BOOK OF PROVERBS

Old Testament Workshop

Morrison Heights Baptist Church

January 12, 2020

WISDOM LITERATUREKIND FOCUS EXAMPLES

Practical Wisdom RULE of LIFE Proverbs

Speculative EXCEPTIONS JobWisdom to the RULE Ecclesiastes

“No harm befalls the righteous, but the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.” (Pr. 12:21)

Rule of Life

Exceptions

Why do bad

things happen to

good people?

Why do the

wicked prosper?

SEE Job and

Ecclesiastes.

OVERVIEWProverbs is a COLLECTION of COLLECTIONS.

1:1-7 Introduction and Purpose 1:8-9:18 Discourses and Cautions 10:1-22:16 Proverbs of Solomon: First Collection 22:17-23:14 Sayings to the Wise: First Collection 23:15-24:22 More Discourses and Cautions 24:23-34 Sayings to the Wise: Second Collection 25:1-29:27 Proverbs of Solomon: Second Collection 30:1-33 Words of Agur31:1-9 Words of Lemuel 31:10-31 Virtues of a Godly Woman

X Book of Job Book of Proverbs (1-29)

? Book of Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon

ROLE OF SOLOMON

PATRON

Wisdom Literature “[Solomon] also spoke 3,000 proverbs,

and his songs were 1,005.” 1 Kings 4:32

Poetry Short/Two-Liners

LINE ONE: A soft answer turns away wrath, LINE TWO: But a harsh word stirs up anger.

LINE ONE: The rich rules over the poor, LINE TWO: And the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Catchy

WHY? Easier to Remember generally true, NOT guaranteed

FORMAT

EXAMPLES

CAVEAT

FOCUS: Creation TheologyHOW? Observing humans and animals (“Field Study”) SEE the Statements in Proverbs.

METHODOLOGY

WHY?

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Ps. 24:1)

To discern the ORDER, “Cause and Effect” To minimize mysteryObjective: To Cope

INSTRUCTION GENRE Commandments

Admonitions (e.g., 5:15-20)Prohibitions (e.g., 3:27)

may begin with the words “My Son” SEE 1:10, 15; 2:1; 3:1, 11, 21; 4:20; 5:1; 6:1, 20; 7:1.

WISDOM SENTENCE Statements/Observations of Life

predominant in chapters 10-29

KINDS OF MATERIAL

“Trust in the Lord with

all your heart, and do

not lean on your own

understanding. In all

your ways acknowledge

him, and he will make

straight your paths.”

(Pr. 3:5-6)

NUMERICAL SAYING: X + (X + 1) predominant in chapter 30

ACROSTIC (31:10-31)“The Virtues of a Godly Woman” is twenty-two verses.

Each verse begins with a Hebrew letter in order.

KINDS OF MATERIAL

Easier to

Remember

“There are SIX things that the Lord hates, SEVEN that are an abomination to him.” (Pr. 6:16)

BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

Old Testament Workshop

Morrison Heights Baptist Church

January 12, 2020

WISDOM LITERATUREKIND FOCUS EXAMPLES

Practical Wisdom RULE of LIFE Proverbs

Speculative EXCEPTIONS JobWisdom to the RULE Ecclesiastes

“No harm befalls the righteous, but the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.” (Pr. 12:21)

Rule of Life

Exceptions

Why do bad

things happen to

good people?

Why do the

wicked prosper?

SEE Job and

Ecclesiastes.

TITLEEcclesiastes is a Greek name of a Hebrew book in our English Bibles.

WHY?

GENESIS EXODUS DEUTERONOMY

The root of Ecclesiastes is ecclesia, a common nountranslated “church,” “congregation, “assembly,” or “gathering.” Ecclesiastes designates the group leader.

Ecclesiastes is the Greek equivalent of Qoheleth, the book’s title in the Hebrew Bible.

TITLE AND OVERVIEWQoheleth is a participle, a form of the verb qahal that means “to assemble.” Qoheleth designates the group leader, literally “one who convenes a congregation.”

