Why The Old Testament Matters: Intro to Wisdom Literature

Why The Old Testament Matters: Intro to Wisdom Literature

Sometimes life is filled with more questions than answers, and we’re not sure what to do. Sometimes we face struggles and temptations. Sometimes we hope, plan, and work hard for things to go one way, but our plans don’t work out, and things turn out completely different. Sometimes we have expectations that don’t get met, or we see suffering we can’t explain. We have hard questions, but unfortunately, as humans, we don’t have all the answers. We all need understanding, guidance, and wisdom. Basically, we all need help to understand this life.

Thankfully, we serve a God who does understand everything. God can guide us perfectly and has promised to give us wisdom if we ask for it (see James 1:5). And one way God provides us with wisdom is through the Bible.

As we have seen over the past few weeks in this commentary, the Bible is filled with stories, prophecies, and parables. But it doesn’t stop there! One of the most helpful types of writing in the Bible is called Wisdom Literature. It’s a selection of five books that answer some of life’s toughest questions and give some of the best advice for our lives. The Wisdom Literature books include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. (Note that some traditions include only Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes as Wisdom Literature, and others count Job as poetry instead. But for today, we will be talking about all five books.)

Each of these books gives us a different bit of wisdom, but at the heart of them all, they teach us that having a relationship with God that focuses on Him, trusts in Him, and obeys Him is at the core of a well-lived life.

When you boil them down, Wisdom Literature gives us the best advice of all: worship God, seek God, and trust God.

First, we have Job, which is all about—Job. He was a righteous man who lost everything: his belongings, his kids, and his health, which begs the commonly asked question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” In a series of debates with his so-called friends, Job insists he hasn’t done anything wrong, while his friends insist he must have and that is why God is punishing him. Job sticks to his innocence and does not blame God. Through it all, Job learns to surrender his need to understand God’s plan and instead chooses to simply trust God and God’s sovereignty. This is the great wisdom from the book.

  Next, we have Psalms, which is a collection of mostly prayers and worship lyrics that teach us to focus on God, ask Him for help, and trust Him. Added to the mix are a few Psalms that are distinctly wisdom Psalms (see Psalms 1, 37, 73, and 119). For example, Psalm 37 shows us that if we are wise, we will “trust in the Lord” and “commit [our] way to [Him].” It advises us to “be silent before [Him]” and learn to “wait expectantly for Him,” not allowing ourselves to get angry because it “can only bring harm” (Psalm 37:3–8). This is wise advice for all of us, and the book has plenty more.

Proverbs is a collection of practical one-liners and short, clever sayings on how to live a good, God-fearing, morally upright life. It contains wise words, such as “a gentle answer turns away anger” and “even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent” (Proverbs 15:1, 7:28). Proverbs is just 31 chapters, which makes it a good book to pair with any month of the year that has 31 days. Commit to reading one chapter a day for an entire month, and you will have exposed yourself to a wealth of wisdom.

Ecclesiastes is the fourth wisdom book, and it can come across as a downer at first glance. At the beginning, the author basically tells us that everything is futile under the sun. “Absolute futility,” he says, “Everything is futile” (Ecclesiastes 12:8). But, after he works through all of his existential thoughts and musings over the course of 12 chapters, he comes away with a very wise conclusion: “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity”(Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Our final work of Wisdom Literature is called the Song of Songs. It is a poetic conversation between two people about love and marriage, and yes, the physical, sexual relationship that can be enjoyed within the confines of marriage. It can also be taken as an allegory about how God loves his people. It wisely demonstrates that when love is properly nurtured and parties are respected, it brings beauty, joy, and order.

If you have never tackled any of these books, this introduction should give you a good sampling of what to expect. If you have already read them, hopefully this article has given you a new appreciation for them.

Often, these books don’t have direct answers to specific questions (like “Should I move to a different city for this new job opportunity?” or “Why am I feeling so sick?”), but they do always help us focus on God and His ability to take care of everything. They also show us that when we do things God’s way, life can be beautiful. When you boil them down, Wisdom Literature gives us the best advice of all: worship God, seek God, and trust God.

If you have questions about this commentary, the Bible, or your faith, please feel free to reach out to us at experiencecc.com.