Books of Poetry and Wisdom pt. 2

20. Proverbs – the title of this book comes from the word proverb – a short, wise saying that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought. Can anyone think of a proverb you have heard maybe from your parents or grandparents or in a sermon? “A penny saved is a penny earned.” – Ben Franklin; “More depends on my walk than my talk.” – D.L. Moody; “Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” – William J. Toms. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of short, wise sayings. All but the two last chapters were written by King Solomon. According to I Kings 4:32, Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs and more than a thousand songs. The Book of Proverbs contains 800 of Solomon’s proverbs. They were probably written during Solomon’s middle age years when his relationship with God was the strongest (I Kings chapter 3-10.) Solomon gives his reasons for writing these words of wisdom in Proverbs chapter 1 – to teach readers wisdom and discipline and to help them understand wise sayings so that they can live a balanced, righteous, and just life … to become wise so that we can know what is good and what is evil and apply that knowledge correctly (embrace good, shun evil). The result will be a life of happiness. Topics covered in Proverbs – friendship, conflict resolution, finances, parenting, marriage, etc. His proverbs are directed at men and women, husbands and wives, parents and children. The words, sayings, and imagery used by Solomon to teach wisdom are very simplistic, practical, and sometimes humorous. Examples: Read Proverbs 15:1, chapter 17; chapter 21:19, Proverbs 26:11

Last two chapters of Proverbs were not written by Solomon. The last chapter written by King Lemuel is very significant. They were words of wisdom passed down to him by his mother. The majority of the chapter lists the traits of a virtuous/noble woman.

Theme: Wisdom

Chapters1-29: Proverbs of Solomon
Chapters 30-31: Proverbs of Agur and King Lemuel

Key verses: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7); 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 your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

21. Ecclesiastes - the title of this book comes from the Greek word for “Preacher/Teacher” – the name the author of Ecclesiastes refers to himself as. The authorship of Ecclesiastes is attributed to Solomon. (Eccles. 1:1). Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes during the last years of his life. During the second half of his life, Solomon abandoned God for fleshly pleasures (700 wives, 300 concubines) that led him to worship other gods and for the pleasures that came with being the wealthiest and most famous person in the world. However, as an anonymous writer of proverbs (not found in the Bible) once said, “all good things must come to an end.” Death was coming for Solomon. As it neared, Solomon began to reflect back on his life and remember all his great accomplishments – wealth, power, fame, architecture, pleasures of the flesh, etc. His conclusion – his life was meaningless. Why? God was not in it. Without God, life is meaningless … accomplishments are meaningless. When you die, what good are wealth, fame, power, palaces, and pleasures of the flesh? They are not eternal. It’s as if at the end of his life, Solomon’s heart and mind all at once became clear after a lengthy darkness. Spiritual cold water splashed in his face waking him up to the reality of what he made of his life. Solomon writes down his thoughts in a last will and testament known as Ecclesiastes for posterity to read so that we do make the same mistake he did.

Theme: A life lived without God is a meaningless/worthless life.

Ecclesiastes 1-12:8: The Futility of Life
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14: True meaning in life is found in obedience to God
Key verses: “Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 1:2); The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

22. Song of Songs/Song of Solomon – written by Solomon during his younger years. It is a romantic dialogue between Solomon and his bride set to music. A duet with a choir chiming in every once and awhile. The two lovers express their deepest love for one another in romantic, poetic, metaphorical (word pictures), and, (what we would refer as today but in Solomon’s day they would not) explicit language. Read chapter 4:1-5, chapter 5:10-16, chapter 6:10. The metaphors used by the lovers were designed to stir up passion and a feeling of “I am special to my lover.” Because of the subject matter, Song of Songs was rated PG-30 by the Jewish elders. No one was allowed to read this book until age 30. Even today, the Song of Songs is rarely mentioned or even read in churches today because of the sexual content found in the book. When Song of Songs was brought up in church, Jewish and Christian leaders would say that the book was an allegory/illustration of God’s relationship with is people (Jews – Israel; Christians – the Church). Why is that case? The followers of God, Jews and Christians, have allowed the World to hijack the meaning of sex. Pornography and sexual immorality have been pervasive in the world for thousands of years. Jewish and Christian reaction to this was an extreme overreaction. They labeled sex and anything to do with sex as taboo, even a book in the Bible - the Song of Songs. Sex was not something men and women were to take pleasure in. Rather, its only purpose was procreation. Jewish and Christian leaders made sex more of a job than a joy. Moreover, Song of Songs is one of only two books in the Bible that God’s name is not mentioned. (The other is Esther.) Given all that, why is the Song of Songs even in the Bible? To teach/instruct men and women that love, especially sexual love, is not something to be perceived as dirty, embarrassing, or unmentionable. Rather, love was created by God for men and women to enjoy … to take pleasure in with this caveat – that it be expressed in an exclusive, monogamous, husband and wife relationship. This love was to be expressed not just physically but also verbally by both man and woman. Verbal expressions of love fan the flames of passion in a relationship. They also gauge the depth of a relationship. The two lovers call one another different titles “my bride, my lover, my darling” but they also call one another “my friend.” The two were not only lovers; they were also friends. Their love was a deep love. It was not based solely on romantic notions of love. Friends confide in one another their joys and fears. Friendship strengthens the bonds of love. Ultimately, the Song of Songs is a refreshing reminder of the beauty and wonder of love shared by a man and a woman.

Song of Songs chapters 1-8: Celebrating Love

Key verse: I belong to my lover and his desire is for me. (Song of Songs 7:10)