Chasing Eternity

Chasing Eternity
 
In the Old Testament there are three big categories of literature: history, wisdom/poetry, and prophecy.  In our current sermon series we are hunkering down into one of the trickiest books in the category of wisdom literature: Ecclesiastes. Listed below are each of the books included in OT wisdom with a brief blurb about the unique way that each of them approaches the topic of wisdom.

• Job: this book presents wisdom through the lens of suffering. Job, seemingly through no fault of his own, encounters tremendous struggle and must learn to trust God even when he cannot fully understand him. Wisdom is thus presented as trusting God in the midst of unexplained suffering.
• Proverbs: this is the book of “conventional” wisdom, containing a number of sayings and maxims which offer common sense, everyday principles for righteous living. Though the flavor of this book is very practical, it is also very clear that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Wisdom is thus presented as trusting God in the middle of ordinary life.
• Ecclesiastes: this book presents wisdom through the lens of frustration. Because life is fleeting and cannot be controlled or manipulated, its unpredictable nature must be accepted for what it is. Wisdom is thus presented as trusting God in the midst of instability and disappointment, realizing that our deepest desires can only be fully met in eternity.
• Song of Solomon: this book presents wisdom through God’s design of love, romance, and sex. In many ways, it is a love song, one that celebrates beauty and passion in the context of a man and woman in the covenant of marriage. Wisdom is thus presented as living in accordance with God’s design for relational love and commitment and sexual fulfillment.
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For more information on how to read different categories of literature in the Bible, check out How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.