Sermon 22nd January 2011
Today, one of our Lay Readers, Trevor Tayleur, preaches based on the reading from Ecclesiastes 121: v1-14
Wisdom
Some very wise and intelligent people have said some things that have turned out to be completely wrong. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the first commercially practical light bulb, once said, “Radio is just a fashion contrivance that will soon die out. It is obvious that there never will be invented a proper receiver!” In 1957, two weeks before the launch of Sputnik, the first Russian satellite to be put into orbit, Sir Harold Spencer Jones, Astronomer Royal said, “Space travel is bunk.”
Even the most intelligent and wise people can get things very wrong. Today we’re looking at Wisdom Literature in the Bible, as part of our series on the types of literature. Of course, the wisdom I’ll be talking about today isn’t scientific wisdom; it’s not about whether certain inventions will work in practice or whether space travel is possible. Wisdom Literature is about a very different type of wisdom, and even though it was written between 2,500-3,000 years ago, it addresses some very modern questions. The books from the OT that we’re going to be thinking about today as Wisdom Literature are Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Some commentators include Psalms and the Song of Songs in the list, but Adjoa will be telling us about them in two weeks’ time when she speaks to us about Poetry. So I shall leave them to her, except to say that there are elements of Wisdom Literature in both of them.
One of the commentaries I read said, “Hebrew “wisdom” is readily recognized but difficult to define.” It goes on to say that the wisdom writings have different emphases and are of varied character. The book of Proverbs, unsurprisingly, contains proverbs - basic instructions on how to live. Job and Ecclesiastes contain “contemplative wisdom”; they ponder on the perplexing side of life. But they do have many features in common. They are very interested in the way the world works. They are very interested in the place of humankind in the world. And in particular they are interested in how the world and humankind come under God’s sovereign care. Also, despite the differences between the books, Wisdom Literature also has a number of consistent themes.
One of the main themes in these books is the fear of – or reverence for - the Lord. The fear of the Lord sets the framework for wise living. In the first chapter of Proverbs, these classic words appear: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And this implies that there are limits to human wisdom. The limits of human wisdom is another recurring theme. There are many questions that human wisdom cannot answer. To be wise, you need to have a good idea of how God has ordered the world and to live in agreement with God’s plans for the world.
Wisdom Literature also reflects on upright people and wicked people in relation to God. This is an ancient problem and a modern one. Some of the proverbs seem to indicate that there is a link between good behaviour and reward and wicked behaviour and punishment. On the other hand, other parts of Wisdom Literature note that the simple link between God rewarding the upright and punishing the wicked does not always seem to hold. And this leads on to the question of justice – one of the deepest mysteries that we face as people of faith. And closely connected to this is the problem of suffering and pain, an issue that the book of Job faces head on.
So let’s have a look at these 3 books, Ecclesiastes, Job and Proverbs. I’ll start with Ecclesiastes. Some scholars think it was written by Solomon, the great King of Israel, in the 10th century BC. Others think it was a later writer. Regardless, the book claims that its wisdom ultimately comes from God.
At first sight, it seems a rather strange book. Much of it seems to be cynical and pessimistic. In this morning’s reading, we heard the words of verse 9 of Chapter 12, a refrain that ring outs out frequently in Ecclesiastes; “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’”
“Everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind.” So, who is this Teacher who says everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind? He is very much like a seminar leader. His job, like any good teacher, is not to give us the answers, but to raise questions, to push us to find the answers. Ecclesiastes is not a place where we find answers. The Teacher’s job is to push us to the logical conclusion of our positions. His job is to challenge the foundation of our lives and to challenge the basis of our thoughts.
He asks this question at the beginning of Ecclesiastes, “What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecc 1.3) Is there any reason for existence? Does life have any meaning? What do you have to show for all your life under the sun? What difference are you making? The Teacher gives a depressing account of what life without faith is like.
Today some people say that the meaning of life lies in making the world a better place. They hope that when all is said and done, they’ve helped to make the world a better place. They’ve campaigned for human rights; they’ve fought against oppression and racism; they’ve done their best to avoid environmental catastrophe. And if they’ve helped to make the world better, they won’t have lived and died in vain. Now all these things I’ve mentioned are good things to strive for, but if there is no God, what is the point?
