Introduction to
Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes
& Song of Solomon
1
Solomon
Son of David & Bathsheba
Lived around 1000 BC
Reigned 40 years, from about age 18-58
2
Proverbs
3
Proverbs
 Mashal in Hebrew – means
“comparison, similar, parallel”
 Basic principles for living
 Teach wisdom (skillful living),
especially in human relationships
 Truths without obligation
(principles, not commands, of God)
 Easily memorized, but can take a
lifetime to learn / implement
4
Proverbs Outline
 Words of Solomon
 1:1 - 7 Purpose and theme
 1:8 - 9:18 Exhortations to youth
 10:1 - 29:27 Proverbs for all
(some recorded by Solomon and some
by godly men in Hezekiah’s time)
 Words of Agur (30:1:-33)
 Words of Lemuel (31:1-31)
5
Proverbs’ Purpose
1. Help the reader know wisdom and
instruction (rather than foolishness and
ignorance) – 1:2a
2. Help the reader perceive the words of
understanding (rather than not
understand) – 1:2b
3. Help the reader receive the instruction of
wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity
(rather than stubbornly keep acting like a
child, not understanding justice, judgment
and fairness) – 1:3
6
Proverbs’ Purpose
4. Help simple / immature people gain
prudence (rather than saying and doing
stupid things all the time) – 1:4a
5. Help young men gain knowledge and
discretion (rather than waste their time,
money and strength on meaningless, fun
activities that benefit no one) – 1:4b
6. To help a wise man increase his ability to
learn (so he can maximize his potential to
help others) – 1:5a
7
Proverbs’ Purpose
7. To help a man of understanding gather wise
counsel or accountability (rather than go
through life learning lessons the hard way
or perhaps falling into sin due to lack of
anyone to warn or rebuke him) – 1:5b
8. To help the reader understand truths that
are hidden from most people but reserved
only for the wise (rather than being
satisfied to know only the information
spoon-fed by TV, radio and gossip) – 1:6
8
Skill & Discipline
 Wisdom (hokhmah) means “skill,”
so it is something that takes time and
practice
 Instruction (musar) means “discipline,”
so it is something that requires sacrifice,
focus, and hard work. Mentoring from
someone older is also helpful.
 The ultimate goal is a righteous life –
to help solve the problems around you
instead of adding to the problems
9
Wisdom & Fearing God
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
instruction.” – Pr. 1:7 NKJV
 Respect or reverence is on your terms and
only requires agreement, not submission
 Fear is on God’s terms and requires obedient
submission to His commands
 So a desire to obey God’s commands is a
prerequisite to gaining spiritual knowledge
 Ignoring God’s commands (and those who
teach God’s commands) means you retain
your natural foolishness
10
Wisdom & Fearing God
 The object of fear is God’s judgment
(Law of the Harvest)
Do not be deceived. God is not mocked.
A man reaps what he sows. – Gal. 6:7
 So fearing God requires an expectation
that temporal behavior will have eternal
consequences
 Grace means that the prodigal son gets to sit
at his father’s table
 The Law of the Harvest means that the
prodigal son suffers loss and can’t get back
the inheritance he squandered.
11
Fools
 Fools are not mentally retarded people
 Fools are are self-sufficient, ordering their
lives as if there were no God, no Judgment
and/or no Law of the Harvest
 In Proverbs and elsewhere in the Old
Testament, a fool often denoted someone
who was morally deficient, i.e., ethically
and/or sexually immoral
12
Worldly Vs. Divine Wisdom
Who is wise and understanding among you?
Let him show by good conduct that his works
are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if
you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your
hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
This wisdom does not descend from above,
but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where
envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and
every evil thing are there.
– James 3:13-16 NKJV
13
Worldly Vs. Divine Wisdom
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality and
without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who
make peace.
