Introducing Ecclesiastes

            Personal confession: the very first Bible study I ever taught was on the book of Ecclesiastes. I can’t say it was the best Bible study I ever led; nor can I say that I fully understood it.  (Mr. Harks, our youth counselor, took me aside afterward and spent some time on the distinction between Law and Gospel.) The truth is the book appealed—and still does appeal—to my dark side. And read on a surface level, the book itself is pretty glum,  Reduce it to a t-shirt and you have, “Life sucks and then you die.”

            Derek Kidner, whom I cited about the nature of wisdom and Proverbs a few days ago, comments that there are two main options in interpreting the book. First, it could be Solomon’s own interior debate about the value and purpose of life, a “debate with himself, torn between what he cannot help seeing and what he still cannot help believing,” a struggle between faith and sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Second, it could be understood as a “challenge to the man of the world to think his own position through to its bitter end, with a view to seeking something less futile.” That is, it could be understood as a response to the nihilist, the atheist, the one who says this life is all there is. “If this life is all there is,” the Preacher seems to say, “you’ll have a pretty dismal time of it. Want to reconsider?”

            Under the first view, one of the more poignant verses in the book is 3:11, “He has made all beautiful in its time; moreover, He set eternity in man’s heart.” On the one hand, the author is aware of the beauty of the world; on the other, he is keenly aware of its trials, travails, and contradictions. Yet he knows that he is more than a beast: a beast wouldn’t even notice the tension; an animal doesn’t live in dread of its death or of its legacy. He senses there must be something more and can’t turn his heart from that confidence.

            On the second view, it is the believer who can look the futility, the nonsense, the contradictions of life full in the face.  And he does so, to drive the unbeliever to the deciding point: either it is glum, depressing, and pointless … or there’s more—one who sets eternity in human hearts, who provides, who determines. Sometimes you have to push the argument to its bitterest conclusion to cause someone to draw back and create space for the Gospel.

            On either view, I find this a strangely, darkly compelling book—even if I can’t teach it with any more clarity than I mustered 25+ years ago.

            One more introductory technicality: nowhere does the author identify himself as Solomon. He identifies himself as the Preacher, a son of David, a king in Jerusalem. Frankly, those titles could make him any of a number of people from kings before the exiles to kings-in-name only after it. Once again, as I’ve said before, the particular of authorship is unimportant. That the Holy Spirit inspired is very important.

Jesus and the Proverbs--A Quick Note

Proverbs 28-29

29:3—A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

            I’ve been surprised at how often Jesus alludes to the Proverbs. It’s early, and I can’t think of the other instances offhand. But this verse is clearly in Jesus’ mind when He sets up the parable of the prodigal son, in which a foolish son does exactly that—squanders his wealth in wild living. All of it fairly screams, “This is the very folly that Solomon warned about!” There is a serious study yet to be done on how Jesus uses the proverbs, how His confrontation and condemnation of Israel is clothed in the notion of self-reliant foolishness, and how much of His call to discipleship picks up on God-fearing wisdom.  We’ll leave the formal study to someone more qualified than me.  But pay attention when we get to the Gospels. Some of these wisdom themes are coming back!

More reflections on Proverbs

Proverbs 26-27

26:4-5—Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.  Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

     The wise man recognizes the truth of these two seemingly contradictory proverbs.  On the one hand, there’s a warning not to lower oneself to the standard of the fool. On the other hand, there’s a recognition that you have to speak at a level that person can understand.  You find the same balancing act throughout the Scriptures: associating with the wicked can lead you into temptation and wickedness; on the other hand, if you never hang with the unbelieving how will you ever witness to them.  Much of wisdom is knowing how (and when) to say yes and no.

26:11—As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.

     Well! That’s graphic. And gross. And completely relatable. Dogs are gross and can’t help themselves. Fools are gross and should be able to stop themselves.

27:10—Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

     I suspect this has in mind occurrences like plague or famine and the idea is that one ought not only look to his own concerns. I’m reminded of the story of Ruth in which Naomi and her husband had sought refuge in Moab instead of struggling with family and neighbors at home. We do owe something to those around us.

    That’s an insight I share with youth all the time. Ask the question, “Who’s your neighbor?” and they’ll often jump right out into the whole wide world, “Everyone!” Well, yeah, sure, but the your greatest responsibility are to those who are right next to you and in you most immediate circle.  In our context, it’s a wonderful thing to be concerned for world missions, as long as we don’t miss the fact that there are unbelievers right here in Hartford; and it’s a wonder thing to be concerned for social problems in Milwaukee—again, as long as we don’t miss the fact that there are people in need across town from us and in our own congregation.

27:17—As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

     A favorite of mine, it reminds me why my friends are so dear to me. In college, we challenged each other’s thinking; we debated and argued; we critiqued. And it was not mean-spirited. It made us better thinkers, better writers, better pastors. The word ‘accountable’ only appears in the Bible a handful of times. (I can only find one legitimate use in the New Testament.) But here’s a verse that reminds us that holding one another accountable makes us better.

