Wrestling with Wisdom
Week 43 - Read Song of Solomon 1-8
Key Concepts: The key concept of this book is that erotic love is not only part of God’s plan for humanity but it can be used to help us understand God’s love for us and our love for God.
Stories: This book is comprised of a number of poems or fragments of poems which are as follows: a maiden longs for her lover, remarks on her own beauty, asks about her lover’s location, the lover praises the maiden, a dialogue ensues, a second dialogue begins, the maiden once again longs for her lover, the lover returns to summon his bride, the maiden is pleased with her lover’s presence, the maiden has a dream, a wedding procession for the groom takes place, the bridegroom describes the maiden and invites her to go with him, the maiden still seeks in vain for her lover, the groom once again praises the bride’s beauty, the maiden goes to the garden and is invited to dance, and by so doing arouses the desire of her beloved, the maiden invites her lover to go into the fields where he will receive her love, the maiden wishes to be married, they return from the fields, and finally the lover calls and the maiden responds. Brief Summary: this book is one that has perplexed readers for more than two-thousand years. There are several reasons for this. First it is narrated by a woman…the only book of the Bible to clearly have a woman speaking in the first person. And not only is the woman speaking she is making references to sexuality in ways that many people would have deemed as improper. Secondly, the nature of the language itself often catches us by surprise. Here are some of its opening lines. “O that you would kiss me with the kisses of our mouth! For your love is better than wine…” Third, there is no direct mention of God, the Law or any other specifically Hebraic content. |
Fourth, the writer makes no attempt at direct analogy. The entire focus of the book is on human love and lust. Finally there is no real progression of story or theme that ties the pieces together. It is simply a collection of poems.
This begs a couple of questions. The first is how did it become part of our canon? Though one cannot be completely sure about this, speculation is that it entered the scriptures because it was ascribed to, or for, Solomon, though unlike the Proverbs it contains no “Solomonic” wisdom. In addition rabbis and others were able to interpret it in a way that did not focus on its overtly sexualized content. The second question concerns how we are to interpret and deal with this kind of a book. We have two main options from which we can choose. The first option is that we can take it for what it appears to be, a celebration of human sexuality. This would not be out of line with much of the rest of scripture. If indeed, creation is good, then sexuality is good as well. It is a gift of God and we can rejoice in it. In addition for those of you who have read the previous lessons, sexuality and longing have been integral to many of the stories we have covered. The second option, and the one favored by generations of Jewish and Christian interpreters, is that the relationship described is an allegory of the relationship between God and the Hebrew people (Judaism) or between Christ and his church (Christianity). This way of viewing the book allows one to avoid all of the sexual innuendos and focus on it as a spiritually oriented text. While this may allow for an easier and perhaps less embarrassing reading, it still begs the question of how do these allegories function? I say that because there is no overarching agreement as to what we are to learn from the allegories. In the end we all make our choices as to how to read this book. 1. What is your first response to reading this book? 2. Which of the means of understanding this book most appeals to you? 3. How does this story change or enhance your sense of humanity’s relationship with God? |
Week 44 - Read Proverbs 1-16
Key Concepts: The key concepts in Proverbs are that there is wisdom out there in the world, it needs to be learned and practiced, that one can learn it and that if one practices it, life will go well…and if one does not learn and practice it, life will go poorly.
Stories: we begin with the purpose of the book (to teach young men wisdom), reminders that wisdom begins at home, wisdom is seen as a prophetess, good things come from seeking wisdom, religion is a good thing, true happiness comes from wisdom and not material goods, wisdom is divine, the teacher learned good things at home and we need to learn from the teacher, warnings against sexual indulgence and adultery, a look at various faults, more warnings about adultery, folly is contrasted with wisdom, and a long collection of maxims beginning in chapter 10. Brief Summary: What is wisdom? Wisdom is not knowledge, though knowledge helps. Wisdom is not intelligence, though intelligence helps. Wisdom is not the accumulation of facts, though it helps. Wisdom is the ability to understand what makes for an appropriate life in relationship to God and others and then live it out. In a sense it is a spiritual version of social intelligence. One senses and knows the right things to do in order to maximize the meaning and value of life. The book begins by explaining its purpose, which is that people be able to receive instruction in “wise dealing, righteousness, justice and equity; that prudence may be given to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth...” It is intended to help the fool and the wise man. In other words everyone needs wisdom and this book will provide the necessary instructions for finding it. |
The first nine chapters are all based on the premise that one ought to be obedient to, and listen and learn from both God and parents. The reader is to listen to his (and in this case we mean his because this is an instruction manual for young men) parents’ advice. “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and reject not your mother’s teaching.” Readers are warned not to hang out with bad people who will lead them astray to engage in robbery and murder. They are encouraged instead to listen for wisdom which cries out from the city gates and to fear the Lord. In so doing the youth will have long life and will not be overcome by evil.
