Part 14 (1/2)

8. Wisdom's warnings against the seductions of an adulterous, Ch.

7.

9. Wisdom makes an appeal, Ch. 8.

10. Wisdom gives her invitations, Ch. 9.

II. Practical Proverbs of Solomon. 10:1-22:16. These are separate and cannot be cla.s.sified.

III. Words of the Wise. 22:17-24 end. Sometimes called commendations of justice. There are several authors, but no common topic.

IV. Proverbs of Solomon, copied by the scribes of Hezekiah, Chs. 25- 29.

V. Words of Agur. Ch. 30.

From one who has tried ”to find out G.o.d unto perfection and found the task above him.”

VI. Words of Lemuel, Ch. 31.

1. The duty of Kings, 1-9.

2. The praise of a virtuous woman or good wife, 10-31.

For Study and Discussion. (1) Collect pa.s.sages that tell of the rewards of virtue and piety. (2) Cite pa.s.sages that show the evils of: sloth or indolence, of wine-drinking and drunkenness, of tale-bearing, of family contentions. (3) Make a list of the chief thoughts of the book concerning G.o.d, man, and other great religious teachings of our day. (4) What is said of a man who rules his own spirit, of a good name, of obedience to parents, of fitly spoken words, of a beautiful woman who lacks discretion, of a liberal soul, of a false balance, of a soft answer, of a wise son. Find where the answers are found (5) The Peril of following an unchaste love (woman), chapter 5. (6) Folly of yielding to the wiles of an harlot, chapter 7. (7) The description of a worthy woman, 31:10 end.

Chapter XIV.

Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.

Ecclesiastes.

Name. The Hebrew word means preacher and refers to or signifies one who calls together and addresses a.s.semblies.

The Personal or Human Element. Such expressions as ”I perceived,” ”I said in my heart,” ”I saw,” etc., indicate that it is not the will of G.o.d that is developed but a man is telling of his own ventures and utter failure.

The General View or Key-phrase is ”under the sun,” with the sad refrain, ”vanity of vanities, all is vanity”, and shows how a man under the best possible conditions sought for joy and peace, trying at its best every human resource. He had the best that could be gotten, from human wisdom, from wealth, from worldly pleasure, from worldly honor, only to find that all was ”vanity and vexation of spirit.” It is what a man, with the knowledge of a holy G.o.d, and that He will bring all into judgment, has learned of the emptiness of things ”under the sun” and of the whole duty of man to ”fear G.o.d and keep his commandments.”

Purpose of the Book. The purpose, then, is not to express the doubts or skepticism of the writer, not to record the complaining of a bitter spirit. It is not the story of a pessimist or of an evil man turned moralist. But it is intended to show that, if one should realize all the aims, hopes and aspirations of life, they would not bring satisfaction to the heart. His experience is used to show the result of successful worldliness and self-gratification in contrast with the outcome of the higher wisdom of the G.o.dly life. We are shown that man was not made for this world alone and not for selfish achievement or gratification, but to fulfill some great plan of G.o.d for him which he will accomplish through obedience and Divine service.

The Date and Authors.h.i.+p. The opening verse and certain other pa.s.sages such as some of the conditions as well as the characters of the persons represented in the book give the impression that Solomon wrote it, but there are other evidences that point to some other author.

Neither the author nor the date of writing has been definitely determined.

a.n.a.lysis.

I. The Vanities of Life. Chs. 1-4. seen in both experience and observation.

1. The Vanity of what he has experienced, 1-2.

2. The Vanity of what he has observed, 3-4.