Bible 211 Test 4

The thesis statement for the remainder of the book is:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction" (1:7).

How does one pursue wisdom?

First and foremost, one pursues wisdom by fearing the LORD. Second, one pursues wisdom by learning from the wise.

The Song of Songs is a collection of

Love poems

The Song of Songs is not a book about wisdom per se. It, like the Book of Psalms, has tended to be read more devotionally. Thus the description of these books as

"devotional literature."

The Book of Psalms is the

"prayerbook of the Bible."

According to 1:2-6, the Book of Proverbs is intended for whom, and to what end?

- The Book of Proverbs is intended for everyone, though perhaps especially the young. - And its purpose is to impart wisdom and instruction for ethical living.

What is a proverb?

A proverb is a short, easily remembered saying that contains one main point.

What is wisdom?

At it heart, wisdom has to do with the skill of living well. - It is a gift from God that may be received through human effort. - Indeed it requires lifelong pursuit.

Then in 38:1-42:6

God speaks, rebuking Job for questioning things that are beyond his ability to comprehend. Job submits to God whom he has now experienced firsthand.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is a collection of mostly speculative wisdom attributed to a certain Kohelet (or "Teacher").

In it the Teacher reflects upon the meaninglessness of life.

42:7-17

Job's health and wealth are restored.

What sorts of things might a person who fears the LORD do?

Keeps the commandments Serves God Strives to do what is right/ seek righteousness Flees from evil

These chapters present two ways of life personified as two female figures, Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly.

Lady Wisdom invites young men to learn from her how to live life to the full. - Lady Folly seeks to entice young men away from wisdom and toward their destruction.

According to this collection, sexual intimacy between a woman and a man is God's gift to humankind (when enjoyed in the proper context).

Nevertheless, Jews and Christians have often interpreted the Song as an allegory for spiritual intimacy between Israel and God, Church and Christ, or soul and God.

So what is one to do in the light of such meaninglessness?

Receive God's gifts with gratitude and enjoy them while you can. Also, "fear God, and keep his commandments."

What does it mean to fear the LORD?

Respecting God Revering God In awe of God

The Book of Job challenges conventional wisdom:

Righteous people prosper because of their righteousness and wicked people suffer because of their wickedness.

It can take the form of a comparison or a contrast.

The Book of Proverbs is made up of many such sayings, though it is by no means limited to them.

It is made up of 150 prayers that both Jews and Christians have prayed for millennia.

The final editors of this collection divided these prayers into five books, thus reflecting the number of books in the Pentateuch.

Yet occasionally righteous people also suffer because of their righteousness. Why?

The first two chapters set the stage for the exploration of this question. - Job is characterized as the quintessential wise person. - God challenges the Satan (or the Accuser) concerning Job whom God considers beyond accusation. - The Satan thinks Job only serves God because God has blessed him. - God allows the Satan to afflict Job within certain limitations. - Yet Job proves true; he does not curse God.

There are many different types of psalms within this collection.

The most common are hymns, laments, and thanksgiving songs.

He says that he pursued wisdom, pleasure, etc., but that all this was "a chasing after wind."

This is because everyone, whether wise or foolish, dies in the end.

Thus the Book of Job invites us to consider why righteous people sometimes suffer without giving an easy answer.

This is because there is no easy answer. Only God knows. Still, the raising of the question is worthwhile.

In 8:22-31

Wisdom claims to be the first of God's creation.

What is the difference between a wise and foolish person?

Wise: receive advice Forgive Slow to speak Foolish: Reject advice Retaliate Quick to speak

In chapters 32-37

a new character appears. Elihu is a young man who possesses more wind than wisdom. He makes four speeches that get ignored.

Chapters 29-31

are Job's closing arguments.

Chapters 3-27

are a poetic dialogue between Job and his three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. While Job laments and insists that he suffers unjustly, his friends insist that he must have sinned.

Its first nine chapters,

are a series of extended poems addressed to "my son."

And psalms of new orientation

are psalms that God's people pray when God has acted on his people's behalf such that life is as it should be once more.

psalms of orientation

are psalms that God's people pray when life is as it should be.

Psalms of disorientation

are psalms that God's people pray when life is not as it should be.

like the Book of Job, the Book of Ecclesiastes

challenges conventional wisdom without rejecting it.

Those who choose to learn from Lady Wisdom are prepared to

hear the proverbs that make up much of the rest of the book.

Examples of psalms of disorientation

include: personal complaint songs communal complaint songs.

Examples of psalms of new orientation

include: personal thanksgiving songs, thanksgiving songs of the community, enthronement songs, and hymns of praise.

Examples of psalms of orientation

include: songs of creation, songs of Torah, wisdom psalms, and songs for occasions of well-being.

Chapter 28

is a wisdom poem that names God as the source of wisdom.

Wisdom teachings from the Old Testament are of two types:

practical wisdom (e.g., Proverbs) - philosophical wisdom (e.g., Job & Ecclesiastes)

Walter Brueggemann shows how the Psalms reflect life with God by organizing them into three loose classifications:

psalms of orientation, psalms of disorientation, and psalms of new orientation.

wisdom psalms (e.g., 1, 14, 37, 73, 91, 112, 128),

which often reflect on the fate of the righteous and the wicked.

royal psalms (e.g., 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 132, 144),

which share the theme of kingship