Poetic Books of the Bible

JOB … is about … PATIENCE

Cheerfully enduring negative events under God’s sovereignty is right and pays.

 

1. For those suffering or needing perspective of it in the world, this book is their answer.
   1. Job’s suffering was incredibly severe and touched his whole life for the illustration.
   2. Elihu explained God’s sovereignty in suffering, and then God explained it further.
   3. James wrote that learning Job should help teach you to right endurance (James 5:11).
   4. Job got double in the end for what he went through, though he did not do it perfectly.
2. The key to the book is Elihu’s simple explanation – God is greater than man (Job 33:11).
   1. This single statement is worth reading the whole dialog and debate of 29 chapters.
   2. Elihu also explained that Job could have ended the trial much earlier (Job 36:15-18).
3. There are five main human characters, but young Elihu is often overlooked (Job 32-37).
   1. Job is one of God’s five great men – intercessors – for family/friends (Ezek 14:14).
   2. His three friends were very wise, as their words show, but they falsely slandered Job.
   3. The young man Elihu corrected Job and his three friends by defending God perfectly.
   4. This young man should be an inspiration and education for youth to learn and pursue.
   5. His introduction and correction of Job to glorify God have great lessons of wisdom.
   6. We believe Elihu the writer of the book by comments about himself (Job 32:15-16).
   7. Job is considered even by pagans to be a great piece of literature in content and style.
4. God spoke after Elihu for four chapters of glorious boasting like in Isaiah (Job 38-41).
5. We go to Job to see a perfect man, Satan’s cruelty, God’s hedge, a holy response, a foolish wife, the ruin of hypocrites, the righteousness of God, self-righteous villains, Elihu’s anger and boldness, Elihu’s wisdom, God’s glory, reward for enduring, etc.
6. More about Elihu and his great character, conduct, and instruction here, here, here, here.
7. More about God boasting to Job of His greatness to end his self-righteous whining here.

 

 

PSALMS … is about … PRAISE

God’s favorite, the greatest musician, worship leader, friend revealed his heart.

 

1. Praise – declare the glory of – occurs in the Bible 216 times, 131 in the Psalms alone.
   1. No one in the Bible even comes close to David in private and public worship of God.
   2. He is the man that danced with all his might in the street without his royal attire.
   3. He invented musical instruments, wrote the words and music, organized singers and players, funded a temple of glorious proportions, and combined it all for Solomon.
   4. He loved public worship, led glorious parades, and funded mirth feasts for the nation.
   5. He wrote of delighting in God (Ps 37:4), but then he detailed how to do it every way.
   6. The largest collection of the highest praise of God is to be found in this special book.
2. One of the greatest men of the Bible, God opened up David’s heart for your learning.
   1. He is called the man after God’s own heart, and he was God’s favorite and standard.
   2. We know more of his life from beginning to end than any ten other Bible characters.
   3. In the book of Psalms you see his fears, joys, grief, guilt, confidence, integrity, etc.
   4. After all the historical details of his life, God revealed all of David’s heart and mind.
   5. Who else in the Bible has his faults, needs, thoughts, strengths, weaknesses exposed?
   6. Who else has thoughts and words of the highest praise and lowest guilt open to view?
3. The Psalms include praise, prayers, history, commitments, instruction, prophecies, etc.
   1. The apostles taught the Psalms to be sung publicly and privately (Eph 5:19; Jas 5:13).
   2. Many of them are relatively short. By reading a few you will be helped various ways.
   3. You should have a favorite Psalm and understand it well, or you could have 5 or 10.
   4. You should have favorites for various needs e.g. fear, praise, prayer, scripture, etc.
   5. Two great psalms about the Bible are known and loved by the faithful (Ps 19; 119).
   6. Favorites include 1,2,16,18,23,27,34,37,40,45,48,51,89,103,110,121,122,139,143.
4. When you do not know where to read, but you want devotional time with God, go here.
   1. You will find God’s favorite ecstatic in praise and melancholy in defeat … for you.
   2. He will let you hear him talking to himself; he will show you the cure for depression.
   3. He will tell you personal secrets of his relationship with God and how he used them.
   4. He will share how God’s friendship and power saved him from his many enemies.
   5. He will tell you of his coming Son and His greater and more glorious achievements.
   6. He will help you verbalize praise and prayer to God by the best in those endeavors.
5. Short devotionals by various men from the chapters of Psalms to encourage you here.
6. Messianic Psalms are the psalms dedicated to Jesus the Messiah in whole or in part here.
7. Much detail about the life and character of David as recorded throughout the Bible here.
8. The best commentary on the book of Psalms was collated by Charles Spurgeon here.