Ecclesiastes is a Wisdom Monologue. Notice the use of “I,” “me,” and “my.”

The speaker never divulges his name, refers to himself by the title Qoheleth. SEE 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10.

In English Bibles, Qoheleth has been rendered “Preacher” (ESV, KJV, NASB, RSV) or “Teacher” (NIV).

Qoheleth disclosed five clues about his identity.

“son of David” (1:1)

“king in Jerusalem” (1:1)wise (1:16-18)wealthy (2:1-8)

IDENTITY OF QOHELETH

lots of women (2:8b)

IS SOLOMON AUTHOR? The name Solomon never appears in the book. Hence, it would be an anonymous autobiography.

IS SOLOMON SPEAKER? An Israelite sage used Solomon’s life to teach how and how not to live.

ROLE OF SOLOMON

Why didn’t Solomon name himself?

In Ecclesiastes, the speaker sounds remorseful, even repentant (4:13-

16; 12:1), but neither 1 Kings 1-11 nor 2 Chronicles 1-9 mentions a

change of heart by an aged Solomon.

Arguments

AGAINST any

Connection

between the

Book and

Solomon

ONE of the Megilloth (Hb. “scrolls”)Ruth Feast of Weeks/Pentecost Esther Purim Ecclesiastes Feast of TabernaclesSong of Solomon Passover Lamentations Ninth of Ab

“One of the difficulties in determining the literary structure of Ecclesiastes is that there is no logical progression of thought by which the book is held together (except in chaps. 1-2).”C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books

Observations + Proverbs (7:1-14; 10:1-11:6) + Allegory (12:2-8)

CONTENT: GENERAL

WISDOM

invaluable 7:4-6, 11-12, 19; 8:1; 9:13-18; 10:1-3, 10b, 12-15; 12:11

overrated 1:12, 16-18; 2:9b, 12-16; 6:8a; 7:23-25; 8:16-17; 9:11; 12:12

GODpositive 2:24-26; 3:12-21; 5:18-20; 7:29; 8:16-17; 9:7-9; 11:5

negative 3:1-11; 6:1-2; 7:13-14; 9:1

WORKWork hard 5:18; 9:10; 10:18; 11:4, 6

Why bother 1:3, 13-14; 2:4-7a, 9-11, 17-23; 3:9-10; 4:4-8; 5:12-17

CONTENT: TENSIONS

ETHICSFear God 3:14; 5:1-2, 4-7; 7:18; 8:2-13; 12:1-8, 13-14

Give in 7:16-17; 11:9

PLEASURE

attainable 2:24-26; 3:22; 5:18-20; 8:14-15; 9:7-9; 10:19a

inaccessible 1:8; 2:1-3, 8b, 10; 6:3-7, 9; 7:2-6; 11:8-9

LEADERSHIPgood 10:17

bad 4:13-14; 5:8; 7:19; 10:4, 16, 20

MATERIALISMpros 7:12a; 10:19b

cons 2:7b-8a; 5:10-17

CONTENT: TENSIONS

Life is contradictory. Therefore, a book about life would be too.

LITERAL: UNITY “It is best described as a cahier or notebook, into which the author

jotted down his reflections during the enforced leisure of old age.

They differ in mood, in style, and in length.”

“Teacher’s pilgrimage-in-reverse as he investigates the meaning of

life.”

INTERPRETATION

Robert Gordis, Poets, Prophets, and Sages: Essays in Biblical Interpretation

Philip Yancey, The Bible Jesus Read

FOIL: UNITY \'fói(ɘ)l\ n someone or something that serves as a contrast to another

INTERPRETATION

Life Under the Sun: Chapters 1-11 Fear God: Chapter 12

“Remember also your

Creator in the days of your

youth, BEFORE the evil

days come and the years

draw near.” (v. 1)

The reality and finality of death mean that life has no ultimate value.

Death cancels everything.

God is unknowable.

Wisdom cannot achieve its goal.

The world is crooked.

Pleasure commends itself.

Convictions