An Overview of Wisdom Literature
This blog post is Part 1 of a series entitled, "A Summer of Wisdom" by Pastor Jeffrey Dean Smith of Donelson First in Nashville, TN.
Message Date: July 17, 2022
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When making a major decision, to what do I turn for wisdom?
In a recent survey, here’s how Americans answered this question: When making a major decision, to what do I turn for wisdom?
5. My own research.
4. My family.
3. My pastor.
2. My friends.
1. My gut.
To what do you turn when a major decision is on the line?
You’ve probably always known that there is a tremendous amount of wisdom found throughout the pages of the Bible. What you may not know is that there are five specific books of the Bible known as Wisdom Literature that are packed with solid biblical and godly advice to help you make wise choices.
We are going to begin with an overview of these 5 books as we set the stage to experience A Summer of Wisdom.
God’s Word will never mislead me.
I tell you, the more I study the truth of God’s word, the more I realize how robust these truths are for every aspect and intimate detail of my life!
After her marriage ended in November 1993, J.K. Rowling returned to England from Spain. She said, “I hit rock bottom, but I had a great idea for a book.” But when she finished writing her big idea, her manuscript was rejected by all of the 12 major publishers. They did not like her writing style. It was so simple and full of flaws that only a child could like it, the publishers said. And they were right; the kids, young and old, loved it. And she has sold over 450 million copies of Harry Potter to children of all ages all over the world!
Ernest Hemingway once said, “What a writer has to do is write what hasn’t been written before or be better at the way dead writers once succeeded.” Ernest Hemingway won the Pulitzer Price for Writing in 1953 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. He wrote such classics as A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea.
M. Night Shyamalan wrote a little screenplay when no one knew who he was. He said, “I try to write in a way that takes the viewer’s breath away!” If you’ve seen The Sixth Sense & The Village, then you know he succeeded!
Just as there are many, many authors who take varied approaches in their writing styles today, the same is true when it comes to the more than 40 authors who, through the divine leading of our God, penned the words of the Bible throughout a span of 1,500 years.
Wisdom Literature was a category of literature in many cultures in the time of the Old Testament. In its purest sense, Wisdom Literature highlights the workings of the world. It deals with larger philosophical issues as well as those areas of life that one would take a commonsense approach in dissecting.
A summary statement of Wisdom Literature:
Wisdom Literature = writings that give instructions for living well while discussing the challenges + difficulties of life.
These writings explore the meaning of life, good versus evil, God’s relationship with humanity, and God’s love for humanity; the writers of these books tackle many relevant topics such as money, dealing with loss, sexual experiences among lovers, right and wrong, friendships, the power of our choices and so much more.
Throughout the history of time on planet earth, there have been a plethora of philosophical writings which could be considered in the same light as ancient wisdom literature writers.
Here are a few examples of the more modern practical wisdom:
"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller, The Story of My Life Autobiography
"In the end it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln
"You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need." The Rolling Stones, You Can’t Always Get What You Want
"My mother used to always say, the older you get the better you get, unless you are a banana." Rose (Betty White), The Golden Years
Though not deep, and probably not considered too philosophical either, these writings & sayings are just a taste of a variety of wisdom we have received through the years as humans.
The teachings of Wisdom Literature were common throughout the ancient East, specifically in ancient Israel, and were unique in several ways. These writings highlight 5 essential realities about life in the ancient world. What you are going to see throughout this study that is extremely obvious, is that these writings are truly relevant for my life and yours today.
5 attributes of Wisdom Literature that apply to my life today:
1. Life is challenging.
All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin. They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, hoping to take my life. Psalm 56:5-6
2. The circumstances of my life do not always unfold as I desire.
What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
3. God is the fountainhead of all wisdom.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6
4. My decision to fear the Lord is one of the wisest decisions I will ever make.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
5. I may know a lot. But, God knows more and can do more with my life, than I can do alone.
How great is God - beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. Job 36:26
Wisdom Literature is vitally important to my everyday life because:
There are people everywhere who seem to manage just fine without God in their lives, for a while. But, the truth is, I was never created to live alone, nor to figure out how to do life void of God. Only God can give true insight into the way all things in the world work.
Specifically, I am created to turn to God as the source of true wisdom in dealing with life’s issues.
In the Old Testament, there are five books that are classified as Wisdom Literature.
Wisdom Literature books of the OT:
- Job
- Psalm
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon (Song of Songs)
I want to offer a brief synopsis of each of these books of wisdom.
With each of these 5 synopses (sy-nop-cc’s), I too want to highlight the BIG QUESTION presented in each of these works of literature. Of course, some of these books offer multiple questions for consideration. For the sake of time, I will offer one primary BIG QUESTION addressed within each.
Wisdom Literature book #1: Job
Author: Anonymous
The BIG QUESTION: Can God be trusted?
A secondary BIG QUESTION: Why does bad happen to seemingly good people?
The book of Job is a fantastic read about a very wealthy & seemingly healthy man who loses almost everything. Job is a blameless man whose peace and prosperity are disrupted when God allows Satan to upend mostly every area of Job’s life. In the midst of his loss, some of his closest friends visit him and tell him essentially that he is under the judgment of God because of, most likely, some great sin in his life. Job 11:13-20
In their view, Job’s friends tell Job that what has happened to him is something that only happens to people who are wicked. Job maintains his innocence.
The Big Q: Why does bad happen to seemingly good people?
This is a question each of us has asked at one point or the other, either directly or indirectly. We each have wondered and contemplated such a question as this, particularly when something bad happens that we believe comes out of nowhere and potentially blindsides our lives.
We too ask: Can I trust God in the middle of my hurt? Does God even care about my hurt?
At the conclusion of the book, the reader does not necessarily receive the answer as to why bad things happen. Instead, the focus turns to God being the omnipotent sovereign God who controls everything:
Job 1:21-22: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.
Job is a complex read. It is a series of issues rather than a single issue that tackles:
- the suffering of the innocent.
- the testing of the righteous.
- and ultimately, man’s choice as to whom he will turn in times of tragedy.
Wisdom Literature book #2: Psalms
Author: Multiple.
Most people attribute David as the author of the book of Psalms. David is an author but is not the only author of this masterfully written read.
The book of Psalms includes more authors than in any other book in both the Old and New Testament.
The authors of Psalm:
- David 75
- Anonymous 48
- Asaph 12
- The sons of Korah 11
- Solomon 2
- Heman 1
- Moses 1
- Ethan the Ezrahite 1
This book of 150 Psalms was written over nearly a 1,000-year period ranging from the lifetime of Moses in the wilderness (1440-1400 BC) to Ezra (fourth century BC).
Most of the Psalms were composed during the lifetimes of David and Solomon.
The ancient nature of the Psalm titles has often been questioned. Some have argued that the titles were added much later and should not be considered authentic. However, with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 20th Century, copies of the Psalms from the first century have been found with the traditional author names included. The evidence points to the authenticity of the traditional authorship of the Psalms.
The BIG QUESTION: How do I personally reconcile the evil in the world and why does God allow such evil to remain?
The book of Psalms is one of the most popular books in all of the bible. Containing 150 poems or songs, the book of Psalms encourages the reader to experience and express a wide variety of emotions such as devotion to God, gratitude, dependence on God in difficult times, mourning over sin, faithfulness, joy, trust, and more.
Every chapter in these 150 Psalms, is an example of wisdom literature. Similar to Job, many of the Psalms deal with the “Why do the wicked prosper?” dilemma.
Many of these writings deal with the challenges of life that specifically relate to difficulty happening to those who are good.
Psalm 73:1-12
This is one example of Wisdom Literature, we have tremendous evidence offered to us as to the validity of scripture and just how relevant it is for our lives today. Because we all wonder the same from time to time!
My goal for you Church throughout this series is that you will discover that:
1. The truths of God’s Word are timeless.
2. When I lean into His Word + choose to apply these truths to my life, I will find peace whether my circumstances do or do not change.
This is a long read. But I want to make sure you see this, get this, & claim this!
Here at Donelson First, we don’t take an unrealistic approach to God’s Word. We don’t believe that just because we study His Word and lean into His Word that our lives will be exempt from challenges. On the contrary, we should expect adversity!
Jesus has reminded us in scripture that the world will hate us, and that when we choose to align our allegiance with Him, we essentially turn our backs on the world, and thus our lives are marked.
This is the message that I am going to see throughout the Summer of Wisdom series. I will be reminded that life is tough, things don’t always go my way, and even when I believe I am innocent, life will trip me up, and in the end, I may not get what I want.
This message will equally be true throughout this series – when I place God at the center of my life, no matter life’s challenges, I will be at peace knowing that God is on my side fighting for me, and that He will never turn His back on me.
Halleluiah! Amen! Pass the grits! Dig in!
Each of us at one point or the other has asked similar questions as does the writer of Psalm 73.
Questions such as:
“Why does evil prosper?”
“How can God sit back and allow bad things to happen in my life?”
“Does God even care that these things are happening to me today?”
In Hebrews it addresses our need as Christians to cry out to the Lord and to be real, authentic, and honest with him. We all need to hear this! Each of us needs to be mindful of this. Each of us has seasons of life where we struggle, we doubt, and we question!
We have just come out of a nine-week serious studying the ways of Satan, The Snake Among Us, and we have to be reminded that Satan loves to lie. It’s his native language. It’s what he does best. And in your personal moments of struggle, whatever the struggle, he wants you to believe:
When God doesn’t remove the situation, God isn’t involved in the situation.
This is a lie.
At the conclusion of this book, the Psalmist adds a final crescendo as to say: “Though evil persists, God is always on our side, and He will never fail us.” Psalm 150
Wisdom Literature book #3: Proverbs
Author: Solomon (primary author). Anonymous.
The BIG QUESTION: To where do I turn for answers to life’s questions?
Rarely does an author give it all away in the first few lines of his/her writings. But this is precisely what Solomon does in his writings and collection of writings known as the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs 1:1-7
The book of Proverbs is a uniquely crafted collection of wise sayings and teachings for living a fulfilling and enjoyable life.
Date of writing: Approximately 900 B.C.
The uniqueness found in the book of Proverbs that separates this book from other Wisdom Literature writings is that there is no particular plot or storyline found in these chapters. Additionally, there are no primary characters in the book. Instead, it is wisdom that takes center stage - - a magnificent, heavenly wisdom that transcends the whole of history, for all peoples, and is timeless for all generations.
The majority of these writings of Wisdom Literature are primarily written by Solomon, who was the wisest man to have ever walked the planet other than Jesus.
It is mind-blowing to realize that these words are as relevant for us today as they were some three thousand years ago.
In these 31 chapters, we find challenging statements that cut to the very of our responsibility as followers of our Lord, and we too read commonsense solutions to many of life’s dilemmas.
Listen to the warning when it comes to one’s disregard for receiving discipline when needed:
Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. Proverbs 13:18
There too is many a warning as to the dangers of poor choices:
Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. Proverbs 11:21
Believe it or not, there is quite a bit of humor in the book of Proverbs:
If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. Proverbs 27:14
To put this warning in modern-day language: Don’t wake your neighbor who is sleeping…or, as I have learned the hard way: Don’t wake a sleeping wife either!
I read this week about an amazing find. Some were digging in the Middle East and they found what they believe is a list of proverbs that Solomon almost included in the book but didn’t make the final cut. It was a really interesting read.
Take a look: Solomon’s (almost) Additional Words of Wisdom
- I should not be addicted to the hokey pokey, because I might keep turning myself around.
- Letting go of a loved one can be hard. But sometimes, it's the only way to survive a rock-climbing catastrophe.
- Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.
- There are three kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can't.
- When one loses the TV controller, just remember… it's usually hidden in some remote place.
Seriously, this Wisdom Literature book is loaded with wisdom and warnings.
Wisdom Literature book #4: Ecclesiastes
Author: Solomon
The BIG QUESTION: Can my life have meaning without God?
The book of Ecclesiastes is quite puzzling at first glance. In this short read of all 12 chapters, it is riddled with unorthodox statements that border on extreme pessimism.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
Not the greatest pep talk you’ve heard, right?
King Solomon was the son of the great King David of Israel. Solomon was extremely wealthy. He made a fortune in trade – gold, precious metals, transportation, livestock, and spices. He also had important contacts in Egypt, including an Egyptian wife. This gave him access to Egyptian literature which often highlighted the subject of wisdom.
We know that Egyptian literature of this time included poems that spoke about the problems of life, reasoning, wealth, decision-making, and the impact that wisdom plays on all of these areas of one’s life. We know that his life experiences spoke into his writings.
Ecclesiastes 1:1 – tells us that the author was the son of David, King in Jerusalem.
Ecclesiastes 1:12 – tells us that the author himself was King in Jerusalem.
So we can easily reason that these writings are from King David’s son, the 3rd king of Israel, King Solomon.
If one does not approach the book of Ecclesiastes with an underlying understanding of its true meaning, it might appear to the reader that much of this book is at odds with much of the Bible.
For example: Ecclesiastes 3:19-21
When you understand that the overarching theme of the book of Ecclesiastes:
Theme of Ecclesiastes = life without God is meaningless
…the book begins to make much more sense to the reader. Solomon is exploring the ideas of a life void of God. He often uses the term “under the sun” as he writes. And, he speaks about life, “under the sun,” as being completely void of meaning when God is not the center of one’s life.
Solomon’s conclusion is that one should stop looking to the world for satisfaction and completeness and instead look to God, our Creator. Solomon concludes his words with this:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Wisdom Literature book #5: Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs)
Author: Solomon, possibly.
The BIG QUESTION: How can I express my love to my one true love?
If Solomon is not the author, then one could argue that this book was written during the reign of Solomon which was 971-931 BC. The book of Song of Solomon mentions Solomon, but only largely as a distant figure. Some might wonder how the book of song of Solomon made it into the Wisdom Literature collection of the Bible.
Its references to actual historical people such as Solomon and to actual places such as Jerusalem, & Tirzah connect these writings to its Jewish heritage. However, the traditional biblical writings and conversations are exempt entirely from this 8-chapter book. Additionally, there are zero spiritual references of any matter. There is no mention of Israel, law, grace, redemption, sin, or salvation. In fact, there is not a single mention of God in this Wisdom Literature.
The beginning of the Song of Solomon is a critically important beginning. Actually, this introduction is perhaps more important than any other in the Bible because of the challenge the church has had in interpreting its meaning.
This book is a collection of Hebrew loves poems celebrating a lover and his beloved as they enjoy the pleasures of beauty, intimacy, and specifically human sexual love.
Many have debated: Is such a read appropriate in the Holy Scriptures?
Well, such a read is in the Holy Scriptures. So its appropriateness isn’t even up for conversation. So then, the obvious question:
Why did this book make into the holy gospels?
The answer. It’s simple: Sex is a really good gift to me from God.
What really speaks to me about this Wisdom Literature book is that I should be speaking about its content more often than I do.
And dare I say, so should the Church!
For far too long, the topic of sex and sexuality and the enjoyment of such among lovers within Godly parameters has been considered taboo.
Song of Solomon demands we say otherwise!
Song of Solomon is a spiritually erotic study that should be embraced by the Church rather than shunned.
Now, having said this, I’m not so sure that Amy, my wife would want me to call her, as this lover labels the love of his life in:
Song of Solomon 1:9 - I liken you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
Or men, how about trying these words on your lady the next time you want to get frisky:
Song of Solomon 4:1-2 - What! Your hair looks like a flock of goats and your teeth like a flock of sheep!
But make note of this: Song of Solomon is one of the five Wisdom Literature books in Scripture because of its poetic picture of what a Godly marriage can be:
Beauty, curious, full of zeal, ornate, fun, adventurous, and yes, sexual!
In this eye-opening read, a young lover loves his lover, and the two lovers express in a godly & beautiful way their love for one another!
Throughout this Summer of Wisdom series, we are going to study in great detail these equally stand-alone unique books of the Bible that corporately create: Wisdom Literature.
Harmony within relationships. Navigating healthy decision-making. Embracing the varying layers of family. Raising Godly children. Intimacy in marriage. And…so much more!
If this is what you desire, then you are going to find that turning to Wisdom Literature for advice won’t let you down!
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Jeffrey Dean Smith is a husband, father to Bailey & Brynnan, author, and the Senior Pastor at Donelson First in Nashville, TN. If you are in Music City, meet Jeffrey and enjoy iced tea on the front lawn each Sunday at 10:30a.