1. Introduction to the Poetical Literature
OT Survey II
Introduction to the Poetical Literature
and
the Book of Job

2. Introduction to the Poetical Literature
Unlike all the books we have studied so far, the poetical books do not advance the storyline of Israel.
These books are timeless in nature and contain:
Wisdom for life (Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes)
Songs (Psalms)
A commentary on the relationship of marriage (Song of Solomon)
Every book that we have looked at so far, Genesis to Esther, has advanced that storyline, and we’ve talked a lot about the importance of that.

3. Introduction to the Poetical Literature
Types of Hebrew Poetry
Lyrical – intended to be accompanied by music.
Didactic – intended to teach people to observe and evaluate life.
Dramatic – conveys ideas and truth through dialogue and monologue.
Parallelism as a dominant feature of Hebrew poetry
Synonymous Parallelism - different lines or members present the same thought in a slightly different form.
The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands (Psa 19:1).
Antithetic Parallelism - presents a contrast or opposition of thought presented in the different sentences. This type of parallelism is especially abundant in Proverbs.
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly (Prov 15:2).
Synthetic Parallelism - this is a correspondence and equality in structure, but not necessarily in words or sentences.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread? (Psa 27:1)
This parallelism translates quite well into other languages.

4. Introduction to the Poetical Literature
Books that make up this group:
Books by Solomon
Job – Not everyone agrees that Solomon wrote this one; a fascinating book on the wisdom and sovereignty of God.
Proverbs – maxims for wise living; states the way things generally work.
Ecclesiastes – describes the futility of life “under the sun.”
Song of Solomon – extols the pleasures and perils of marital love.
Psalms – aka the Psalter; Israel’s songbook; contains wisdom psalms within it (e.g., Psa 37, 49, 73).
Wisdom
Lit

5. Two Types of Wisdom Literature
Didactic - consists of wise sayings or proverbs that advocate all types of good habits, skills, and virtues.
Proverbs is filled with this kind of instruction.
Ecclesiastes also contains it, to a lesser degree.
Interrogative - asks hard questions in seeking to understand God’s ways and the meaning of life.
Job, Ecclesiastes, and the wisdom psalms exemplify this type.
Job and the Song of Solomon are like modern plays, using different scenes and speakers to tell a story with lessons about life.

6. Characteristics of Wisdom Literature
Focuses on instruction for skillful living and emphasizes a lifestyle of godliness.
Not so interested in theoretical matters, but instead is based on real experience and observation.
Begins with the fear of the Lord and focuses on the result of a positive outcome.
Seeks to pass on the insights gained from experience to the next generation, so that they might live successfully as well.
Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words” (Jer 18:18)

7. Quote from John Walton
In the Old Testament, then, wisdom is basically the very practical art of being prudent, sensible, and skillfully insightful so that one may prosper and have good success in life. Wisdom is also disciplined and proper behavior, learning how to do what is right and just and fair (Prov. 3:1 – 5). Wisdom taps the life experience of accumulated years and harnesses that knowledge and understanding for the purpose of safety, long life, right behavior, sound moral character, happiness, material prosperity, and integrity (cf. Prov. 1:33; 2:8-9; 3:1-2). Ultimately wisdom is learning how to steer through life in a way that wins favor and a good name in the sight of both humanity and God (Prov. 3:4) (Hill and Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, p. 257).

8. The Book of Job

9. Historical Setting
The events of the book of Job evidently took place during the times of the patriarchs.
Job’s total life span was approximately 200 years.
His wealth is measured in livestock.
The social unit is the patriarchal family-clan. Job is the priest of his family and offers sacrifices.
There are no references to Israel, the Mosaic Law, or the tabernacle.
Lamentations 4:21 places Uz in the land of Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea.