Let’s assume that this world is all there is – the only life under the sun. We can’t be sure if there is a God or not, as many modern people argue. So let’s assume that this life is all we’ve got and there’s nothing else. In that case all of human history will simply be a flash in the pan. One day our sun will die and the world will end. Planets come and go. And in that context, if there is no God, then everything, in the words of the Teacher, is meaningless. “Everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind.”
If there is no God who created you, if there is no God who sustains the universe, if there is no life after death, you can’t make a difference. You are a like a footprint in the sand that’s right at the ocean’s edge. The tide will soon come in and wash away the footprint. As the Teacher put it; “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” (Ecc 1.11) When this planet eventually dies, even the most famous figures in history, the likes of Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, will be forgotten. Without God, everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind. That is the message of Ecclesiastes. Either there is a God, or everything is meaningless.
The Teacher demolishes all the stock answers about the meaning of life. And he concludes by describing true wisdom; “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecc 12:13-14)
The only way to find true meaning in life is to recognise that God is there and to keep his commandments. The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of guidance about keeping God’s commandments. As usual, there is a debate amongst the scholars about when it was written, but it does seem that many of the proverbs date from the time of Solomon (1,000 BC), and indeed Solomon probably composed some of the proverbs himself. However, other proverbs are probably of a later date, perhaps as late as 500 BC. But whatever the origin of the proverbs may be, they are very much about “wisdom”. The Hebrew word for “wisdom” means something like “skill in the art of godly living”. Having wisdom means having insight; it means knowing how things really work and how things really are. And it means knowing what we should do about it. But finding wisdom, being wise, isn’t easy. And Proverbs gives some handy tips. It contains hundreds of pithy sayings, setting out principles by which life normally works. Here’s a very brief summary of some of these principles:
• If you work hard, you will prosper
• If you are lazy, you will be poor
• If you live according to moral absolutes, your life will go well
• If you live a wicked life, your life won’t go well
• If you bring a child up in the right way, then she will love you and be a responsible adult.
That sounds good, doesn’t it. But you may well be thinking; “Life isn’t that simple!” We all know people who have lived according to God’s standards and who have suffered terribly. Some people work hard, but stay poor because of oppression. Wisdom Literature recognises this. The problem of suffering is an issue that the Book of Job confronts.
Job was an extremely righteous man who was very prosperous. Then one day all of his possessions were destroyed and his children were killed. Why did this happen?
According to the first two chapters of the book, God and Satan had entered into a contest. Satan had claimed that Job only loved God because God had put a hedge about him, because Job had prospered hugely in material terms. If Job lost his wealth, then he would curse God. So God let Satan go after Job. Job endured these calamities bravely, without blaming God. And so God allowed Satan to attack Job himself physically, as long as he didn’t kill Job. And Job had a dreadful attack of boils.
Three friends of Job then came to comfort him. They went along with the idea that if you live life morally, then life will go well. So they said to Job, “Hmm, life’s not going well for you, Job, you must be sinning; you must be doing something really bad.”
They’re harsh, moralistic and miserable comforters. They knew there was a pattern, but they only saw one end of it. They thought they could understand it all. They knew that there was a pattern, but they didn’t see any exceptions to it. Proverbs says that if you are faithful and don’t commit adultery, life will go well with you. Now, if you are faithful to your spouse, you certainly increase your chances of a happy and long-lasting marriage. But we know that isn’t always the case. And Job confirms that. If we think that if we live good lives, then things will go well us for, then we’re wrong. On the other hand, if we think that means we can do what we like, that there are no moral absolutes, then we are also wrong.
So, back to Job. Job did break his silence and vented his feeling to God. He did have a go at God, crying out in pain, despair and anger. His friends also told him off for this. God then appeared. God rebuked Job’s friends, saying, "I am angry with you....you have not spoken of me what is right." (Job 42:7) They had failed to see the whole picture; they didn’t know true wisdom.
