The Books of Poetry:
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of
Songs
© John Stevenson, 2009
Book
Theme
Question
Job
Pain &
suffering
Why do bad things
happen to good people?
Psalms
Prayer &
Worship
How do I approach
God?
Proverbs
Conduct
How shall I live?
Meaning &
Ecclesiastes significance
Song of
Solomon
Love
Why am I here?
How shall I love?
POETICAL BOOKS
BOOK
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of
Solomon
THEME
The Problem of
Suffering
Prayer and
Worship
The Problem of
Conduct
The Problem of
Meaning in Life
Love
QUESTION
Why do bad things
happen to good
people?
How to I approach
God?
How shall I live?
Why am I here?
How shall I love?
The Book of Wisdom
Title of the book
The proverbs of Solomon the
son of David, king of Israel
(Proverbs 1:1).
From the
root word
lv;m'
Proverbs 1:2-4
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,
2
Proverbs 1:5-6
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.
5
Exodus 28:2-3
"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.
2
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning
of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and
instruction.
• A Fear that Drives Away
• A Fear that brings Wonder
Psalms
Proverbs
Book of Worship
Book of Wisdom
Speaks to our Spirit
Speaks to our
Intellect
Life out in the street
Life in the prayer
closet
Teach us how to be
holy before God
Love the Lord with all
your heart, soul, and
mind
Teach us how to
practice holiness
before men
Love your neighbor
as yourself
1:1-6
1:7
10:1
21:1
Prologue Appeal to
One-verse maxims
Wisdom
Purpose Wisdom
Proverbs of Proverbs of
of the
Personified Solomon
Hezekiah
Proverbs
30:1
31:1
Larger
Couplets
Words of
Agur
Good
Woman
Words
of King
Lemuel
Themes in the Proverbs
• The way of Wisdom
Avoid
it,directed
do
not
pass
it;
17
1315
22
For
Take
20
For
My
they
they
hold
son,
eat
are
ofgive
the
instruction;
lifebread
attention
to those
ofthe
do
wickedness,
to
who
not
myfind
let
words;
them,
11
I have
you
inby
way
of go.
wisdom;
Turn
away
from
and
pass
And
Guard
And
Incline
drink
health
her,
the
your
for
towine
she
all
ear
of
is
to your
violence.
my
whole
sayings.
life.on.
body.
I have
led
you
inittheir
upright
paths.
For
they
cannot
sleep
unless
they
do
18
1416
23
But
Do
21
Watch
Do
not
the
not
enter
path
over
letwalk,
of
your
the
them
the
path
heart
righteous
depart
ofsteps
with
the
from
wicked,
all
iswill
like
your
diligence,
the
sight;
12
When
you
your
not
beevil;
light
ofnot
dawn,
And
they
robbed
of
sleep
unless
they
And
For
Keep
do
from
them
itare
proceed
flow
in the
the springs
in
midst
the
way
ofofyour
life.
of evil
heart.
(Proverbs
men.
impeded;
make
someone
stumble.
(Proverbs
4:15That
(Proverbs
4:22-23).
shines
(Proverbs
brighter
4:13-14).
4:20-21).
and
brighter
until
the
full
And if you run, you will not stumble.
16).
day.
(Proverbs 4:11-12).
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they stumble.
(Proverbs 4:17-19).
Themes in the Proverbs
• The way of Wisdom
• Principles of Work
He
who
indo
summer
ahis
son
who
acts
wisely,
Like
2 Do
Ill-gotten
vinegar
gains
toa the
teeth
not
profit,
andis
to the
eyes,
yougathers
see
man
skilled
insmoke
work?
But
who
sleeps
in
harvest
is asend
son him.(Proverbs
who acts
So
But
ishe
righteousness
the
lazy
one
to
delivers
those
who
from
death.
He
will
stand
before
kings;
shamefully.
(Proverbs
10:5).
10:26).
