Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs © John Stevenson, 2012

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of SongsSong of Songs

© John Stevenson, 2012

PentateuchPentateuchGenesis, Exodus, Leviticus,

Numbers, Deuteronomy

Historical Historical BooksBooks

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles,

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Poetic Poetic BooksBooks

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Prophetic Prophetic BooksBooks

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel,

Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah,

Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

BookBook

Pain & sufferingJobJob

Song of Song of SolomonSolomon

EcclesiastesEcclesiastes

PsalmsPsalms

ProverbsProverbs

ThemeTheme

Prayer & Worship

Conduct

Meaning & significance

Love

Why do bad things happen to good people?

QuestionQuestion

How do I approach God?

How shall I live?

Why am I here?

How shall I love?

The Book of WisdomThe Book of Wisdom

Title of the bookTitle of the book

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel (Proverbs 1:1).

lv;m'

From theroot word

Proverbs 1:2-4Proverbs 1:2-42 To know wisdom and instruction,

To discern the sayings of understanding,

3 To receive instruction in wise behavior,

Righteousness, justice and equity;

4 To give prudence to the naive,

To the youth knowledge and discretion,

Proverbs 1:5-6Proverbs 1:5-6

5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning,

And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6 To understand a proverb and a figure,

The words of the wise and their riddles.

Exodus 28:2-3

2 "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

3 "And you shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.

Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• A Fear that Drives AwayA Fear that Drives Away• A Fear that brings WonderA Fear that brings Wonder

PsalmsPsalmsBook of Worship

ProverbsProverbsBook of Wisdom

Speaks to our Spirit Speaks to our Intellect

Life in the prayer closet

Life out in the street

Teach us how to be holy before God

Teach us how to practice holiness

before menLove the Lord with all your heart, soul, and

mind

Love your neighbor as yourself

The Nature of The Nature of Wisdom LiteratureWisdom Literature

• Stands apart from God’s covenants.– No mention made of Moses or Israel.

• The Nature of its Inspired Message– Utilizes observation of nature instead of

“thus says the Lord.”

God spoke invarious ways

(Heb. 1:1)

Moses TheophaniesProphetsSages

Spiritual communicationsInsightful observations

Proverbs 24:30-31 Proverbs 24:30-31 I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, 31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down.

Proverbs 24:32-34 Proverbs 24:32-34 When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. 33 “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” 34 Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.

1-91-9

Appeal to

Wisdom Proverbs of

Solomon

10-2410-24

Proverbs of

Hezekiah

One Verse Maxims Larger Couplets

Good Woman

25-2925-29 3030 3131

Words of Agur

Words of King Lemuel

Themes in the Proverbs• The way of Wisdom

11 I have directed you in the way of wisdom;

I have led you in upright paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be

impeded;

And if you run, you will not stumble. (Proverbs 4:11-12).


13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go.

Guard her, for she is your life.

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,

And do not proceed in the way of evil men. (Proverbs 4:13-14).


15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;

Turn away from it and pass on.

16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil;

And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. (Proverbs 4:15-16).


17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,

And drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;

They do not know over what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:17-19).


20 My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Do not let them depart from your sight;

Keep them in the midst of your heart. (Proverbs 4:20-21).


22 For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their whole body.

23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,

For from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:22-23).


• Principles of Work

2 Ill-gotten gains do not profit,

But righteousness delivers from death.

3 The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger,

But He will thrust aside the craving of the wicked.

4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich. (Proverbs 10:2-4).



He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,

But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully. (Proverbs 10:5).



Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

So is the lazy one to those who send him.(Proverbs 10:26).



Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will stand before kings;

He will not stand before obscure men. (Proverbs 10:29).


• Principles of Work– Skilled work will lead to success– Diligent work will lead to success

The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway.

(Proverbs 15:19)


• Principles of Work– Skilled work will lead to success– Diligent work will lead to success

Go to the ant, O sluggardObserve her ways and be wise,

Which, having no chief,Officer, or ruler;

Prepares her food in the summer,And gathers her provisions in the harvest.

(Proverbs 6:6-8)


• Principles of Work• Principles of Business and Finance

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27-28).


• Principles of Work• Principles of Business and Finance

He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

(Proverbs 11:28).



• Principles of Business and Finance• Principles of Spiritual Speech

For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.(Proverbs 26:20).

Proverbs 22:10-14

10 Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out,

Even strife and dishonor will cease.

11 He who loves purity of heart

And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.

12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge,

But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside;

I shall be slain in the streets!"