More Proverbs

Proverbs 22-25

22:1—A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

            There’s a great Peanuts cartoon from 50+ years ago. Someone asks Linus what he wants to be when he grows up and Linus replies, “Outrageously happy.” That’s a pretty good answer! It’s of a piece with this proverb. Linus values happiness overall, and the proverb values a good reputation over wealth.

            Contrast that Peanuts cartoon with a Zits cartoon from much more recently. The ‘star,’ a teenager named Jeremy, is trying to decide if he wants to be famous first or rich first and he settles on famous because riches usually follow fame, but you could be rich without being famous. In other words, he wants both. Now, the cartoon is lampooning that attitude, but it reflects a deeply held (and wrong-headed) value in our society.

            The proverb would suggest that we ought to value our integrity and good reputation even more than our success.

22:9—A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

            I highlight this proverb because I think that generosity is not talked about enough as one of the chief Christian virtues. But its fingerprints are all over the place in the Bible.  The logic goes like this: the Creator God is exceedingly generous with us; life and salvation are His free gifts to us; we are called to be generous as He is generous. There’s a verse in the Gospel of Luke in which Jesus suggests that generosity is a less-than-altruistic, that we use worldly wealth to secure friends for later (Luke 16:9). (I suspect he’s being a little ironic.) Here generosity is its own benefit.

23:6—Do not eat the food of a stingy man, … for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.

            Related, to the previous, one true generosity is not stingy. True generosity doesn’t begin with its own resources, asking, “What can I afford to give?” It begins with another’s need, and asks, “How can I help?” (That’s not to say that true generosity is going to impoverish you, but do pay attention to the different motivations.)

24:1—Do not envy wicked men…

            Wisdom is known by the company it keeps. On the one hand, it’s really hard to be in mission if you never hang with unbelievers. (Check the example of Jesus.) On the other hand, there’s a certain wisdom in recognizing that our company can have two implications. First, we are sometimes painted with the same brush: hang with the wicked and people will assume you, too, are wicked. That’s an unfair assumption, but one we should note. I had a conversation about a church once in which several leaders always went to a local bar after meetings; unfortunately that church was getting a bad reputation in its community.  Second, sometimes it does happen that bad company leads us astray, and we need to be honed in on our own moral compass so that we can be a positive influence instead of being negatively influenced.

What Was Missing?

            Last weekend, I visited a non-denominational mega-church. A couple of folks have asked me about that visit. On the one hand, I can see the appeal. It was a very simple ‘service.’ A few songs were song to warm up, and it seemed clear that the lead singer would carry the load of the singing: the rest of us could sing or not as we wanted. The preacher talked for about a half an hour and it was very conversational, easy to listen to.  They made an announcement and took the offering; while the offering was gathered the lead singer sang again. Then we left. Very simple. Very easy to step into.

            What was missing? The Gospel was missing. I wasn’t a big fan of the songs choices. They simply didn’t have the Gospel in them. I think the second song began with a reference to Jesus’ hands red with blood, but then the lyrics turned and the vast majority of the song was about the majestic, powerful Jesus. As a simple New Testament insight, Jesus isn’t glorified until after His suffering and death. Look at the book of Revelation, which contains some of the best ‘praise’ songs in the NT. There Jesus is worthy to be praised because He was slain (Rev 5:9). I get that some classic hymns have almost too many words, but some contemporary literature could use to actually say something.

            The preacher’s sermon was devoid of the Gospel, too. He talked at some length, but a lot of what he said seemed like a fairly basic Bible study. He made some general sanctification comments about taking opportunities, even if we’d rather not, to achieve some greater good. I thought he should have made a point about Jesus right there, that the cross wasn’t a particularly desirable choice for Him, but the greater good that He accomplished was well worth it. That would have been a great Gospel insight!

            Now I want to stipulate: I preach a lot, and I don’t always get the Gospel as firmly in there as I should. So, I don’t ever want to be judged on one sermon, and I’m reluctant to judge another preacher on a single sermon: everyone has an off day.

            But here’s the thing: when I miss with my sermon, the Gospel is still song in the hymns, proclaimed in the Absolution, articulated in the prayers, confessed in the Creed, and distributed in the Lord’s Supper.

            This weekend, I was reminded just how thoroughly Lutheran worship is saturated with the Gospel. I missed that, and I was reminded just how thankful I am that I’m a Lutheran and that we make the Gospel the center of all we do.

Proverbs 14-15

Proverbs 14-15

Since much of the book of Proverbs is a sort of random collection of observations, here are some random thoughts from today’s reading.

14:5—A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them.

The wise and the foolish are so often identified by their manner of speech—or lack of speech. So often the wise thing is to keep one’s mouth shut and listen; and so often I just open ‘er up and let her rip. There’s a quip attributed either to Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain (though neither probably said it): “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” Sage words.

14:8—The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

Again, wisdom is recognized by thoughtful planning. Human nature tends to assume and leap. The proverbs declare that it is prudent to ‘look before you leap.’ (Of course, that proverbial wisdom has its counterpoint in not dithering about. Sometimes wisdom is seen in decisiveness, too.)