The next section begins with an admonition to seek after wisdom which comes from God. If the reader fears God and asks for wisdom it will be granted and will allow the reader to understand righteousness and justice, and to live a pleasant life. It will save the reader from falling in with the wrong people and be saved when God cuts off the wicked. This section contains the first mention of avoiding the “loose woman.” In Proverbs, there are multiple warnings against the wiles of women…yet Wisdom is personified as a woman and wives and mothers are looked upon kindly. In the next few chapters we learn that wisdom is to be preferred over gold and silver (recall Solomon’s prayer to God not for wealth but for wisdom); that we are to work hard in order to prosper, that we are to fear God, that we are to avoid adultery, that we are to accept correction, that God will take care of the righteous, that we are to share what we have rather than trusting in our riches and that we will be shaped by the company we keep. 1. What were your favorite proverbs in this section and why? 2. What do you think of all of the talk of avoiding “loose women”? 3. How dose wisdom operate in your life? |
Week 45 - Read Proverbs 17-31
Key Concepts: The key concepts in Proverbs are that there is wisdom out there in the world, it needs to be learned and practiced, that one can learn it and that if one practices it, life will go well…and if one does not learn and practice it, life will go poorly.
Stories: this section of Proverbs contains a long series of short pithy proverbs, followed by some short dialogue (30:1-9), a series of numerical proverbs (30:10-33), and a famous ode to the good wife (31). Brief Summaries: The majority of this part of Proverbs is a series of proverbs which are not thematically arranged. However there are multiple themes contained within them. We will look at some of these. Fear the Lord: for the writer/compiler the most important point wisdom makes is that fearing/being in awe of God become the foundation for all portions of one’s life “The fear of the Lord is life indeed” (19:23) “The reward for…fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (22:4) “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the Lord.” (23:17). Be honest and live with integrity: this concept is very much in line with the Torah and with God’s nature. “Better for the poor walking in integrity than one perverse of speech who is a fool” (19:1) “The righteous walk in integrity, happy are the children who follow them.” (20:7) “Better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich.” (28:6) “One who walks in integrity will be safe, but whoever follows crooked ways will fall in the pit.” (28:18) Be kind to the poor: Once again we read proverbs that remind us that God desires that the poor be cared for and not mistreated. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.” (19:17) “If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard.” (21:13) “Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.” (22:9) “Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate.” (22:22) |
Work hard: there is a very clear call to diligence and hard work because that is what blesses individuals. “One who is slack in work is close kin to a vandal.” (18:9) “Prepare your work outside…and after that build your house.” (24:27) “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.” (19:15) “Love not sleep lest you come to poverty.” (20:13) “I passed the field of a sluggard…and lo it was overgrown with thorns.” (24:30)
Do not make wealth your aim: the dogged pursuit of wealth rather than wisdom is seen as a rejection of God which will not lead to a good end. “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist.” (23:4) “The faithful will abound with blessings, but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished.” (28:20) “The miser in a hurry to get rich does not know that loss is sure to come.” (28:22) “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me nether poverty or riches; feed me with the food I need.” (30:8) A good wife is a great gift: family harmony is greatly praised in Proverbs. The writer/compiler encourages finding a good, industrious wife, rather than a contentious one. “…a prudent wife is from the Lord” (19:14) “A good wife…is far more precious than jewels.” (31:10) 1. How do these themes align with what you have been taught in your life? 2. Which of these proverbs seem a bit out of date? 3. Which of these proverbs will you take to heart and try and live by? |
Week 46 - Read Job 1-19
Key Concepts: the two main concepts in Job are first that evil happens to good people and that even the best people cannot always figure out why God does/allows such evil.