14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it.

Proverbs 13:1-3

1 A wise son accepts his father's discipline,

But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

2 From the fruit of a man's mouth he enjoys good,

But the desire of the treacherous is violence.

3 The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;

The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

The Excellent WifeThe Excellent WifeProverbs 31:10-31Proverbs 31:10-31

• She conducts her affairs in such a way as to instill trust on the part of her husband (31:11)

• She is both hard-working and efficient

• She is not afraid to engage in business

• Praise is given both to her husband as well as to her

Lessons from the ProverbsLessons from the Proverbs

• The Universal need for Wisdom

• The Universal Arena of Wisdom

• What is Wise is also what is Good

• Principles rather than Promises

• A real view of the real world

• Christians are called to be street-smart

JobJobThe righteous The righteous

sufferssuffers

EcclesiastesEcclesiastesA lack of A lack of

meaning to lifemeaning to life

Song of SongsSong of SongsIrrationality of loveIrrationality of love

ProverbsProverbsA Basic approach to A Basic approach to

lifelife

ExceptionsExceptions

The Question of Life

Song of

Solomon

Ruth

Lamentations

Ecclesiastes

Esther Passover Shabuot

(Pentecost) Fall of

Jerusalem Sukkot

(Tabernacles) Purim

Nisan 14 Sivan 8 Ab 9 Tishri 15 Adar 14

April 17 June 9 August 8 September 24 March 19

Note: English equivalent dates are only close Note: English equivalent dates are only close approximationsapproximations

1-2 3 4-5 6-9 10-12

All of life is emptiness,

but man ought to

enjoy goodness because it

is from God

2nd Sermon

3rd Sermon

4th Sermon

5th Sermon

1st Sermon

Introduction to four themes

1-2 3 4-5 6-9 10-12


but man ought to


is from God

There is profit in

seeing God as the giver of all of the seasons of

life

2nd Sermon

3rd Sermon

4th Sermon

5th Sermon

1st Sermon


There is a monotony

to life

• Life is a gift from God

• To everything there is a season

• This is a call to live purposefully

• We are called to enjoy the journey

1-2 3 4-5 6-9 10-12


but man ought to


is from God

There is profit in


life

2nd Sermon

3rd Sermon

4th Sermon

5th Sermon

1st Sermon


There is a monotony

to life

• Part of this enjoyment is found in the “one another principles”

1-2 3 4-5 6-9 10-12


but man ought to


is from God

There is profit in


life

Instead of being

fearful, enjoy life

while it lasts because it

is a gift from God

2nd Sermon

3rd Sermon

4th Sermon

5th Sermon

1st Sermon


There is a monotony

to life

There is an emptiness in wisdom

The Preacher gives four The Preacher gives four reasons why it is better not to reasons why it is better not to

be alonebe alone

4:9 4:10 4:11 4:12

Two are better than one because…They have good results in their labor

They can pick up one another in trouble

They can warm one another in the cold

They can hold up one another in adversity

Work Falling Cold Adversity

1-2 3 4-5 6-9 10-12


but man ought to


is from God

There is profit in


life

Instead of being

fearful, enjoy life

while it lasts because it

is a gift from God

Man sees life as a struggle, but God

gave life to be enjoyed

Because of the

emptiness of this life, man ought to fear the Lord and follow His

word

2nd Sermon

3rd Sermon

4th Sermon

5th Sermon

1st Sermon


There is a monotony

to life

There is an emptiness in wisdom

There is a futility in wealth

There is a certainty of

death

Read through Read through Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 and seek to pick out and seek to pick out

and explain the and explain the imagery that is used imagery that is used

throughout this throughout this passage.passage.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-2Ecclesiastes 12:1-2Remember also your Creator in the

days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; 2 before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;

Ecclesiastes 12:3-4Ecclesiastes 12:3-4…in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.

Ecclesiastes 12:5Ecclesiastes 12:5Furthermore, men are afraid of a

high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7Ecclesiastes 12:6-7Remember Him before the silver

cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Remember the Lord because…Remember the Lord because…

• You aren’t getting any Younger.You aren’t getting any Younger.

• God has designed you to be Empty God has designed you to be Empty without Him.without Him.

• Now is the Time to Prepare for Eternity.Now is the Time to Prepare for Eternity.

SONG OF SONGSSONG OF SONGS

The Love Song of the Scriptures

Interpretations of the BookInterpretations of the Book• Allegorical Interpretation:Allegorical Interpretation: Entire book is Entire book is

seen as an allegory of the Lord’s love for His seen as an allegory of the Lord’s love for His people Israel.people Israel.

