Introduction to Proverbs, Ecclesiastes

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Introduction toProverbs, Ecclesiastes Song of
Solomon
27 April 2008
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Solomon
Son of David BathshebaLived around 1000
BCReigned 40 years, from about age 18-58
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Solomons Request for Wisdom
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream
by night and God said, Ask! What shall I give
you? And Solomon said Your servant is in the
midst of Your people who You have chosen, a great
people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
Therefore give you Your servant an understanding
heart to judge Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who is able to judge
this great people of Yours? - 1 Kings 38,9 NKJV
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Gods Answer to Solomon
Then God said to him Because you have asked
this thing, and have not asked long life for
yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor
have asked the life of your enemies, but have
asked for yourself understanding to discern
justice, behold, I have done according to your
words see, I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there has not been
anyone like you before you, nor shall any like
you arise after you. - 1 Kings 311,12 NKJV
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Solomons Downfall
But King Solomon loved many foreign women from
the nations of whom the LORD had said to the
children of Israel, You shall not intermarry
with them, nor they with you. Surely they will
turn away your hearts after their gods. And
he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three
hundred concubines when Solomon was old his
wives turned his heart after other gods and his
heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was
the heart of his father David. 1 Kings 111-4
NKJV
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Nehemiahs Commentary
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these
things? Yet among many nations there was no king
like him, who was beloved of his God and God
made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan
women caused even him to sin. Nehemiah 1326
NKJV
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Gods Response
So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because
his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel,
who had appeared to him twice, Therefore the
LORD said to Solomon, Because you have done
this, and have not kept My covenant and My
statutes, which I have commanded you, I will
surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it
to your servant. However I will not tear away
the whole kingdom I will give one tribe to your
son for the sake of My servant David, and for the
sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen. 1
Kings 119,11,13 NKJV
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Solomons Writings
Young, romantic king Song of Solomon
Middle-aged, wise king Proverbs
Old, regretful king Ecclesiastes
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Song of Solomon

• HistoricallyIts about the courtship and
  marriage of Solomon and a Shulamite shepherdess
• PracticallyIt was used as a manual by young
  Hebrew newlyweds, to know how to properly feel
  about sexuality (something God gave them)
• Allegorically / SymbolicallyIts about the
  courtship and marriage of Christ and His people
  (OT Israel NT Church)

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Song of Solomon Outline

• The beginning of love (11 - 51)
• Falling in love (11 - 35)
• Brides longing for affection
• Expressions of mutual love
• Visit of the king to the brides home
• Brides dream of separation
• United in love (36 - 51)
• Wedding procession
• Brides Beauty is praised
• The marriage is consummated

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Song of Solomon Outline

• Broadening of love (52-814)
• Struggling in love (52 710)
• Brides second dream of separation
• Bridegrooms handsomeness is praised
• Brides beauty is praised
• Growing in love (711 814)
• Brides desire to visit her home
• Journey and homecoming

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Song of Solomon

• Aspects of the relationship
• Attraction
• Desire
• Companionship
• Pleasure
• Union
• Separation
• Faithfulness
• Praise

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Song of Solomon

• DramaWritten primarily from the point of view of
  the Shulamite
• Characters / Speakers
• The bride (Shulamite)
• The beloved / groom (Solomon)
• The chorus (daughters of Jerusalem)

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The Bride (Shulamite)

• A shepherdess
• Dark skin from working in the sun
• Perhaps woman 141 of SolomonThere are sixty
  queens and eighty concubines (S.S. 68)
• If most of Solomons wives and concubines were
  political arrangements, then perhaps this was his
  only pure romance up to that point

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SS Application

1. View sexuality as God does something good, but
   designed to be used only within the boundaries of
   marriage
2. Understand that men usually have a stronger
   sexual drive than women, and without this, few
   men would ever marry, and the human race would
   probably die out. God planned it this way.
3. The purpose of marriage from Gods point of view
   is to produce godly offspring (Mal. 215)

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SS Application

1. Understand the seriousness of fornication (any
   sexual relationship not approved by God,
   including pre-marital sex, adultery and
   homosexuality)Flee fornication. Every sin that
   a man does is outside the body, but he who
   commits fornication sins against his own body. (1
   Cor. 618) Fornication is idolatry and damages
   the resurrected body of a believer IF he / she
   is a true believer the willful sinner has no
   Biblical basis for assurance of salvation!

