  • A  challenge  to  human  self-­‐understanding  

The  central  passage   seems   to  be  God’s   speeches   to   Job  and  his   responses   in   chapters  38-­‐42.    Here,  God  reveals  himself  to  Job  as  the  one  who  is  both  creator  and  sovereign;  Job’s  response  to  this  revelaLon  of  God’s  power  and  glory  is,  

My  ears  had  heard  of  you  But  now  my  eyes  have  seen  you  Therefore  I  despise  myself  And  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.  (Job  42:5-­‐6)  

Job  does  not  offer  simple  answers   to   the  difficult  quesLon  of   suffering,   something  we  should  seek   to   emulate.     There   are   some   things   in   this   life   which   we,   as   human   beings,   will   fail   to  

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Exploring the Old Testament, Volume 3, 953

These ideas are taken from Exploring the Old Testament, Volume 3, 138-1404

understand.    In  our  world,  where  control  of  our  circumstances  seems  to  be  so  important  to  us,  it  is  sobering  to  realise  that  there  are  things  that  are  out  of  our  control    Job,  as  a  book,  encourages  us  to  deal  with  difficulLes  by   an   acceptance,   through,   faith,   of   our   limitaLons   and  of  God’s   overall  sovereignty  and  plan.  

Structure !51:1-­‐2:13     Prologue:  The  TesLng  of  Job                                                                3:1-­‐31:40     The  Speeches  of  Job  and  His  Friends                                                          32:1-­‐37:24     Elihu’s  Speeches                                                      38:1-­‐42:6     Yahweh’s  Speeches  to  Job                                                            42:7-­‐17     Epilogue:  The  VindicaLon  of  Job                                                                  

Ecclesiastes!Like   Job,   Ecclesiastes   is   a   difficult   book.     In   both   Jewish   and   ChrisLan   history   it   has   been  

quesLoned  whether   it   should   remain   in   the   canon;   the  answer  has   always  been  a  posiLve  one.    This  is  despite  the  fact  that  no  important  events  in  Jewish  history  are  menLoned;  there  is  no  talk  of  the   covenant;   and   there   appears   to   be   a   negaLve   aotude   towards   life   with   no   hope   of  resurrecLon.    Indeed,  the  opening  quesLon  is,  “What  does  man  gain  from  all  his  labour  at  which  he  toils  under  the  sun?”  (Ecclesiastes  1:3)    It  is  a  book  that  forces  us  to  struggle  with  the  reality  of  life,  and  life  is  difficult  and  complex.    It  also  does  not  fit  in  with  our  modern,  Western  desire  for  a  logical   progression   of   ideas   and   thoughts.     It   resists   aQempts   to   say   that   chapter   3:2   is   a  development  from  chapter  2:1.    It  may  be,  but  equally  it  may  not  be.    As  with  all  wisdom  books,  we  have  to  engage  our  brains  and  think  carefully  when  reading  Ecclesiastes.    But  the  care  will  bring  great  rewards.  

Interpreters  have  tried  to  deal  with  the  difficulLes  posed  by  the  book  in  a  number  of  ways.    The  most  common  way,  though,  is  what  probably  prevails  today,  we  “accept  Ecclesiastes  in  principle…  but  …  ignore  it  in  pracLce” .    That  seems  to  me  to  be  neither  helpful  nor  show  much  integrity.    6

Structure 71:1-­‐11     IntroducLon                                      1:12-­‐2:26     Wisdom,  Pleasure  and  Joy                            3:1-­‐22     A  Time  for  Everything                                      4:1-­‐16     Achievement  and  Oppression                                      5:1-­‐7     True  Worship                                            5:8-­‐6:12     The  Pursuit  of  Wealth                                7:1-­‐12     Wisdom  is  a  Shelter                                      

7:13-­‐29     The   Universe   Beyond   Our                                  Grasp                                            8:1-­‐17     Dealing  with  an  Unjust  World                                      9:1-­‐12     Living  in  the  Face  of  Death                                      9:13-­‐10:20     The  Way  of  Wisdom                      11:1-­‐8   The  Mysterious  God                                        11:9-­‐12:8     In  the  Days  of  Youth                            12:9-­‐14     The  Teacher  was  a  Wise  Man                                

Themes!  There  are  a  number  of  themes  we  could  draw  from  the  book  but  I  wish  to  concentrate  on  just  

one;  one  which  the  book  is  probably  most  famous  for.    Chapter  1:  2  says  this,  

“Meaningless!    Meaningless!”  Says  the  Teacher.  “UQerly  meaningless!  Everything  is  meaningless.”  

