Poetry
A modern equivalent of Biblical poetry might be the measured oratory
of a speaker such as Winston Churchill.
We shall fight on the beaches,
We shall fight on the landing grounds,
We shall fight in the fields and in the streets…
This use of reiteration and rhythm are just two of the devices employed in the Jewish-style poetry of the Bible. (See Judges 5:30.) In contrast to modern poetry, the Biblical poetry makes constant use of parallelism: the echoing of the thought of one line in a second line (see Num. 23:19; Isa. 55:8).
It is of interest that this style of poetry translates into almost any language without losing its sense or rhythm. In other words, this type of poetry does not depend wholly on its native language for its wordplay or to make its point. You will note as you read the prophets that most of their utterances take on this form of parallelism.
In addition to the Prophets, three Old Testament books have been singled out by the scholars as distinctively poetic: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs. Most scholars add The Song of Solomon to this list as well. While more can be said about Job under the heading of wisdom literature it is regarded as one of the masterpieces of world literature for the wealth and energy of its language and the power of its thought. The Psalms takes their poetry and puts them to music and supplies the Bible reader with a wealth of material to use publicly and privately to confess sins, plead for healing, or rejoice over some deliverance or spiritual insight. The Song gives us a unique view of God's creation and the gift of love that can be attained between a man and a woman on this earth. It shows us that it is a mistake to try and divide God's world into categories distinctly secular or sacred. More will be said about Proverbs under the topic of wisdom literature.
Wisdom
Old Testament Wisdom sets aside simple rote commands and preaching
and reaches out to its readers through the voice of reflection
and experience. Wisdom might employ such literary devices as comparison,
parable, allegory, riddle, or enigmatic saying.
While the scholars have labeled Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes as Wisdom literature, it is not confined to those books alone. Note such examples in the Narratives as: Jotham's fable of trees, Samson's riddle, and various proverbs, Psalms, and prophecies. (Psa. 1; Isa. 28:23ff; Jer. 17:5ff; Hosea 14:9.) Israel indeed counted Wisdom as the third voice God alongside Law and Prophecy (Jer. 18:18).
The predominant author of wisdom literature in the Bible is of course Solomon (1 Ki. 4: 30-33). The wisdom literature of Israel concerned itself with typical topics such as: teachability, sobriety, wise speech, kindness, trust in Divine Help, and friendship. While literature of other cultures of the period also treat these themes it is important to see the distinctive way that scripture states and applies them.
Secular wisdom tends to measure everything by man, and comes to doubt whether wisdom can be found at all. Old Testament wisdom puts God at its head and allows His wisdom to be the creative and ordering principle that runs through every part. It is man's lot then to be disciplined and taught by that wisdom and through that wisdom to find life and fulfillment in His perfect will.
Psalms are basically prayers and hymns that express a truth about God or are directly addressed to God. They do not function primarily as guide to moral behavior or doctrine, but instead are profitable in helping us express ourselves to God and considering His ways.
There are many different Psalms written for many different occasions. Not all of them are useful in Christian worship (137:8-9), but they are the words that God inspired men to speak to Him in times past that we can confidently use ourselves if we adhere to a few simple rules.
The Psalms as Poetry
Note the following:
1) Hebrew poetry is intentionally emotive by design, so be careful
not to read too much into places where the poet meant little.
2) The Psalms are musical poems. They were meant to be sung and
touch the emotions of the singers. Much of the poetic language
of the Psalms is figurative rather than literal. It is dangerous
to try and establish doctrine based solely on the contents of
a Psalm.
3) Many Psalms employ metaphorical language. Psalms 23 is not
enjoining the singer to give up city life and become a shepherd.
This false interpretation could easily be made by someone not
familiar with the use of metaphors and similes.
The Psalms as Literature
Ask yourself these questions concerning the literary features
of the Psalms:
1) What type of Psalm are you reading? It could be any of the
following types or combinations of two or more types: a Psalm
of lament or thanksgiving, a hymn of praise, a salvation history
Psalm, a Psalm of celebration and affirmation, a wisdom Psalm,
an imprecatory Psalm (look it up, I had too!) or a song of trust.
2) Once the type is determined, then the form should be examined
in light of other Psalms of the same type.
3) What is the function of the Psalm in the life of Israel? What
was its intended purpose? To use a Psalm of lament in a wedding
ceremony would be in bad taste at the very least.
4) Is the Psalmist using various patterns? Is the Psalm written
as an acrostic (Ps. 119) or a certain arrangement of words and
sounds?
5) Are you reading the Psalm as a literary unit? Because each
Psalm was written to be sung as a whole, it is dangerous to hunt
and pick verses individually from the Psalm. In other words, our
usual warning about violating the context of a scripture passage
is doubly in effect when reading the Psalms.
The Use of Psalms in Ancient Israel
The Psalms were functional in the sense that they were designed
to make a connection between the worshipper and God. This is something
that the New Testament expects our Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual
Songs to do in our own Christian worship (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
The Psalms were used in the Temple worship, but history bears
out that the people used them outside that setting and used them
in different situations where the wording and music was applicable.
How Can Christians Use the Psalms?
1) As a guide to worship. We can use them to praise God, appeal
to God or remember the benefits of being in God's good graces
when our own words fail us.
2) To demonstrate how we can relate honestly to God. We can use
them to learn to express our emotions towards God.
3) To show us how reflection and meditation can be applied in
a way that God respects.
4) Caution: The use of Psalms will not guarantee a pleasant life.
David, undoubtedly the greatest Psalmist of them all, lived his
life in a series of tragedies.
There are four Old Testament books that generally fit the category of Wisdom literature: Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Job, and the Song of Solomon. While not everything in these books fits the strict category of wisdom, their general contents fit this label.
The Nature of Wisdom
Wisdom is "the ability to make Godly choices in our lives."
Unfortunately, many use the very literature God gave to guide
us in this purpose unwisely!
Abuse of Wisdom Literature
Three common ways that the Wisdom books are misused include:
1) People only read part of the book and fail to see the inspired
author's overall intentions.
2) People often do not know how to interpret the different styles,
literary modes, and terms used in Wisdom literature. Consider
Pr. 14:7, must we shun every fool?
3) People often fail to follow the line of argument in a wisdom
discourse. We must note who is speaking and what their motivation
might be. For example, can we trust the words of Eliphaz in Job
15:20?
Who is Wise?
The wise person of the Old Testament was practical, not just theoretical.
They were interested in making choices that would positively impact
their lives in God's eyes. It is our choices that chart the course
of our lives.
All ancient wisdom literature stressed this "good choice making" concept, but Bible Wisdom literature took it one step beyond that - good godly choices. So Bible wisdom does not depend on our IQ, but instead on our respect toward God. (Jas. 1:5; 3:13-18.) The goal of Bible Wisdom is to teach responsible, successful, and scriptural living. Those that seek to apply God's truths in their daily lives and learn from their experiences will become wise eventually. Seeking wisdom for one's own personal advantage is not condoned (Isa. 5:21).
Teachers of Wisdom
In ancient Israel a special class of men arose, known as the wise
men. They were regarded on a somewhat equal footing with the prophets
and priests (Jer. 18:18). Their function was that of a teacher-counselor,
often standing in as a parent figure. (Gen. 45:8; Jud. 5:7.)
Wisdom in the Home
The practical advice given to children at home (such as "choose
good friends") should always be accompanied with a nod to
the fact that the highest good a person can achieve is to do God's
will.
Wisdom among Colleagues
Wisdom can be refined through discussion and argument. Who could
disagree that Job was "wiser" for his debates with his
friends.
Wisdom Expressed Through Poetry
One of the easiest ways of memorizing a piece of information is
through poetry, rhyme or song. It is no accident that much of
the Bible Wisdom literature is expressed in just these forms.
The Limits of Wisdom
Not all ancient wisdom is inspired by God. Only those books passed
down as canonical can be trusted as the "word of God."
Wisdom does not touch upon every necessity of life, either secular
or spiritual. It needs to be supplemented with the entirety of
Scripture to be fully effective. The presence of wisdom does not
mean it will be applied properly, note Solomon. Only that wisdom
that subordinates itself to God will achieve His desired results
in our lives.
Wisdom in Proverbs
Since we are embarking on a study of Proverbs, it will be worth
our while to say a few things regarding the use and misuse of
that book. The book contains a list of practical attitudes that
the God-seeking individual can employ in his life. It contains
the basic values that are the foundation to living a godly life.
Proverbs gives a very consistent contrast between choosing the
life of wisdom versus the life of folly.
Uses and Abuses of Proverbs
The Hebrew word for Proverbs means: figure of speech, specially
contrived sayings, or parable. A Proverb then is brief expression
of truth. It was not meant to go into the details nor necessarily
applied in all situations. In Hebrew many of the Proverbs employed
rhythm and rhyme a simple technique of memorization still employed
by "teachers" today.
The Hebrew Proverbs must be understood reasonably and taken on their own terms. They are not meant to state everything about a truth, but they do point toward it. An example of a type of Proverb that is often misunderstood is: Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed (Pr. 16:3). Many take this type of Proverb as a direct clear-cut statement of fact. Those that take this view are bound to be disappointed when their unwise schemes fail. We must realize that a Proverb such as this one is teaching a generic truth, namely, that lives that are committed to God and lived according to His precepts are going to succeed when measured by God's definition of success. The world's definition of success might not ever come into play - think about Job.
Some Guidelines for Understanding the Wisdom of Proverbs