Stories: the first half of Job contains a narrative that sets up the story of Job’s fall into despair and the arrival of his friends, his initial complaint, Eliphaz’s initial kind response, Job’s reply, Bildad’s first, not so kind, response, Job’s reply, Zophar’s grand rhetorical response, Job’s extended reply, Eliphaz’s return engagement (not so kind), Job’s reply, Bildad’s second attack on Job, and finally Job’s reply. Brief Summary: Job is a story about a very, very good man, Job, who loses everything except his life and his wife (children, fortune and health) because of a bet between God and the Satan. Satan bets God that if things do not go well for Job then Job will curse God. God says, fine do whatever you want. The overarching question is why bad things happen to very, very good people. Job’s response to his initial loss is to say God gives and God takes away. However, when he loses his health and ends up in the ash heap of life he bemoans his condition and curses the day of his birth. “Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night which said ‘a man-child is conceived.” In a sense he is feeling his pain and responding in despair…which would seem to be appropriate considering that in spite of his faithfulness to God he is in pain and grief. His friends arrive to “comfort” him. Eliphaz is the first to speak. Eliphaz is polite, but repeats truisms as if they have been given to him from heaven. These truisms include that the innocent never perish, that no one can be holy before God, human beings are born for trouble and that Job ought to be happy that God is “reproving” him. |
Job replies by wondering why God has done this to him considering the fact that Job has done everything right (which we as the reader know to be true). All Job asks for is an explanation, “make me understand where I have erred.” And because he receives no explanation he is going to complain.
Next up is Bildad who offers his own explanation, which is that Job’s children had sinned. This view is Oriental in nature and implies that the sin of any family member “infects” the entire family. He tells Job to ask God for forgiveness and all will be well. Job replies not to Bildad but continues his conversation with Elphaz…that God does indeed bring misfortune on the good as well as the evil. Zophar is unwilling to be nice and makes it clear that Job is to blame. Job has sinned and therefore deserves his punishment. “Know that God extracts of you less than your guilt deserves.” Job replies with sarcasm. “No doubt you are the people and wisdom will die with you.” Job is willing to defend his record of goodness before God and everyone else. Eliphaz returns with an accusation that Job’s “challenging” the customary beliefs about how God works in the world is an attack on religion. “But you are doing away with the fear of God.” Job accuses his friends of being miserable comforters and maintains his innocence. Bildad returns with a warning that Job is basically headed for hell. “Such is the place of him who knows not God.” Job replies with the statement that one day someone will vindicate him after he is dead. 1. Have you ever felt like Job? 2. How have you responded to friends who have been going through tough times? 3. What do you think of the arguments of Job’s friends? |
Week 47 - Read Job 20-42
Key Concepts: the two main concepts in Job are first that evil happens to good people and that even the best people cannot always figure out why God does/allows such evil.
Stories: We begin with Zophar’s second argument, Job’s reply, the third statement from Eliphaz, Job’s next reply, a third discourse from Zophar, Bildad’s third statement, a very short reply from Job (4 verses), the continuation of Bildad’s third statement, Job’s reply, a continuation of Zophar’s third statement, a hymn about wisdom and how it is hard to find, Job’s final defense, the cessation of the three “friends” arguments, the arrival and theological reflections of Elihu (a series of five poems and a conclusion), God speaking from the whirlwind (twice) and Job’s two responses, and the conclusion where Job gets back everything he lost with interest. Short Summary: we pick up where we left off with the last lesson with Job and his friends trading theological arguments and personal insights as they attempt to deal with why do (or do not according to the friends) bad things happen to very, very good people. Zophar returns to the stage and implies that the reason Job is suffering is because he is evil. “He will perish forever like his own dung.” Job moves in a direction taken by the writer of Ecclesiastes who intones that the wicked often do not get punished in this life (which for Job is the only life there is) even when they refuse to turn to God. Elephaz reenters the argument with the contention that because God does not need anyone, not even a philosopher like Elephaz, and therefore Job’s supposed righteousness would not matter at all. However if Job returns to God and confesses then God will forgive and all will be well. |
Job responds with a desire to come into God’s presence and present his case, in which case, Job believes God would acquit him. At the same time he wonders about the justice of things when the evil ones prosper while God pays no attention to the prayers of the oppressed.