God also spoke to Job. God described the glories of the natural world in an amazing speech. Philip Yancey, a well-known Christian writer, describes God’s message in this way: “Until you know a little more about running the physical universe, Job, don’t tell me how to run the moral universe.” God did not criticise Job for crying out in anger; the only thing he criticised him for was his limited perspective. Job didn’t know the bigger picture – the cosmic battle between God and Satan, the fight between good and evil. The Book of Job doesn’t answer the question of why people suffer, but it tells us that how we respond to suffering matters. Through his faith Job helped God to gain a great victory over the powers of evil.
The Wisdom Literature deals with some big questions. What is the meaning of life? How should we live? Why do good people suffer? The three Wisdom books between them confront these questions. No one of them provides a complete picture. Proverbs sets out a basic pattern for living, and Job gives us some insight into what’s going on when the pattern breaks down. Through them we can learn wisdom; we can learn insight into how the world works and how to live. But is wisdom just something we can learn?
In Proverbs wisdom is pictured as a woman calling. Wisdom isn’t just an abstract concept, a matter of rules; it’s personal. What if the wisdom of God was a person you could know and love? If you could be in a relationship with that person, it would help to make you wise. What if wisdom was a person?
Several New Testament scriptures identify Jesus with the personified wisdom pictured in Proverbs. Indeed, Jesus is wisdom personified. Ultimately wisdom is knowing Jesus. It is in Jesus that we can find true wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God to us – the wisdom of God in the form of a person.
Let’s pray.
Father, thank you for making us wise to where wisdom is, in Jesus. Now make us wise in knowing him. Show us a parish how to know and love him, to make us wise. Help us this year to grow more and more into the likeness of Jesus.
Amen.
Wisdom
Some very wise and intelligent people have said some things that have turned out to be completely wrong. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the first commercially practical light bulb, once said, “Radio is just a fashion contrivance that will soon die out. It is obvious that there never will be invented a proper receiver!” In 1957, two weeks before the launch of Sputnik, the first Russian satellite to be put into orbit, Sir Harold Spencer Jones, Astronomer Royal said, “Space travel is bunk.”
Even the most intelligent and wise people can get things very wrong. Today we’re looking at Wisdom Literature in the Bible, as part of our series on the types of literature. Of course, the wisdom I’ll be talking about today isn’t scientific wisdom; it’s not about whether certain inventions will work in practice or whether space travel is possible. Wisdom Literature is about a very different type of wisdom, and even though it was written between 2,500-3,000 years ago, it addresses some very modern questions. The books from the OT that we’re going to be thinking about today as Wisdom Literature are Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Some commentators include Psalms and the Song of Songs in the list, but Adjoa will be telling us about them in two weeks’ time when she speaks to us about Poetry. So I shall leave them to her, except to say that there are elements of Wisdom Literature in both of them.
One of the commentaries I read said, “Hebrew “wisdom” is readily recognized but difficult to define.” It goes on to say that the wisdom writings have different emphases and are of varied character. The book of Proverbs, unsurprisingly, contains proverbs - basic instructions on how to live. Job and Ecclesiastes contain “contemplative wisdom”; they ponder on the perplexing side of life. But they do have many features in common. They are very interested in the way the world works. They are very interested in the place of humankind in the world. And in particular they are interested in how the world and humankind come under God’s sovereign care. Also, despite the differences between the books, Wisdom Literature also has a number of consistent themes.
One of the main themes in these books is the fear of – or reverence for - the Lord. The fear of the Lord sets the framework for wise living. In the first chapter of Proverbs, these classic words appear: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And this implies that there are limits to human wisdom. The limits of human wisdom is another recurring theme. There are many questions that human wisdom cannot answer. To be wise, you need to have a good idea of how God has ordered the world and to live in agreement with God’s plans for the world.
Wisdom Literature also reflects on upright people and wicked people in relation to God. This is an ancient problem and a modern one. Some of the proverbs seem to indicate that there is a link between good behaviour and reward and wicked behaviour and punishment. On the other hand, other parts of Wisdom Literature note that the simple link between God rewarding the upright and punishing the wicked does not always seem to hold. And this leads on to the question of justice – one of the deepest mysteries that we face as people of faith. And closely connected to this is the problem of suffering and pain, an issue that the book of Job faces head on.