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This is adapted from Exploring… 118, where you will find a much more detailed breakdown of the book5

NIVAC, 246

Adapted from NIVAC, 437

Introduction to the Old Testament

The  word  translated  “meaningless”  is  the  Hebrew  hebel.    In  other   contexts   this   is   translated,   ‘breath’   or   ‘fleeLng’   and  8

emphasises   the   transient   nature   of   life.     One   example   will  suffice,    

Charm  is  decepLve,  and  beauty  is  fleeLng  (hebel);  But  a  woman  who  fears  the  Lord  is  to  be  praised.  (Proverbs  

31:30).  

If  we  use   this   translaLon,  we  find   the  Teacher  encouraging  us   to   do   two   things,   firstly   to   fear   God   (chapter   12:1-­‐8)   and  secondly   to   recognise   our   own   mortality,   which   the   Teacher  sees  as  the  main  obstacle  to  living  well  in  the  world.    He  targets  two  specific  areas  where  we  try  to  control  our   life  rather  than  submiong  to  God’s  will.    These  are  our  search   for  knowledge  and  our  quest  for  wealth.    His  message  -­‐  similar  to  that  in  Job  -­‐  is  that  we  should  simply  live  out  our  life  before  God  rather  than  trying  to  control  our  desLny.  

Song of Songs!The  book  has  caused  problems  to  commentators  down  the  ages  because  of  the  explicit  sexual  

nature   of   the   poems.     This   led   to   an   allegorical   reading   being   the   most   common   where   the  relaLonship  between  the  man  and  the  woman  was  seen  as  a  picture  of  the  relaLonship  between  God  and   Israel,  or  Christ  and  the  church.    While   there  may  be  an  allegorical  meaning,  we  must,  firstly,  treat  the  text  on  its  own  terms  and  read  it  as  it  seems  to  be  a  poem  -­‐  or  series  of  poems  -­‐  about  human  love  and  sexuality.  

There  are  various  ways  in  which  the  Song  of  Songs  can  be  understood.    It  could  be  a  drama  with  two,  or  three  main  characters  and  a  chorus.    It  could  be  a  collecLon  of  related  songs,  an  anthology.    However  we  decide  to  break  it  down,  the  basic  message  would  seem  to  be  that  God  created  sex  as  he  did  other  aspects  of  our  humanity.    The  book  encourages  us   to  place  our  sexuality  within   its  correct   context   and   to,   thus,   reject   the   two   extremes   that   are   prevalent   in   the   church   and   our  culture  of  either  repressing  sexual  desire  or  encouraging  indiscriminate  saLsfacLon  of  that  desire.    Sex   is  not  about  personal  needs  and  desires,  or  about  power  and  control;  ways   in  which  human  sexuality  are  distorted   in  our  Lme.    Rather   it   is  about  the  enjoyment  of  a  gis  of  God  within  the  context  defined  “by  a  good  God  who  made  all  things  and  knows  what  is  best  for  his  creatures.”  9

Structure !10

Most   modern   translaLons   give   a   structure   to   the   poem   with   their   headings.     It   is   good   to  remember   that   this   represents   only   one   of   several   possible   structure   (as   does   the   one   below).    When  reading,  it  is  worth  thinking  through  who  the  characters  speaking  may  be  for  yourself. 1:1-­‐17   The  Lovers  Presented                    2:1-­‐17   SpringLme  in  PalesLne                    3:1-­‐11   The  Terrors  of  the  Night                    "

4:1-­‐5:1   A  Man  Enraptured                  5:2-­‐6:10   The  Lovers  Entranced            6:11-­‐7:13   The  Dance  of  Delights        8:1-­‐14   Love  Strong  as  Death                  

Reading!• Exploring  the  Old  Testament  Volume  3,  The  Psalms  and  Wisdom  Literature;  E.  Lucas,  SPCK  • The  NIV  ApplicaGon  Commentary  -­‐  Ecclesiastes/Song  of  Songs;  I  Provan,  Zondervan

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W h a t e v e r   t r u t h   …  Ecclesiastes  has  to  tell  us  in  the  context  of  biblical  truth  overall,  ChrisLan   readers   know   that   it  will   be   truth   that   sets   us   free  (John  8:32).     Cherished  beliefs  that   are   found   not   to   be   true,  by  contrast,  when  examined  by  the  searchlight  of  biblical  truth,  are   not   worth   retaining   and  can  do  us  no   good   if  we   insist  on  doing  so.  NIVAC,  25

See NIVAC 51-52 for a detailed discussion.8

NIVAC, 2539

Adapted from NIVAC 25610