• Cultic Interpretation:Cultic Interpretation: Cultic poems for use Cultic poems for use in marriage ritual.in marriage ritual.

• Shepherd Interpretation:Shepherd Interpretation: Views Solomon Views Solomon as the villain.as the villain.

• Typical Interpretation:Typical Interpretation: Type of the church Type of the church• Natural or Literal InterpretationNatural or Literal Interpretation

Cast of CharactersCast of Characters

• Solomon:Solomon: Shelomoh “Peaceful” Shelomoh “Peaceful”

• Shulamith:Shulamith: Feminine of Shelomoh Feminine of Shelomoh

Romance &Romance &HoneymoonHoneymoon

(Chapters 1-4)(Chapters 1-4)

Happily everHappily everafterafter

(Chapters 7-8)(Chapters 7-8)

Marital ProblemsMarital Problems(Chapters 5-6)(Chapters 5-6)

The Story behind the SongThe Story behind the Song

• The story begins

Song of Songs 1:5"I am black but lovely,

O daughters of Jerusalem,

Like the tents of Kedar,

Like the curtains of Solomon.

Song of Songs 1:6"Do not stare at me because I am swarthy,

For the sun has burned me.

My mother's sons were angry with me;

They made me caretaker of the vineyards,

But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.”



• Boy meets girl

Song of Songs 1:7Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,

Where do you pasture your flock,

Where do you make it lie down at noon?

For why should I be like one who veils herself

Beside the flocks of your companions?



• Boy meets girl

• He promises to return

• He returns, not as a shepherd, but as the reigning king

• Solomon takes his bride to Jerusalem

• A temporary separation (Chapters 5-6)

Observations from the BookObservations from the Book

• The name of Yahweh is not mentioned

• The book is never quoted in the New Testament

• Jews would not permit their young people to read this book

““I advise and counsel I advise and counsel everyone who is not yet everyone who is not yet rid of the vexations of rid of the vexations of

the flesh and blood and the flesh and blood and has not ceased to feel has not ceased to feel

the passion of his bodily the passion of his bodily nature, to refrain nature, to refrain

completely from reading completely from reading this little book and the this little book and the things that will be said things that will be said

about it.”about it.”

While the king was While the king was at his table, at his table,

My perfume gave My perfume gave forth its fragrance. forth its fragrance. (Song 1:12).(Song 1:12).

Mary then took a Mary then took a pound of very costly pound of very costly perfume of pure perfume of pure nard, and anointed nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with wiped His feet with her hair; and the her hair; and the house was filled with house was filled with the fragrance of the the fragrance of the perfume (John 12:3)perfume (John 12:3)

You are You are a garden a garden spring, spring,

A well of fresh water, A well of fresh water,

And streams And streams flowing flowing from Lebanon (Song from Lebanon (Song 4:15).4:15).

He who believes in He who believes in Me, as the Scripture Me, as the Scripture said, “From his said, “From his innermost being will innermost being will flow rivers of living flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38)water” (John 7:38)

I was asleep but my I was asleep but my heart was awake. heart was awake.

A voice! A voice!

My beloved was My beloved was knocking: ‘knocking: ‘

““Open to me, my Open to me, my sister, my darling, sister, my darling,

My dove, my perfect My dove, my perfect one! (Song 5:2).one! (Song 5:2).

Behold, I stand at Behold, I stand at the door and knock; the door and knock; if anyone hears My if anyone hears My voice and opens the voice and opens the door, I will come in door, I will come in to him and will dine to him and will dine with him, and he with him, and he with Me (Revelation with Me (Revelation 3:20).3:20).

Read through Read through the following the following

passages and passages and seek to pick seek to pick

out and out and explain the explain the imagery.imagery.

Song of Song of Songs Songs 5:9-165:9-16

Song of Song of Songs Songs 6:1-76:1-7

Song of Songs 8:6Song of Songs 8:6Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.

Song of Songs 8:7Song of Songs 8:7Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.

Lessons from the Song of Lessons from the Song of SongsSongs

• God is concerned with all of lifeGod is concerned with all of life

• God is concerned with our sexualityGod is concerned with our sexuality

• All of life reflects our relationship with All of life reflects our relationship with

GodGod

• The Scriptures contain love songsThe Scriptures contain love songs

• We are a part of a sacred romanceWe are a part of a sacred romance

Documents

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs © John Stevenson, 2012