 

 

PROVERBS … is about … PRUDENCE

God inspired the wisest king to give you rules for success in every part of life.

 

1. What is it worth to have God and the wisest king join together to teach you how to live?
   1. What was it like to be David’s son? Bathsheba’s son? It is all here and much more.
   2. What was it like to be Solomon and know all answers? It is all right here for you.
   3. Who would listen to a poor man tell you about the problems of riches? No one would.
   4. Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs, and these 500 or so are the very best chosen by God.
   5. All kings wanted to hear the wisdom of Solomon (I Kgs 4:29-34). You should, too.
2. Prudence – wisdom for what, when, how, whom – occurs in the Bible 28 times, 13 here.
   1. Solomon taught his son and all Israel wisdom – the power of right judgment to know what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and with whom to do it – for all parts of life.
   2. Related words include wisdom (117), understanding (53), knowledge (41), instruction (25), judgment (18), counsel (17), fear of the LORD (16), discretion (6), learning (4), justice (3), doctrine (1), subtilty (1), etc.
3. This is by far the most practical book of the Bible for usefulness in successful living.
   1. It deals with life – from wine to women, from risk to rulers, from savings to speech, from labor to love, from study to sloth, from riches to rabbits, from locusts to lions!
   2. It covers every part of life. If you think a part is overlooked, you have overlooked it.
   3. If a man put this book into practice, he could achieve success like picking easy fruit.
   4. Does God truly care about the carnal and natural things of life? Yes, He is our Father!
4. Our daily Proverb commentary on one verse should be required reading for each person.
5. Complete practical and spiritual commentary on every verse of Solomon’s work here.
6. Topical indexes on large and small categories to find help on many parts of life here.

 

 

ECCLESIASTES …  is about … PHILOSOPHY

A wise, rich, and dedicated king explored every angle for man’s purpose in life.

 

1. Proverbs gives details for successful living; Ecclesiastes gives the overall framework.
   1. How should you view life and its frustrations? What is life’s real purpose? It is here.
   2. If you want to rightly see the vanity and victory of earthly life, God gave this book.
   3. You can rise above the vanity and vexation of life to enjoy it, fulfill it, and die well.
   4. The two books closest to Ecclesiastes in content and design are Job and Proverbs.
2. Philosophy is the framework of right thinking to establish purpose and morality in life.
   1. The foundation for life is each man’s philosophy – Christian or not – with truth here.
   2. Men have long sought to know their existence and purpose, so the devil taught them.
   3. All live an implicit philosophy, but they are too ignorant to identify their philosophy.
   4. If the Bible is removed from life, atheism or humanism, twin heresies, are the result.
   5. Why is this fabulous book by a royal author ignored in philosophy and literature?
   6. Mocked by some as Solomon’s carnal, natural love of epicureanism, they are wrong.
   7. Why do we see the truth, and educated elite do not (Mat 11:25-27)? Thank you, God.
3. What is it worth to have God and the wisest king join together to teach you how to live?
   1. Solomon was able to research all purposes and analyze them, and he wrote it down.
   2. No other could analyze and synthesize so many observations and fit them together.
   3. Who would listen to a poor man tell you about the problems of riches? No one would.
   4. Solomon wrote creatively – he hated life for its vanity and vexation of spirit – time or season for all things – how two are better than one – the woman more bitter than death – the importance of time and chance – bodily corruption by age – and so forth.
   5. Only one Bible book has a better ending than Solomon’s last conclusion (Rev 22:20).
4. Detailed and thorough introduction to the book from many different angles located here.
5. Complete commentary written and preached identifying 60 lessons of his wisdom here.

 

 

SONG OF SOLOMON … is about … PASSION

A wise, rich king with 1000 women exalted romantic, marital love to its glory.