3 He
Thewill
LORD
will
not
allow
the righteous
to hunger,
not stand before obscure
men. (Proverbs
But10:26).
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).
Themes in the Proverbs
• The way of Wisdom
• Principles of Work
– Skilled work will lead to success
– Diligent work will lead to success
Go to the ant, O sluggard
her ways
and
be wise,
The way Observe
of the sluggard
is as
a hedge
of thorns,
Which,
having
no chief,
But the path
of the
upright
is a highway.
Officer, or15:19)
ruler;
(Proverbs
Prepares her food in the summer,
And gathers her provisions in the harvest.
(Proverbs 15:19)
Themes in the Proverbs
• The way of Wisdom
• Principles of Work
• Principles of Business and Finance
Do not He
withhold
good in
from
whom
who trusts
his those
richestowill
fall, it is due,
When
is in
your power
to do it.like the green leaf.
But itthe
righteous
will flourish
28 Do not say to your
neighbor,
(Proverbs
3:27-28).
"Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,"
When you have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27-28).
27
Themes in the Proverbs
•
•
•
•
The way of Wisdom
Principles of Work
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
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.
10
Proverbs 13:1-3
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.
1
The Excellent Wife
Proverbs 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 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
ECCLESIASTES
The Question of Life
Song of
Solomon
Passover
Nisan 14
April 17
Ruth
Lamentations Ecclesiastes
Shabuot
Fall of
Sukkot
(Pentecost)
Jerusalem
(Tabernacles)
Sivan 8
Ab 9
Tishri 15
June 9
August 8
Esther
Purim
Adar 14
September 24 March 19
Note: English equivalent dates are only close
approximations
1-2
3
4-5
6-9
10-12
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Sermon Sermon Sermon Sermon Sermon
All of life is
emptiness,
but man
ought to
enjoy
goodness
because it
is from God
There is
Instead of
Man sees
profit in
being
life as a
seeing God
fearful,
struggle,
as the giver enjoy life
but God
of all of the while it lasts gave life to
seasons of because it be enjoyed
life
is a gift
from God
Because of
the
emptiness
of this life,
man ought
to fear the
Lord and
follow His
word
Solomon’s Diary
Lessons from the Seasons of
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
Part of this enjoyment is found in the
“one another principles”
The Preacher gives four
reasons why it is better not to
be alone
4:9
4:10
4:11
4:12
Two are better than one because…
They have
They can pick
good results in up one
their labor
another in
trouble
They can
warm one
another in the
cold
They can hold
up one another
in adversity
Work
Cold
Adversity
Falling
Principles of Priority
11:9
11:10
12:1
Rejoice... in
young
manhood
Remove
vexation from
your heart pain
from your body
Remember your
Creator in the
days of your
youth
Remember the Lord because…
• You aren’t getting any Younger.
• God has designed you to the Empty
without Him.
• Now is the Time to Prepare for Eternity.
SONG OF SONGS
The Love Song of the
Scriptures
Interpretations of the Book
• Allegorical Interpretation: Entire book
is seen as an allegory of the Lord’s love
for His people Israel.
• Cultic Interpretation: Cultic poems for
use in marriage ritual.
• Shepherd Interpretation: Views
Solomon as the villain.
• Typical Interpretation: Type of the
church
• Natural or Literal Interpretation
Cast of Characters
• Solomon: Shelomoh “Peaceful”
• Shulamith: Feminine of Shelomoh
Romance &
Honeymoon
(Chapters 1-4)
Happily ever
after
(Chapters 7-8)
Marital Problems
(Chapters 5-6)
The 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.”
The Story behind the Song
• The story begins
• Boy meets girl
Song of Songs 1:7
Tell 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?
The Story behind the Song
• The story begins
• 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 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
Lessons from the Song of
Songs
• God is concerned with all of life
• God is concerned with our sexuality
• All of life reflects our relationship with
God
• The Scriptures contain love songs
• We are a part of a sacred romance