Week Twenty-One

CHAPTER 9 — THE WISDOM OF ISRAEL

This week we jump around just a bit so that we can see the contrast and complementation of the “big three” wisdom books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job.

May 27

This book is the accumulation of wisdom from generations of godly insightful people. It promotes a life of virtue and "fear of the Lord," so that you can truly experience the good life. Proverbs is one of the three books that explore these themes of biblical wisdom.

Read Proverbs 1, then Pray Psalm 135. There are 31 Proverbs. Many Christians assign one per day of the month “for attaining wisdom and discipline” as verse 2 describes. Let’s consider it!

May 28

In this book we hear the skeptical voice of "the teacher." He observes that living by the book of Proverbs doesn't always bring positive results. Sometimes life is hard and defies neat explanations. How do you live with that tension, and still strive for wisdom? Ecclesiastes is the second of the three biblical wisdom books.

Read Ecclesiastes 1, then Pray Psalm 136. Do not forget the Hebrew word “HEVEL”. This is what our English translations translate as “meaningless”. In your mind, change it to smoke, with the image of trying to “grab ahold of smoke”. This nuance will unlock Ecclesiastes!

May 29

How do you trust God even when life isn't fair and you suffer for no good reason? Job's story invites us to consider what it means that God runs the world by wisdom, and how this truth can bring peace in dark times.

Read Job 1, then Pray Psalm 137. The question in Job is among the deepest we will face: Is God…good? See Genesis 3:1-4.  

May 30

Watch our Read Scripture video on the book of Job, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Job explores the difficult question of God's relationship to human suffering and invites us to trust God's wisdom and character.

Read Job 2-3, then Pray Psalm 138. Some will say God is not fair or just as he allows all of this to happen to Job. That is the point of the story: the author wants you to struggle with these questions! Continue…

May 31

Read Job 4-7, then Pray Psalm 139. Job might be the oldest book of the Bible in terms of the date of its writing. Regardless, it is ancient. It is interesting to note then, as you read chapters 4-7, you’ll find the comments and questions to sound quite familiar, almost “current.”

June 1

Read all of Job 8-11, then Pray Psalm 140. The questions and emotions swirling throughout this conversation are amazingly accurate for what we experience as we go through life. Even though your circumstances may differ from Job’s, think back: have you ever had conversations like this?

June 2

Read Job 12-15, then Pray Psalm 141. Allow the language to hit you just as it is: poetry. The imagery. The emotions. All regarding the deepest questions of life: who are we? Who is God? What is He like? As you read, remember where the overarching story culminates: the Cross & the Empty Tomb!