– James 3:17,18 NKJV
14
Proverbs Summary—Proverbs are
short sayings that communicate a
moral truth or principle. The goal of
the Book of Proverbs is to
communicate wisdom for godly
living, a wisdom that originates and
comes from God. Wisdom is more
precious than gold and only a fool is
not interested in receiving its
instructions.
15
16
Ecclesiastes
 Written by Solomon at the end of his life,
looking back
 It expresses Solomon’s regret for his folly
and wasted time due to carnality and
idolatry
“I had it all; I tried it all; it doesn’t satisfy;
I sinned; don’t make my mistakes!”
 Basic principles for living
17
Ecclesiastes
 Written especially for young people
who still have time to change their
course in life
Remember now your Creator in the days
of your youth, before the difficult days
come … when you lose your strength,
lose your hearing, lose your good
eyesight, lose your courage, lose your
sexual desire … (Ecc. 12:1-5)
18
Ecclesiastes Outline
 Thesis:
“All is Vanity” (1:1 - 11 )
 Proof:
“Life is Vain” (1:12-6:12)
 Counsel:
“Fear God and keep His
commandments” (7:1-12:14)
19
Ecclesiastes Truths
 We all must die; life is short
 All the work of man’s hand is vanity
 Man’s importance is not determined
by success but by God’s declaration
 Significance is not found in
achievement or accumulation of
things but in serving people
 The words of God are intended to
move us toward action
20
Ecclesiastes Summary—The Book of
Ecclesiastes is attributed to Solomon and is a
biography that examines the meaning of life.
One of his conclusions is that all of men’s
actions are essentially transitory and
meaningless. Therefore one should enjoy
life’s simple pleasures including work which
is God’s gift to humans. The author’s final
conclusion on life’s meaning however is the
most noteworthy: Fear God and keep his
commandment for that is the whole duty of
everyone (Eccl 12:13).
21
22
Song of Solomon
 Historically
It’s about the courtship and marriage of
Solomon and a Shulamite shepherdess
 Practically
It was used as a manual by young Hebrew
newlyweds, to know how to properly feel
about sexuality (something God gave them)
 Allegorically / Symbolically
It’s about the courtship and marriage of
Christ and His people (OT: Israel; NT: Church)
23
Song of Solomon Outline
 The beginning of love (1:1 - 5:1)
 Falling in love (1:1 - 3:5)
 Bride’s longing for affection
 Expressions of mutual love
 Visit of the king to the bride’s home
 Bride’s dream of separation
 United in love (3:6 - 5:1)
 Wedding procession
 Bride’s Beauty is praised
 The marriage is consummated
24
Song of Solomon Outline
 Broadening of love (5:2-8:14)
 Struggling in love (5:2 – 7:10)
 Bride’s second dream of separation
 Bridegroom’s handsomeness is praised
 Bride’s beauty is praised
 Growing in love (7:11 – 8:14)
 Bride’s desire to visit her home
 Journey and homecoming
25
Song of Solomon
 Aspects of the relationship
 Attraction
 Desire
 Companionship
 Pleasure
 Union
 Separation
 Faithfulness
 Praise
26
Song of Solomon
 Drama
Written primarily from the point of view
of the Shulamite
 Characters / Speakers:
 The bride (Shulamite)
 The beloved / groom (Solomon)
 The chorus (daughters of Jerusalem)
27
The Bride (Shulamite)
 A shepherdess
 Dark skin from working in the sun
 Perhaps woman # 141 of Solomon
“There are sixty queens and eighty concubines”
(S.S. 6:8)
 If most of Solomon’s wives and concubines
were political arrangements, then perhaps
this was his only pure romance up to that
point
28
Song of Solomon Summary—A passionate
love poem that presents the ideal love that
should exist between a man and a woman in
marriage. The song celebrates intimacy,
sexual desire and the marital love of man to
woman and woman to man. At the same
time, the song serves as a metaphor for the
covenant love that exists between God and his
people. Indeed, marriage is the appropriate
picture that describes our relationship with
God.
29