{"id":30,"date":"2018-05-06T12:31:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-06T19:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=30"},"modified":"2018-09-05T20:39:57","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T03:39:57","slug":"uncommon-wisdom-old-testament-wisdom-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=30","title":{"rendered":"Uncommon Wisdom: Old Testament Wisdom Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Introduction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\"\"Overall, Old Testament (OT) wisdom books are fairly anthropocentric (man-centered) since they address the issues of everyday living faced by God\u2019s people. That does not mean that they are not also theocentric (God-centered). God instructs His people to live their lives in view of His existence, presence, righteousness, and justice. Studying these books provides an opportunity to exam the potential for formulating a \u201cbiblical humanism.\u201d Studying OT wisdom literature challenges us to construct a set of principles for OT ethics (which may be expanded into biblical ethics). Practical examples of personal morality in these books help to illustrate the tensions involved in biblical ethics. The wisdom books of the OT point the reader beyond the chaos of this world and the human arena to a personal God to Whom each person must answer and upon Whom each must depend for spiritual survival.<\/strong> The wisdom books of the OT include Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. However, these three books do not exhaust the examples of wisdom literature in the OT. Portions of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Psalms also exhibit various wisdom themes and forms that identify material as wisdom literature (cf. Isaiah 19:11\u201315; 28:23\u201329; 40:13,14; Jeremiah 8:8,9; 9:12, 23; Ezekiel 16:44; 18:2; Amos 5:8\u201315; 9:2\u20136; Psalms 1; 19; 49; 73; 119).\n\nThe Bible refers to the wisdom of sages among the Israelites (1 Kings 4:31) as well as among a number of their Ancient Near Eastern neighbors:\n

    \n \t
  • the East (1 Kings 4:30)<\/li>\n \t
  • Babylon (Isaiah 47:10; Daniel 2:12\u201314)<\/li>\n \t
  • Persia (Esther 1:13)<\/li>\n \t
  • Arabia (Proverbs 30:1; 31:1)<\/li>\n \t
  • Egypt (Genesis 41:8; 1 Kings 4:30; Isaiah 19:11\u201313)<\/li>\n \t
  • Phoenicia (Ezekiel 28:4\u20137)<\/li>\n \t
  • Edom (Jeremiah 49:7; Obadiah 8)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n

    Wisdom<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBiblical \u201cwisdom\u201d (Hebrew: chokmah<\/em>) includes all of the ethical and social abilities that distinguish the prudent person from the fool or the unrighteous. Biblical \u201cwisdom\u201d involves skill, discretion, education, morality, and faith. It refers primarily to practical activities. Action and thinking are inseparable. The wisdom books of the OT present an approach to life that challenges the reader to reach beyond typical behavior patterns to a lifestyle characterized by discretion. In other words, biblical \u201cwisdom\u201d is the ability to make good or right choices (cf. Ephesians 5:1\u201321, esp. vv. 15\u201317).<\/strong> We could diagram it this way:\n

    Right Teaching<\/span> >><\/span> Right Thinking<\/span> >><\/span> Right Choices<\/span> >><\/span> Right Living<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n

    General Themes of Wisdom<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n

      \n \t
    • Retribution:<\/strong> God rewards good conduct (obedience to His Word) with blessing and evil conduct (disobedience) with punishment. Proverbs 12:21; 13:9; 21:15; Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13<\/li>\n \t
    • Choice of living responsibly or recklessly:<\/strong> These are the two paths\u2014one of obedience (the path of the righteous and godly) and one of disobedience (the path of the unrighteous and ungodly). Proverbs 3:31; 16:16; Job 31; Ecclesiastes 7:18;\u00a0Psalm 25:12<\/li>\n \t
    • Creation:<\/strong> God created everything. It did not just happen or come about through a process of evolution. Proverbs 8:22\u201331; 22:2; Ecclesiastes 1:4\u20137; 12:1; Job 12:7\u201310; 26:14; 38:22\u201339:30; 40:15\u201341:34; Psalm 104<\/li>\n \t
    • Citizenship:<\/strong> God\u2019s people must submit themselves to lawful human authority. Proverbs 14:34; 16:10\u201315; Ecclesiastes 8:2\u201313<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n

      \u201cThe Fear of Yahweh\u201d and Wisdom<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\"\"The concept of \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d<\/strong> characterizes Hebrew wisdom and distinguishes it from all other forms of wisdom in the Ancient Near East. The following passages speak of \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d: Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Psalm 111:10; Job 28:28; compare Acts 9:31; 2\u00a0Corinthians 5:11; 7:1; 1 Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7.\n\nMost believers have a difficult time defining exactly what \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d is. Does it mean to be afraid? to have reverential awe? or, to put the flesh to death or crucify self (figuratively speaking)? The more one reads in commentaries, theologies, and devotionals, the more he or she finds that few have a clear concept of what \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d involves. If it cannot be defined, then how can one exercise it or claim to \u201cfear Yahweh\u201d? Since \u201cthe fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge\u201d (Proverbs 1:7), our knowledge is in dire straits without that fear. There is no wisdom apart from \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d (Psalm 111:10; Job 28:28). In addition, Scripture associates blessing with \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d (Psalms 112:1; 115:13; 128:1, 4). Without \u201cthe fear of Yahweh,\u201d therefore, an individual lacks knowledge, wisdom, and blessing.<\/strong>\n\nPraise Yahweh, because He has revealed in His Word exactly what \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d is. Take note of the following elements involved in possessing \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d and read each biblical text for confirmation:\n

        \n \t
      • First, one must trust in Yahweh completely<\/em> (Psalm 115:11).<\/li>\n \t
      • Second, one must experience Yahweh\u2019s forgiveness in reality<\/em> (Psalm 130:4).<\/li>\n \t
      • Third, one must then sincerely delight in Yahweh\u2019s Word<\/em> (Psalm 112:1).<\/li>\n \t
      • Fourth, one must go beyond delighting in Yahweh\u2019s Word by actually keeping (obeying) it<\/em> (Psalm 119:63; Ecclesiastes 12:13).<\/li>\n \t
      • Fifth, one must sincerely and consistently hate evil<\/em> (Proverbs 8:13).<\/li>\n \t
      • Sixth, one must steadfastly hope in Yahweh\u2019s loyal love<\/em> (Psalm 147:11).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThat is what \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d involves. Read those six points again. Is it not clear that only true believers can fear Yahweh? Take a good look at the second point and read the following verses: Acts 2:38; 10:43; 26:18; and Ephesians 1:7. Why should anyone spend another day without believing the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ? Placing faith in Jesus is exactly where \u201cthe fear of Yahweh\u201d begins.<\/strong>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Introduction Overall, Old Testament (OT) wisdom books are fairly anthropocentric (man-centered) since they address the issues of everyday living faced by God\u2019s people. That does not mean that they are not also theocentric (God-centered). God instructs His people to live their lives in view of His existence, presence, righteousness, and justice. Studying these books provides […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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