We meet Bildad for a moment as he remarks that nothing in creation can be “clean” before God. Job accuses Bildad of consorting with evil spirits and Bildad replies with the thought that Job will never be able to escape God even in death. Job makes one last defense by reciting his good deeds and faithfulness to God before he encounters Elihu who claims that the three friends have it all wrong, but he, Elihu, has it right. Elihu tells Job that God’s ways are always just, that Job is arrogant, that God does not need humanity, affliction always has a purpose, that God always punishes the wicked and rewards the just. Finally we hear from God. First God makes it clear that none of the four friends got it right. They were incorrect in their observations and assumptions. Second, while God makes it clear to Job that Job cannot understand the vagaries of the world as does God, that Job is not to grovel in front of God. God tells him twice, “Gird up your loins like a man.” In other words Job is one of God’s wonderful creatures and even though Job cannot fathom the complexity of the world, God still recognizes him and engages him in conversation. God cares. Job does not have his questions answered but he is affirmed by God. In the end we return to a narrative in which God restores two fold to Job all that he had lost. 1. Have you ever heard any of the friend’s arguments about the causes of evil before? 2. What do you think about Job’s contention that the evil in this world often prosper? 3. How does the happily-ever-after ending strike you? |
Week 48 – Read Ecclesiastes 1-12
Key Concepts: the two main concepts in Ecclesiastes are that all is vanity, meaning that life is ultimately meaningless, and that because of this people should enjoy themselves.
Stories: Ecclesiastes offers us a main thesis (all is vanity), then some proof, a fruitless search for meaning, then reflections on the following ideas: death robs us of all we know and create, the direction of one’s life cannot be understood or changed, injustice and oppression will be judged, the importance of companionship on our journey, the importance of religious ritual, that money will not bring happiness, and that it is good to eat, drink and enjoy life. This is followed by some proverbs, then more reflections including; that moderation in life is good, that the meaning of life is hidden, that retribution does not always come to the wicked in this world, and that life is to be enjoyed. Then we have more proverbs, and a final admonition to remember God. Brief Summary: There are several main themes which run throughout this book. These include: All is vanity: this is perhaps one of the most depressing thoughts in scripture. The writer focuses on the reality that sooner or later we all die. Thus whatever we seek including wealth, sex or fame are all fleeting and will be lost. “What does a person gain by her toil at which she toils under the sun? A generation comes and a generation goes” (1:2-3); “…since one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and to the evil…” (9:2). |
Life has no real meaning: This theme is linked to the previous one. Because we will lose everything to time and we cannot see the future then life cannot have any lasting meaning. Even though people seek some meaning in life they will not find it because everything is predetermined. “For man does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be” (8:7). Thus it is better to be dead than alive. “And I thought the dead who are already dead, more fortunate that the living who are still alive” (4:2).
There is beauty in the moment: Even though there is no meaning to life, there is great beauty in each of the passing moments of life. This theme is centered in the famous lines of chapter 3, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die…” (3:1-2), “God has made everything beautiful in its time” (3:11). This idea gives the reader at least a bit of hope that even though there is injustice and meaninglessness in the world, in each moment one can find something to appreciate and enjoy. Enjoy the moment: Because there is no meaning, but there is beauty in every moment, then one ought to enjoy all of the moments that one is given. “…that it is God’s gift to humanity that everyone should eat and drink and take great pleasure in their toil” (3:13), “In the day of prosperity be joyful…” (7:14). Great wisdom and great wealth do not make the situation any better: All the education and wealth cannot change the situation…we still die and lose everything. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth, with gain; this also is vanity” (5:10) “..and much study is a weariness of the flesh”(12:12). 1. What do you think of his view that all is vanity? 2. Why do you work for a better future for yourself or others? 3. How does a Christian view of life now and later affect how you read this book? |