Reverence and Respect for the LordWisdom Literature: Themes and StylesWisdom Books: A Unique Form of Spirituality Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom Books

Wisdom Literature 1. A unique literary response to faith that emerged and became refined in Jewish communities of the Diaspora2. Wisdom literature focused on four main themes: Gods Creation The natural laws The future The meaning of life itself3. Hebrew tradition borrowed and adapted a great deal from the writings of other cultures 4. According to Hebrew wisdom: The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10)Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom Books

Themes and Styles of Wisdom Literature1. The wisdom described is basically moral in character, involving lessons in truth, moderation, prudence, and kindness2. The message of any wise saying is usually applicable between cultures across different eras as well3. This literature answers questions that all people have: why we are here? what the point of life is, what will bring them the most happiness, how best to get along with other people, and what will be the most meaningful work for them to do with their livesSacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom Books?

Spirituality of the Wisdom Books1. For the most part, the central themes and characters of the Old Testament scarcely appear in the Wisdom books2. Unlike the spirituality of the prophetic writings, Wisdom literature describes God by what he has made it is descriptive, rational, and objective3. It is likely that all Hebrew Wisdom literature is from the postexilic era of biblical history4. Wisdom literature was another response of the Jews to the challenges of living as a minority people in the ancient world Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom Books

The Book of Job1. The Book of Job rejects the simplistic belief that good is rewarded and evil is punished2. It doesnt so much solve the problem of the suffering of the innocents as it ponders it3. It reveals much about the perplexing questions of why God permits physical and moral evil. Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom BooksPhysical evil exists because God has willed that there be limitations in the world that he created. There is physical evil as long as creation has not reached perfection.Moral evil exists because God respects our freedom and mysteriously knows how to derive good from it.

The Book of PsalmsSacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom BooksPsalm from the Greek name for a stringed instrument called a psalterLiterary style: poetry including parallelism Kinds of Psalms:Authorship: traditionally King David, although most originate from the period of the Second Temple Lament Psalms requesting Gods help and protection in various needsPraise and ThanksgivingInstruction Two types: wisdom psalms and historical psalmsLiturgical Psalms used for Temple celebrations

Other Wisdom Books1. Proverbs teaches three types of wisdom: knowledge of Gods created world, the skill of making right choices, and the art of living before God2. Ecclesiastes a loose collection of proverbs, laments, poems, and rhetorical questions that are concerned with the value of human life3. Song of Songs a collection of love poems that express the alternating views of two lovers describing each other in very erotic languageSacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom Books

Other Wisdom Books4. Wisdom Divided into three sections: (a) The Book of Eschatology (b) Praise of Wisdom (c) Gods special providence during the Exodus5. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) contains numerous sayings, laments, Psalms of praise, and moral maximsSacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word Part 1D Wisdom Books