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SS Application

1. Avoid music, TV shows and movies that excite the
   passions. Flee youthful lusts but pursue
   righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who
   call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim.
   222 NKJV)
2. In 1 Cor. 7, Paul says that its better not to
   marry, but if you cant control yourself its not
   sin to marry.

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SS Application

• If you or your husband cant control sexual
  desires when you are apart from each other, then
  unless he insists you be here, dont live apart
  from each other!
• Dont gamble! You are only asking for trouble,
  heartbreak, pain and regret.
• God will hold YOU partly responsible if he
  commits adultery!

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Proverbs
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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

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Proverbs Outline

• Words of Solomon
• 11 - 7 Purpose and theme
• 18 - 918 Exhortations to youth
• 101 - 2927 Proverbs for all(some recorded by
  Solomon and some by godly men in Hezekiahs time)
• Words of Agur (301-33)
• Words of Lemuel (311-31)

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Proverbs Purpose

1. Help the reader know wisdom and instruction
   (rather than foolishness and ignorance) 12a
2. Help the reader perceive the words of
   understanding (rather than not understand) 12b
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)
   13

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Proverbs Purpose

1. Help simple / immature people gain prudence
   (rather than saying and doing stupid things all
   the time) 14a
2. Help young men gain knowledge and discretion
   (rather than waste their time, money and strength
   on meaningless, fun activities that benefit no
   one) 14b
3. To help a wise man increase his ability to learn
   (so he can maximize his potential to help others)
   15a

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Proverbs Purpose

1. 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) 15b
2. 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) 16

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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

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Wisdom Fearing God

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
  knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
  instruction. Pr. 17 NKJV
• Respect or reverence is on your terms and only
  requires agreement, not submission
• Fear is on Gods terms and requires obedient
  submission to His commands
• So a desire to obey Gods commands is a
  prerequisite to gaining spiritual knowledge
• Ignoring Gods commands (and those who teach
  Gods commands) means you retain your natural
  foolishness

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Wisdom Fearing God

• The object of fear is Gods judgment(Law of the
  Harvest) Do not be deceived. God is not
  mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Gal. 67
• So fearing God requires an expectation that
  temporal behavior will have eternal consequences
• Grace means that the prodigal son gets to sit at
  his fathers table
• The Law of the Harvest means that the prodigal
  son suffers loss and cant get back the
  inheritance he squandered.

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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

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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 313-16 NKJV
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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 317,18 NKJV
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Proverbs Application

1. Develop a healthy fear of God. Remember, respect
   is on your terms and does not require submission
   fear is on Gods terms and requires obedient
   submission to His commands
2. As you read through Proverbs, write down and
   memorize the ones that speak most to your own
   personal need and pray for Gods help to change
   your bad habits
3. Be willing to take correction rather than resent
   it

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Ecclesiastes
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Ecclesiastes

• Written by Solomon at the end of his life,
  looking back
• It expresses Solomons regret for his folly and
  wasted time due to carnality and idolatry I
  had it all I tried it all it doesnt satisfy I
  sinned dont make my mistakes!
• Basic principles for living

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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. 121-5)

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Ecclesiastes Outline

• Thesis All is Vanity (11 - 11 )
• Proof Life is Vain (112-612)
• Counsel Fear God and keep His commandments
  (71-1214)

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Ecclesiastes Truths

• We all must die life is short
• All the work of mans hand is vanity
• Mans importance is not determined by success but
  by Gods 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

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Ecclesiastes Application

1. Dont give all your time, money and strength to
   things that will not last. Be sure to invest
   time in the Word of God, building your
   relationship with Jesus and serving whomever God
   puts into your life, especially your husband and
   children.
2. Memorize some to remind you of sober truths about
   life
3. Visit old people to learn from their lives and
   and imagine what you might be like when you grow
   old to keep life in perspective

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Bibliography

• Special thanks goes to the following
• Bruce Wilkinson Kenneth Boa for their
  information in Talk Thru the Bible
• Walt Henrichsen for his wisdom and insight shared
  during Bible studies he has led and in books,
  articles and e-mails he has written
• Edward Reese for his chronology and dating in The
  Reese Chronological Bible

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The End