10. Author and Date of Writing
The author of this book is not explicitly identified. Three theories have been put forth as to the author and time of writing:
The author is Job or Elihu, and the book was written shortly after the events occurred, c B.C.
The book was written by Moses in Midian, which is adjacent to the land of Uz. The date of writing would be between 1485 – 1445 B.C. This theory is supported by at least one Talmudic tradition.
It was written by Solomon c. 950 B.C. This theory is based on the similarity between Job and other known Solomonic wisdom literature (compare Job 28 and Proverbs 8).
It is difficult to pick between these three, though Benware notes that many conservative scholars believe the book was written during the days of King Solomon.

11. Structure The Dilemma of Job (1:1 – 2:13)
Job is a righteous man, an unlikely candidate for catastrophe.
Satan accuses Job of being righteous only for what he can gain.
God grants Satan permission to attack Job on 2 different occasions, first against all that he has and then against his health.
The Debates of Job with His Friends (3:1 – 37:34)
Hearing of Job’s plight, his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come and sit in silence for 7 days.
Job then breaks the silence with a monologue cursing the day of his birth. This initiates a 3 round cycle of debate with his friends. After these older men have spoken, Elihu offers his perspective.
The fundamental assumption of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar is…
that God is not unrighteous, and that Job must have sinned and therefore deserved what he has received.
Elihu comes closer to the truth by seeing suffering as something other than punishment for sin (33:13-18, 29-33).
Job’s defense is not that he is blameless, but that his punishment does not fit his crime.
The Debates of Job with God (38:1 – 42:6)
God challenges Job as the Creator of earth and its creatures.
Job answers.
God challenges Job as the Creator of Behemoth and Leviathan.
The Deliverance of Job and His Friends (42:7-17)
A lot of what the friends say about God is accurate, but they are operating on a wrong assumption. Job is wrestling with God and appears to grow bitter. He wants a day in court with God to prove his innocence. He never abandons his faith and is vindicated in the end.

12. Chiastic Matching of Prologue and Epilogue in Job
Prologue (Job 1:1 – 2:13)
a. Introduction: Job lives a righteous life.
b. Job’s children: 7 sons and 3 daughters
c. Job’s flocks: 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys
d. Parties: with Job’s family members (they are brothers and sisters)
e. Job’s afflictions come upon him.
f. Three friends come to Job to console him.
g. Friends are silent seven days and seven nights.
Epilogue (Job 42:7-17)
g.’ Friends are rebuked for their words.
f.’ Three friends come to Job to ask for help.
e.’ Job’s afflictions are reversed.
d.’ Party: with Job’s family members (his brothers and sisters and many others).
c.’ Job’s flocks: 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, 1,000 donkeys
b.‘ Job’s children: 7 sons and 3 daughters
a.‘ Conclusion: Job dies old and full of days
Adapted from The Literary Structure of the Old Testament by David A. Dorsey, p. 170.

13. Major Themes Job as a Righteous Man Suffering
The Greatness, Sovereignty, and Wisdom of God as Creator and Controller of the Universe
The “Creatureliness” of Man

14. Purpose Statement and Message
The response of the righteous man to suffering ought to be worship and submission to God and His sovereignty.
“The basic question of the book is, Why do the righteous suffer if God is loving and all-powerful? Suffering itself is not the central theme; rather, the focus is on what Job learns from his suffering—the sovereignty of God over all creation. The debate in chapters 3—37 regards whether God should allow this suffering to happen to a person who is innocent. The oversimplified solutions offered by Job’s three friends are simply inadequate. Elihu’s claim that God can use suffering to purify the righteous is closer to the mark. The conclusion at the whirlwind is that God is sovereign and worthy of worship in whatever He chooses to do. Job must learn to trust in the goodness and power of God in adversity by enlarging his concept of God” (Wilkinson and Boa, Talk through the Bible, p. 145).

15. A Key Chapter in the Book: Job 28
Human Skill in Mining Technology (28:1-11)
Wisdom’s Unsearchability and Value (28:12-19)
God’s Knowledge of Wisdom (28:20-27)
Wisdom for Mankind (28:28)

16. Next Week: The Psalms