John Carter – January 20, 2014 – Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Overview of the Bible
Wisdom Literature
Job
Who is God?
“the truly wise person submit’s to God’s will”[1]
Outline[2]
- Prose Prologue That Introduces the Characters and Plot (chs. 1-2)
- Job’s Dialogue with His Three “Friends” (chs. 3-31)
– Job’s Lament (ch. 3)
– Three Cycles of Dialogues (chs. 4-27)
– The Poem on Divine Wisdom (ch. 28)
– Job’s Last Speech (chs. 29-31)
- Elihu’s Monologue (chs. 32-37)
- Yahweh Speaks From the Whirlwind (Job 38-42:6)
- The Prose Epilogue (Job 42:7-17)
Job 2:9-10
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the wfoolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
The Friends
Eliphaz the Temanite – Bildad the Shuhite – Zophar the Naamathite
“their advice is good but misplaced”[3]
God
Does not ‘answer’ Job
“There is no hint… that Job is being treated (by God) as a sinner; rather, he is being treated as one whose horizons need to be expanded.”[4]
Ecclestiaties 11:5
Warning: Job is not a hand book to quote to those in the midst of mourning
Gospel: A blameless (innocent) Man suffers for ‘no reason’. This same man is the conduit of redeemption for others. Job 1:1 & 42:7-9
Proverbs
The Ideal
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
“diverse collection of orthodox wisdom”[5]
Outline[6]
- Preamble (1:1-7)
- Extended Discourses on Wisdom (1:8-9:18)
- Solomonic Proverbs (10:1-22:16; 25:1-29:27)
- Sayings of the Wise (22:17-24:34)
- Sayings of Agur (30)
- Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1-9)
- Poem to the Virtuous Woman (31:10-31)
Parallelism – “at least two parallel lines of verse”[7]
Chaism – “occurs when succsesive lines of poetry reverse the order in which parallel themes apprear, ‘criss-crossing’ each other.”[8]
x/x+1 – an ancient form of writing[9]
Take time to study the words – Proverbs 30:18-20
Warning: The aphorisms are not to be read outside of the context of sin. Read with wisdom. (Proverbs 22:6)
Gospel: The fear of the YHWH is the beginning of wisdom.
Ecclesiasties
The Real
Ecclesiasties 12:9-10(upright/true) – 12:13-14(judgment)
Outline[10]
- Short Introduction to Themes (1:1-11)
- Qohelet’s Monologue (1:12-12:7)
– Qohelet’s Search for Meaning in Life (1:12-2:26)
– Continued Quest for Meaning (3:1-6:12)
– Advice and Instruction (7:1-12:7)
- Epilogue (12:8-14)
“The author does not always agree with what the preacher says” [11]
“The book of ecclesiasties is the black sheep of the canon of biblical books. It is the delight of skeptics and the despair of saints.”[12]
3 Major Themes[13]
- Everything is a vapor/Futility/Vanity {hebel} (used 37 times)
- Fear God (5:1-7)
- Enjoyment (9:7-9)[14] “enjoy life in spite of its absurdity”[15]
Another Theme
- ‘Under the Sun’[16]
Warning: “A doctrine of creation, however, underlies the Preacher’s thinking. We are reminded in this book that we are the creatures. We live an existence that the book broadly defines as “under the sun.” Thus no key to the meaning of life can be found within our closed circle of existence.”[17]
Gospel: Jesus will Judge the living and the Dead. Proverbs 12:13-14 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Song of Solomon
Physical Intimacy
Outline[18]
- Initial Meeting of the Maiden and King (1:1-3:5)
- Expressions of Affection to Marriage (3:6-5:1)
- Trouble Following Marriage (5:1-8:4)
- Marriage Bond Deepened (8:5-14)
Woman speaks first, longest and last[19]
Two major interpretations – Man & Woman or God & His People
Tanak Order of the Cannon Proverbs 31 – Ruth – Song of Songs
Ephesians 5:22-33 – Mystery – Husband/Wife & Christ/Church & God/His People
Genesis 2:24-25
Warning: Do not divorce the mystery.
Gospel: “the book also pertains both to the merciful God’s breaking into history with a true love for his people (not for his own self-regard) and to his people’s reserving their bodies for him.”[22]
Musica Theologica 