So let’s have a look at these 3 books, Ecclesiastes, Job and Proverbs. I’ll start with Ecclesiastes. Some scholars think it was written by Solomon, the great King of Israel, in the 10th century BC. Others think it was a later writer. Regardless, the book claims that its wisdom ultimately comes from God.
At first sight, it seems a rather strange book. Much of it seems to be cynical and pessimistic. In this morning’s reading, we heard the words of verse 9 of Chapter 12, a refrain that ring outs out frequently in Ecclesiastes; “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’”
“Everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind.” So, who is this Teacher who says everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind? He is very much like a seminar leader. His job, like any good teacher, is not to give us the answers, but to raise questions, to push us to find the answers. Ecclesiastes is not a place where we find answers. The Teacher’s job is to push us to the logical conclusion of our positions. His job is to challenge the foundation of our lives and to challenge the basis of our thoughts.
He asks this question at the beginning of Ecclesiastes, “What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecc 1.3) Is there any reason for existence? Does life have any meaning? What do you have to show for all your life under the sun? What difference are you making? The Teacher gives a depressing account of what life without faith is like.
Today some people say that the meaning of life lies in making the world a better place. They hope that when all is said and done, they’ve helped to make the world a better place. They’ve campaigned for human rights; they’ve fought against oppression and racism; they’ve done their best to avoid environmental catastrophe. And if they’ve helped to make the world better, they won’t have lived and died in vain. Now all these things I’ve mentioned are good things to strive for, but if there is no God, what is the point?
Let’s assume that this world is all there is – the only life under the sun. We can’t be sure if there is a God or not, as many modern people argue. So let’s assume that this life is all we’ve got and there’s nothing else. In that case all of human history will simply be a flash in the pan. One day our sun will die and the world will end. Planets come and go. And in that context, if there is no God, then everything, in the words of the Teacher, is meaningless. “Everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind.”
If there is no God who created you, if there is no God who sustains the universe, if there is no life after death, you can’t make a difference. You are a like a footprint in the sand that’s right at the ocean’s edge. The tide will soon come in and wash away the footprint. As the Teacher put it; “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” (Ecc 1.11) When this planet eventually dies, even the most famous figures in history, the likes of Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, will be forgotten. Without God, everything is meaningless and a chasing after wind. That is the message of Ecclesiastes. Either there is a God, or everything is meaningless.
The Teacher demolishes all the stock answers about the meaning of life. And he concludes by describing true wisdom; “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecc 12:13-14)
The only way to find true meaning in life is to recognise that God is there and to keep his commandments. The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of guidance about keeping God’s commandments. As usual, there is a debate amongst the scholars about when it was written, but it does seem that many of the proverbs date from the time of Solomon (1,000 BC), and indeed Solomon probably composed some of the proverbs himself. However, other proverbs are probably of a later date, perhaps as late as 500 BC. But whatever the origin of the proverbs may be, they are very much about “wisdom”. The Hebrew word for “wisdom” means something like “skill in the art of godly living”. Having wisdom means having insight; it means knowing how things really work and how things really are. And it means knowing what we should do about it. But finding wisdom, being wise, isn’t easy. And Proverbs gives some handy tips. It contains hundreds of pithy sayings, setting out principles by which life normally works. Here’s a very brief summary of some of these principles:
• If you work hard, you will prosper
• If you are lazy, you will be poor
• If you live according to moral absolutes, your life will go well
• If you live a wicked life, your life won’t go well
• If you bring a child up in the right way, then she will love you and be a responsible adult.
That sounds good, doesn’t it. But you may well be thinking; “Life isn’t that simple!” We all know people who have lived according to God’s standards and who have suffered terribly. Some people work hard, but stay poor because of oppression. Wisdom Literature recognises this. The problem of suffering is an issue that the Book of Job confronts.
Job was an extremely righteous man who was very prosperous. Then one day all of his possessions were destroyed and his children were killed. Why did this happen?
According to the first two chapters of the book, God and Satan had entered into a contest. