9. Prophetic Literature And Wisdom Literature
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9. PROPHETIC LITERATURE AND WISDOM LITERATURE
PROPHETIC LITERATURE
I. EARLY SPOKEN WORD
1. Hebrews divided their Scriptures into the law, the prophets, and the writings.
2. The prophets were two divisions:
- a. Former Prophets.
- Joshua, Judges, Kings, Samuel.
- b. Later Prophets.
- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 minor prophets.
3. Lamentations and Daniel were placed among the “writings.”
4. The early prophets were all preachers. Some later wrote out their exhortations.
5. Jeremiah dictated to Baruch Chap 36.
6. Language of sound was more effective than the language of sight.
7. The early prophets were ecstatic. Their behavior was almost orgiastic. There was music, dancing, a frenetic frenzy.
8. Illustration: Saul joins the prophets. Dances— throws a spear at David. Dances with frenzy all day in the nude.
9. The dancing and shouting were like a mad dervish.
II. TRANSFORMATION OF PROPHETISM
1. The rhythm of dancing was changed to the rhythm of poetry. The cataleptic trance was turned into the more dignified poet.
2. Serious-minded preachers like Hosea, Micah, and Jeremiah began to appear.
3. But the older visions persisted even in Isaiah and Amos.
4. The prophets became sort of mediators between man and God.
5. Sometimes the prophecy was written out by the prophet, sometimes by others.
III. THE EVOLUTION OF PROPHECY
1. The early prophets uttered threats of destruction. Later editors added hope—promises of salvation dependent on repentance.
2. Much of the apparent growth of prophecy was the work of the priest—editors of the captivity.
3. Isaiah the Second is an exception. He presented hope and salvation as a part of his original message.
4. The latter-day prophets began to talk about the end of the world—the triumph of Israel as ruler of all nations.
5. This apocalyptic message was centered in the Messiah who would come to sit on David’s throne and rule the world.
6. Prophets were less and less concerned with predicting future events. They dealt more with present predicaments.
7. The prophet was a “man of God”—declaring the “will of God.” He was inspired.
8. The five hundred years of the “prophets of Israel” represent the greatest period in the spiritual history of the world.
9. New Testament founders honored the prophets. “Because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” II Peter 1:21.
10. The prophets preached holiness, love, and justice, and opposed sacrifices and overmuch ritual.
11. Prophets were not ascetic—they did not separate themselves from the people. And they were patriotic.
12. They were fearless and honest. The later prophets spurned all ecstatic performances.
13. “The sons of the prophets” were counselors and religious teachers—like the evangelists of the Christian era. They had schools at Bethel, Gibeah, Gilgal, and Ramah.
14. There were always to be found false and mercenary prophets.
15. John the Baptist is spoken of as “the last of the prophets.”
16. But they still referred to “prophets” during the apostolic days.
17. In both Old Testament and New Testament times there were prophetesses— Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Anna.
THE WISDOM LITERATURE
I. WISDOM IN THE NEAR EAST
1. The “wise men” must not be confused with magicians and astrologers.
2. The Orient had “wise men,” but not philosophers. The Greeks and the West had philosophers, but not “wise men.”
3. Egypt’s Amenhotep was a combination of wise man, philosopher, and religious teacher.
4. Proverbs is typical of the mood and method of the Levantine “wise men.”
5. Proverbs ranges from “riddles” to sublime philosophy.
6. Makes large use of plant and animal fables.
7. The “wise men” were “scholars,” and really sought to find out the meaning and worth of human life.
8. Egypt and Babylonia had “wise men,” but we hear nothing about such in Assyria or Edom.
II. WISDOM IN EARLY ISRAEL
1. The Canaanites had wisdom literature—findings at Ras Shamrah.
2. Israel also had “wise women”—Song of Deborah borders on wisdom literature.
3. When Joab wanted to persuade David to let Absalom come home, he sent to Tekoa for a “wise woman.”
4. The “wise woman” suggested going to Abel to seek wisdom—the site of ancient “wisdom schools.” II Sam. 20:l6-22.
5. The one pure plant fable of the Oriental type is that of Jotham. Judg. 9:8-15. Lesson: Respectable persons are too busy for politics, so the reprobates take over.
III. WISDOM OF SOLOMON
1. Typical case: The disputed baby. I King 3:16-27.
2 Solomon was astute—and a good psychologist.
3. David was a country man—Solomon was a city man—he knew both the graces and vices of city life.
4. Solomon was a patron of the arts and sciences.
5. They tell us that Solomon authored 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. We have no record of all this—unless in a few Psalms and Prov. 14.
6. Passages ascribed to Solomon— Prov 30:18,19; Chap 24-31.
IV. WISDOM BEFORE THE EXILE
1. Jewish “wise men” were sometimes half humorists and a bit cynical. The Hebrews had three sorts of literature: priest, prophet, and wise man.
2. Many of the Psalms belong to the wisdom group. Ps 15, 24, 19, 16, 49, 73.
3. Ps 19:2 may be an Oriental riddle. The riddle: “What is it that speaks by day and night, and yet has no voice?” Answer: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.”
V. WISDOM AFTER THE EXILE
A. Proverbs
1. Prov. 1 is the symbol of post-Exilic wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
2. Prov. 1-9 is certainly post-Exilic.
3. Proverbs is a compilation like the Psalms.
4. There are two sections of Proverbs:
- a. The humanist: Little is said about God. Man is largely the master his mortal destiny. If you want to be happy and prosperous, look to your method of living—be intelligent, industrious, frugal, and moderate.
- b. The religious: Advocates typical Hebrew morality. Be pious, unselfish, and moral.
5. There are eight divisions of the book.
- a. Praise of wisdom. 1:7-9.
- b. Proverbs of Solomon. 10:1-22:16.
- c. Words of the wise. 22:17-24:22.
- d. Sayings of the wise. 24:23-34.
- e. Proverbs of Solomon. 25:1-29:27.
- f. Words of Agur. 30:1-33.
- g. Words of King Lemuel. 31:1-9.
- h. Praise of a good wife. 31:10-31.
6. It was the Hebrew custom to assign proverbs to Solomon and psalms to David.
7. Proverbs exalts the individual rather than the nation.
8. Prov 22:17- 24:22 sounds like the wisdom of Amenemope. 1000-600 B.C. Ps 1 and Jer 17:5-8 come from the same source.
9. Proverbs advocates that man is entitled to enjoy material pleasures— perfume, wine, friendship, and married life.
10. The wise man shuns adultery, usury, fraud, theft, and ill-gotten gains.
11. Self-interest, rather than moral law, dictates good conduct.
12. Take an interest in the widow and orphan—even in your enemies.
B. Job
1. Job is the greatest of Israel’s wisdom literature. The question of Job: “Why do the righteous suffer?”
2. Jesus’ discussion of Job. The Urantia Book, (1662.3) 148:6.1
3. Job is a challenge of the Egypto-Hebraic doctrine that the righteous and the wicked receive their just deserts here on earth.
4. Job is an immortal poem about a just soul that suffered, despaired, and battled on until it found peace and salvation.
5. The book is a great philosophic debate concerning the ever present but unanswered problem of EVIL.
6. Job’s miserable comforters and their smug orthodoxy did not have the answer.
7. Job is constructed somewhat on the order of the Greek drama.
8. Multiple authorship in Mesopotamia. Representative of the Salem school at Kish. See Urantia Book, (1043.1) 95:1.6
9. Jesus called the book of Job a parable. He said it was “that masterpiece of Semitic literature.”
10. After the failure of theology and the breakdown of philosophy, Job gained his victory by personal experience.
11. Job at last, by faith, reasons himself out of his troubles. He declares: “I know the way I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
12. Job’s triumph was complete. He exclaims: “I know that my vindicator liveth.” (19:25) “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (13:15) King James Version.
C. Ecclesiastes
1. This book is a strange mixture of Egyptian pessimism and Greek philosophy.
2. The author is searching for the “value of human life.”
3. The theme song is: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
4. It is cynicism and pessimism. It presents the theory that all history and nature move in a circle, an ever-revolving and recurring cycle.
5. The pursuit of pleasure, wealth, and wisdom—all end in futility.
6. The author harps on the sorry plight of the oppressed, the lonely, the discontented, and the hazards of daily work.
7. There is much Epicurean philosophy: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
8. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is never mentioned. Elohim is not interested in our daily life. (5:2)
9. In Chap. 8 he equivilates wisdom with individual education. The book is devoid of the “cosmic viewpoint.”
10. Prayer is not mentioned in the entire book.
11. The educated and spiritually-minded reader can’t help feeling something of pity for the author.
1. Both Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon continue the presentation of Hebrew wisdom.
2. Ecclesiasticus is shot through with the philosophy of the Stoics.
3. Some of these Old Testament teachings were carried over into the New Testament