Friday, February 12, 2016

109. Jehovah Hates a Proud Look

Finish the Poetic Books


It is generally agreed that Solomon wrote the last three books in the section of the Bible which is called "poetry". 

 It is also said that he wrote:

1. The Song of Songs, also known as Canticles, or The Song of Solomon; when he was a young man and that he wrote

2. The Proverbs during his years as a virile king

3. and Ecclesiastes when he was old.

Now, returning to the order in which they are in our Bible.  We have already finished 

  • the Book of Job
  • The Psalms, and 
  • the Book of Proverbs; 
so now we will take a brief look at Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon. 

It might be mentioned here that Ecclesiastes must not be confused with Ecclesiasticus, which is also known as Sirach, and it is found in the Apocrypha, but not usually in the Protestant Bible.

Ecclesiastes


The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 1:1-2.

According to Clarke's commentary, Vanity means emptiness.  It carries with it the idea of vapour.  According to Jamieson, Fausset and Brown it is almost as if it carries a mathematical sense as vanity times vanity and then, as if that isn't enough, Solomon cubes that sum by repeating it, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

What a dour outlook on life.  Of course, maybe, by the time he got to be as old as he was when he wrote this book, he realized that he had wasted his life "chasing" women.

Humility was not Solomon's strong point. I spoke within my own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have gathered more wisdom than all that have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart has seen much of wisdom and knowledge. 1:16

Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me. 2:15.  He could not see himself as being in the ranks of the fools.  However in 6:16 he tells us that Jehovah hates pride.

He sums up his last book with these words, words which we would all do well to pay attention to Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether evil. 12:13.

Song of Songs


This is a lovely poem, written by a younger man.  Picture it as performance.  It must be understood as having at least two solo voices answering to each other.   At places, it is very hard to decipher who "has the mic".   There are also one or two chorales (small signing groups).

The words in the poem are of such a sexual nature that the Jews forbade it to be read by any until he was thirty years old. Gill's Commentary.  This part of the "holy book" was censured; what a sneaky way to get people to read at least part of the Bible.

but at the time this Song was written, Solomon had only sixty wives and eighty concubines. And the Song most certainly celebrates a marriage;  ... Does this marriage represent a celestial union? Do the speeches of each contain Divine doctrines? Are the metaphors, taken from earthly things, to be understood of spiritual matters? In a word, does Solomon here represent Jesus Christ. Is the daughter of Pharaoh the Christian Church.  Clarke's Commentary.

Well, maybe, but I have a few problems with that idea:

1. Anyone who "fools around with women" as Solomon did should not be allowed to represent Jesus Christ.

2. Some people love to spiritualize everything in the Bible that can possibly be spiritualised and so they fail to see as facts the things that are distinctly given as facts.   

A few examples: the UFO Ezekiel encountered or the very tangible sights that John recorded in The Revelation must not be spiritualized.

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