 

1. Why in the world is this book in the Bible? Many discount it or reject it as far too carnal.
   1. There is no mention of God or any spiritual concepts or words anywhere in the book.
   2. But Proverbs and Ecclesiastes by this writer are in the Bible – and they are earthly.
   3. Esther does not mention God, but it has fasting and prayer and providence is seen.
   4. False Bible versions like the NASB and ESV insert flame of the LORD (S.S. 8:6).
2. Solomon’s Song should be read as a metaphorical picture of a loving romantic marriage.
   1. We greatly love all spiritual truth about Jesus and heaven, but we must not invent it.
   2. Christ and His church are indeed compared to love, marriage, and sex, but that does not require all mentions of love, marriage, or sex to be about Christ and His church, or we must spiritualize Abram and Hagar, Isaac sporting, Jacob and four, Ruth, etc.
   3. It is Bible corruption to make a carnal or natural thing spiritual e.g. David’s five stones into Calvinism’s five points or the Good Samaritan into preacher and church.
   4. There is no Bible evidence or reason, nor any given hermeneutical method, and many terrible pitfalls against spiritualizing this romantic ballad into N.T. gospel doctrine.
   5. Why would anyone spiritualize it unless fearfully prudish about love, marriage, or sex, since there is clearly no warrant to do so but superstition and ignorant tradition?
   6. This romantic book is not quoted in the N.T., so there is no spiritual truth identified.
   7. If it were about Jesus and the church as some make it, the N.T. should quote it often.
   8. Why no mention of God, His Son, Messiah, sin, salvation, righteousness, church, prayer, worship, forgiveness, mercy, etc.? This book is totally devoid of the gospel!
   9. If you truly love Jesus Christ, then why not exhaust the N.T., which is all about Him?
   10. If all scripture is about Jesus (John 5:39), then spiritualize Leviticus and leper scabs.
   11. No two preachers or commentators have ever agreed on a spiritual sense of its words.
   12. If God inspired carnal Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, why not a practical book for love?
   13. Psalm 45 is similar in genre and words, but it names God, and Paul quoted it as such.
   14. Proverbs 8 is also a place often corrupted to find Jesus, but it is grossly, clearly false.
   15. If Solomon’s Song is Jesus, why not Proverbs 5:16-20; 31:10-31; and Eccl 9:7-10?
   16. If you make it a gospel allegory, are you ready to identify how each detail applies?
   17. If you make it a gospel allegory, how can you prove your applied details to be right?
   18. If the Reformers could not figure out baptism, how could they figure out this book?
   19. Many say Ecclesiastes is an epicurean heresy, but we totally reject such skepticism.
   20. Is marriage worthy of its own book – God’s great blessing? Think Ruth and Esther!
   21. Is marriage grossly inferior to a relationship with God? Not based on Genesis 2:18.
   22. Five books about the human experience that ignore love, marriage, and sex? Really?
   23. If philosophy deserves its place in the divine library, then why not passion as well?
   24. If details for making money, saving money, giving money, etc., why not marriage?
   25. Prophecy, like Revelation, is easily identified by (a) other examples of fulfilled prophecies like Daniel and (b) guiding words in the first verses stating its symbolism.
   26. Adam Clarke is excellent (here), like as with Christ’s sonship, Proverbs 8, Hebrews.
   27. John Gill is terrible (here); he spiritualized its verses 122 Sundays, like Proverbs 8.
3. The Song of Solomon has a large variety of interpretations as to form, persons, or intent.
   1. It is a song; too much emphasis on individual words or phrases can easily lead astray.
   2. Many see in it a play, which moves from act to act, so it ends up being like a musical.
   3. No two persons have likely ever agreed on even who speaks at each turn of the song.
   4. Many are foolishly certain the woman is Pharaoh’s daughter, without any evidence.
   5. There are several issues in the book (and his history and Ecclesiastes) that appear to oppose Solomon being the final winner, for another lover appears quite obvious.
   6. One intriguing option – a love triangle/competition with a shepherd – Solomon loses.
   7. Another intriguing option – the woman is Abishag – the most beautiful Jewess then.
4. Once spiritualizing the book is ended, there are many benefits comparable to Proverbs.
   1. Forgetting the persons involved and outcome, there is still great practical truth here.
   2. Marriage is one of God’s greatest gifts, and how to maximize the gift is shown here.
   3. Marriage is monotony or even worse, unless it retains or revives passionate romance.
   4. Passionate love of youth or early love is exalted here to be enjoyed and to be retained.
   5. The verbal praise by the spouses privately and publicly is something often neglected.
   6. The desperately, obsessively aggressive woman is a reminder for a wife’s priority.
   7. A careful reading can easily find many romantic reminders to enhance any marriage.
   8. If your marriage is boring, compare to see your problems and then renew first works.
5. The tool of romantic flattery, or praising your spouse, is very important as shown here.
6. We may spiritualize it a little from time to time indirectly, like He Is Altogether Lovely