Reading the Bible: Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

(Proverbs 1:1-7)

Understanding Wisdom

As the bible student expands his or her experience in reading and studying the bible they will differentiate between the books of the Old and New Testaments. Exploring the Old Testament texts, they will discover the different genres of scripture; such as law, narrative, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom. For those that are not familiar with biblical literature I recommend reading my Guide for a Rewarding Bible Study found by clicking the Bible Study tab on the Menu bar. It gives basic instructions for proper Bible reading and interpretation.

The books of wisdom in the Old Testament contain ancient wisdom often dispersed in small bits known as proverbs. An example of this is Proverbs 3:13, “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.” Many of the proverbs were written by King Solomon, the son of the great King David who is famous for slaying Goliath. Solomon is known as the wisest man that ever lived because God granted him great wisdom when he asked God for wisdom to rule his people. Scripture says of Solomon that his wisdom was beyond measure and that he was wiser than all that lived before him and all that would come after him, (1Kings 4:29-34). He recorded over 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs in which his wisdom has been passed on. His wisdom is also recorded in the book of Ecclesiastes where his main message is, “Fear God and keep His commandments.”

“The search for wisdom is the quest for the meaning of life, and the quest is the basic interest of every human being.”¹

But what is wisdom? Many people mistake wisdom with knowledge and believe that by accumulating knowledge they will become wise, but knowledge is not wisdom. Knowledge is the collection of facts, while wisdom is the ability to assemble the facts, process them through the mind, and then to make wise life decisions from them. An example of this is to consider the many leaders, politicians, and so-called academic experts who have vast knowledge but lack wisdom, so they fail to make wise decisions. Our ancient ancestors discovered the value of wisdom and sought it out wherever they could find it. Every nation, tribe, and culture had their own wisemen, sage, or shrewd philosopher who could provide valuable wisdom in which to make life changing decisions. Wisdom continues to be highly valued and is sought after to help provide direction in people’s lives.

Biblical wisdom is the talent of studying and gathering the teachings of scripture to best navigate through life according to God’s purpose and will. In other words, biblical wisdom applies the wisdom of God to the practical issues of life. Can there be any higher source of knowledge and wisdom than the mind of the omniscient God? God’s wisdom has been preserved and recorded in the pages of scripture. Biblical wisdom is the process of mining the scriptures for its wisdom and then applying it to the circumstances of life. Since each person’s life is different with different challenges and issues, different aspects of biblical wisdom can be found for these various tribulations. However, the essence of God’s wisdom applies to all humans in the relationship between the Creator and His creation. God has revealed rules, laws, and advice on how to proceed through life, which all depend on submitting to God’s will.

In the Garden of Eden, before the Fall, the first humans lived in complete peace and harmony free from danger and hardships. They were in full fellowship with God who personally provided guidance and direction to His beloved creatures. The Fall of man destroyed all that and now humans live in a corrupted world filled with evil and suffering. God has provided His direction and guidance in His word. God’s peace and harmony can be found by following the biblical wisdom in the Wisdom Literature of the Bible.

Wisdom Literature

The wisdom literature of the Old Testament consists of the books of Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes and also includes parts of Song of Songs. Some of the psalms are also considered as wisdom literature, such as Psalm 72, and 127 which were written by Solomon. For those who are members of the Catholic or Orthodox churches, the books of The Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach are included in the wisdom genre. The works of Solomon weigh heavily in the wisdom genre due to his reputation as the wisest man in the world which is confirmed by the biblical narratives.

Wisdom literature is intended to give people the ability to make godly choices in life by applying God’s truth to the matters encountered in everyday living. It differs from other biblical literature in that in focuses on the concerns of the individual instead of the larger community or nation. It is presented in the form of a wise elder instructing a younger pupil. Wisdom is not limited to wisdom literature because all of scripture is considered to be wisdom, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,” (2Tim. 3:16). The greatest wisdom ever given is from the teachings of Christ as recorded by the Gospel writers. Wisdom literature provides practical instruction for the issues of everyday life such as family, relationships, marriage, drunkenness, anger, finances, envy, gossip, health, lust, suffering, etc.

Proverbs

“The fear of the Lord prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.” _{(Prov. 10:27)}

“Then you will discern the fear of the Lord; And discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” _{(Prov. 2:5-6)}

“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. _{(Prov. 16:7)}

The proverbs listed above display the method of presenting wisdom in brief but meaningful statements. Solomon explains his purpose in writing the proverbs at the very beginning of the book, “Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.” He adds this to his introduction, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge,” (Prov. 1:1-7). And this is the central message of Proverbs. It is the message that he begins the book of Proverbs with, and it is the message that he ends the book of Ecclesiastes with. It is a message worth living by since it comes from the man blessed with the greatest wisdom.

There are some rules to follow when reading proverbs. The 1st is that proverbs are not promises, they are generalizations which are usually true. This follows with the 2nd rule, which is that proverbs represent wisdom for certain situations. They are not one size fits all wisdom. An example is Proverb 16:30, “Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.” This proverb does not mean that any time a person winks they have evil intentions. It is meant as a word of caution against persons that are swindlers and fraudsters. The third rule is to consider the wisdom of individual proverbs in the context of the larger group of proverbs. Proverbs relating to marriage or wealth should be compared and contrasted with similar proverbs pertaining to the same issue.

The main purpose for writing the Proverbs according to Solomon has already been listed, but a few more reasons are listed here to help readers understand them.

To know wisdom and instruction
To receive teaching in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity.
To help the innocent gain good judgment and the youth to gain knowledge.
To increase learning and to acquire skill in understanding.
To learn the fear of the Lord.

(From A Survey of the Old Testament, Hill and Walton, pg. 445.)

Ecclesiastes

The theme of the book is, “the futility of searching for meaning in life apart from the fear of God.” It strives to answer the question of where can one find meaning in the world? The author concludes the book with his answer, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man,” (Eccl. 12:13).

Solomon’s approach in this book was to use negativity and pessimism to get his point across that life is basically meaningless because it ends with death and everything is lost. Many readers become discouraged and abandon the book before finishing it causing them to miss the wisdom in Solomon’s conclusion. Ecclesiastes was written toward the end of Solomon’s life, and it is best understood after reading his life story. He started his life strongly but finished poorly. He was blessed with wisdom, an extravagant lifestyle, and hundreds of wives and concubines, but after being blessed richly by God he transgressed into worshipping false gods and idols. This book expresses his bitterness in having had everything that life can offer, but in the end the only thing that really mattered was loving and fearing God.

Job

The book of Job is a form of literature known as a Theodicy. This is a work that questions divine judgement and the problem of evil. Job is the hero in the story, and he suffers greatly for reasons unknown to him. The book concerns a lengthy dialogue between several people where who try to determine the transgression committed by Job that resulted in all his suffering. Job maintains his innocence but is not believed. The debate between the characters in the book concerns the belief that good fortune comes to those who do good, and that misfortune is the result of sinful behavior. Job finally reaches a point of deep frustration, and he personally questions God. God rebukes Job for daring to question the all-knowing and all-wise God. The matter is resolved when Job is vindicated because he was actually innocent. To his credit, during the whole ordeal he never cursed God for his situation but instead praised God. The book is famous for the response given by Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD,” (Job 1:21). The wisdom presented in the book is that God is sovereign, and His purposes go far beyond our understanding. Therefore, in times of suffering we must trust in God’s wisdom that exceeds our knowledge and understanding of the situation. It is best to focus on the future purpose of God in our suffering than on the cause of our suffering.

Song of Songs

Of the 1,005 songs written by Solomon, only 3 have survived and Song of Songs is one of them. His wisdom concerning marriage and the relationship between a man and a woman made this book highly esteemed by the Ancient Israelites. Song of Songs is a common form of Ancient Near East literature known as “love poems”. The wisdom drawn from this text is that a wise person must be aware of the power of love and recognize the danger it may pose if approached improperly. Love and sex exert tremendous power and influence; therefore, wisdom dictates that this must be properly understood, and restraint and discipline are to be exercised. Human sexuality is part of God’s design for humans and is to be enjoyed within the boundaries of marriage.

Theology of Wisdom

Fear of the Lord

The main theme of all the wisdom literature is “the fear of the Lord.” This is also the main theme of the theology of wisdom. Many people will hear this and understand it to mean to be dreadfully afraid of God, but that is not correct. Fear of the Lord refers to how humans are to approach God. Because God remains hidden and is not visible, people tend to approach Him without the proper respect and reverence demanded by the perfectly holy and almighty God. To approach God in the wrong manner and to disregard rules in relation to proper handling of sacred space can result in instant death. Scripture shows the proper way to approach God, which is with great reverence, humility, and submission to His authority as Lord. To see or experience God in His true majestic form overpowers the senses bringing a response of fear. This is the reaction of the Apostle John, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah as they all fell to the ground and trembled at His divine presence. —Let me balance this teaching of the fear of the Lord by adding this important point. It is essential to consider these things concerning the nature of God in order to approach Him properly and enter into a relationship with Him. After establishing the relationship, then He can be approached as loving Father, through the reconciling work of the Son.

“Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God,” (John 20:17).

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him,” (John 14:21).

In the Old Testament, the fear of the Lord is to have knowledge of God. The fear of the Lord is to be in proper relationship and covenant, (agreement between two parties), with God–And only those who know God through a covenant relationship will find the treasures of His wisdom.

Key Theological Points

Biblical wisdom applies to the issues and problems of everyday life so that a person can best live life in a corrupt and fallen world. Wisdom should lead a believer to understand that every wise decision and action requires dependence on God. Wisdom apart from God’s participation will fail to produce the desired results. The believer is to actively seek God’s cooperation through prayer, submission to the Holy Spirit, and pursuing spiritual growth.

The aspect of creation theology is a subset of wisdom theology. This is the concept that God as creator is sovereign over all things and matters in His creation. He has designed and ordered circumstances and events to occur according to His divine wisdom and purpose. This is the wisdom presented in the book of Job. In response to this wisdom, humans are to submit to God’s will and authority as He is control of their destiny. Grant R. Osborne gives his insight on this concept.

We should note two aspects of this theology. First, the principle of retribution governs the universe. The same God who created the universe remains in control; the actions of the righteous and the wicked in the final analysis must answer to him alone. Since God is ruler as well as judge of the world, he will reward the pious and punish the wicked, as in Proverbs 11:21, “Be sure of this: the wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free”
_{Osborne, G. R. (2006). The Hermeneutical Spiral, (p. 246). InterVarsity Press.}

Parting Wisdom

In a prior blog article, “Fleeing Wickedness and Seeking Righteousness: The Growing Desire for Spiritual Growth,” I commented on a recent poll that showed a growing number of people who desired to grow spiritually. My conclusion was that this was the result of escalating evil and wickedness in the world due to increasing rejection of God. Rebellion against God has been on the rise for decades and has manifested itself through visible acts of demonic and immoral performances by popular artists worldwide. Increasing violence, wickedness, hate, and corruption has darkened people’s spirits. In response they seek refuge in spirituality, and in the righteousness of God. As part of this movement people are also seeking wisdom because the pillars of truth on which wisdom stands have been toppled by a faithless generation. Truth and common sense have been pushed out by emotions and selfish desires. It is my opinion that this hunger for wisdom will grow. As people find wisdom, they will learn that only biblical wisdom can fill the void that has been left by the rejection of truth and the rebellion against God. Biblical wisdom brings right living in agreement with God’s will and it brings order out of chaos. May those who seek refuge find God, and may those who find God discover His wisdom!