14:10—Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

Here’s an interesting one, because we so often recognize that sharing our burdens can ease them.  Sometimes it just feels better to talk about what’s troubling us, and we have a call to listen sympathetically to others. (Carry one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, Galatians 6:2).  Yet, this proverb also recognizes the loneliness that sin imposes on us.  We can never fully share our hurts and our joys. Expressing them may help, but in many ways they remain uniquely our.

14:12—There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

Wisdom calls for discernment.  Sometimes it seems the right path, but it isn’t. How do you know? Do your homework, consider your options, pray…and realize that sometimes we just make mistakes.

15:1—A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

            This one seems to speak for itself, although it is hard to keep a gentle spirit and a gentle tongue when things are heating up.

15:16-17—Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

            Talk about counter-intuitive! We live a society that values consumption and accumulation.  Security and well-being have a ton to do with the status of our 401(k)s in modern American. But wisdom recognizes that accumulation brings its own troubles; contentment—that’s the key!

15:18—A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

            Learning to keep temper in check seems to be an important theme.

15:22—Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

            I have been in school for a long time—a long time. High school, college, grad school (twice now)—and I’ve never really been taught to collaborate.  I mean, schools try, but almost everyone hates a group project, because one slacker pulls down all of our grades. Success comes to the individual. I mean, even in a team sport, it happens.  Fantasy football buffs are more concerned with individual performances than team results; the Pro Football Hall of Fame celebrates individual achievements.  But the proverb reminds us: there’s wisdom in consultation.  An outside adviser may well see something obvious that we’ve missed.

Lady Wisdom/Lady Folly

            This introduction to Proverbs 1-9 is from the NIV Study Bible, and I think it’s helpful to understand how the book is framed.

            “The first nine chapters contain a series of discourses that contrast the way and benefits of wisdom with the way of ht fool. Except for the sections where personified wisdom speaks (1:20; 8:1; 9:1), each discourse begins with ‘my son’ or ‘my sons.’

            “A key feature in the introductory discourses of Proverbs is the personification of both wisdom and folly as women, each of whom (by appeals and warnings on the part of Lady Wisdom, by enticements on the part of Lady Folly) seeks to persuade ‘simple’ youths to follow her ways. These discourses are strikingly organized. Beginning (1:8-33) and ending (chs. 8-9) with direct enticements and appeals, the main body of the discourses is made up of two nicely balanced sections, one devoted to the commendation of wisdom (chs. 2-4) and the other to warnings against folly (chs. 5-7). In these discourses the young man is depicted as being enticed to folly by men who try to get ahead in the world by exploiting others (1:10-19) and by women who seek sexual pleasure outside the bond of marriage (ch. 5; 6:20-25; ch. 7). In the social structures of that day, these were the two great temptations for young men. The second especially functions here as illustrative and emblematic of the appeal of Lady Folly.”

One thing I would add to this description is that the enticement of sex is not simply for pleasure. Just as a man would have been tempted to cheat to get ahead, so too a woman would be tempted to use the one thing in her power (in a patriarchal age) to get ahead. It’s not just sex for pleasure; it’s sex as a tool to get ahead in the world, to find security in it. Either way, the contrast is the same: there is the way of wisdom, working carefully, diligently, and righteously to achieve happiness, balance, and success in life. And there is the way of folly, using whatever means and shortcuts are at hand to achieve those same goal,

Introducing the Wisdom Literature

            What shall we make of Proverbs? It is of a whole different character than the books of Moses—Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers—with their careful laying out of the way Israel’s life was supposed to be.  It is different, too, than the narratives of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, with their urgent stories of failure and their calls for repentance.

            Proverbs belongs to that category of literature called Wisdom.  The theme of God’s wisdom winds throughout the Scriptures, but Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are books in which wisdom is the main theme.  OT scholar Derek Kidner puts it like this: “In the Wisdom books the tone of voice and even the speakers have changed. The blunt ‘Thou shalt’ or ‘shalt not’ of the Law, and the urgent ‘Thus saith the Lord’ of the Prophets, are joined now by the cooler comments of the teach and the often anguished questions of learner. Where the bulk of the Old Testament calls us simply to obey and to believe, this part of it…summons us to think hard as well as humbly; to keep our eyes open, to use our conscience and our common sense, and not to shirk the most disturbing questions.”

            We’ve done some of that work already, when we read Job. There we struggled through the agonized questions of the innocent sufferer, “How shall we understand suffering, especially when it happens to those who have cast their lot faithfully with the Lord?

            Here in Proverbs two things might be helpful. First, it might be helpful to see that the wisdom literature assumes a world that makes some sort of sense—in general, even if not every circumstance reveals itself to human consideration.  Perhaps it might be better to say it this way: the wisdom literature assumes a Creator God who is not arbitrary like the gods of the pagans and whose world reflects His character. Wisdom is an attempt to understand something of the mind of God.  Second, a theme through the wisdom literature is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  This is not an exercise in speculation; wisdom assumes faith in the true God, the Creator. Wisdom assumes He is the architect, by whose design the world operates, and it assumes He is the conductor, by whom the world is brought to its final destination.

            So, God stands at the center of the wise life, and the wise person strives to understand something of the mind of God. It is an understanding seasoned by faith, God’s own words, and a lifetime’s experience.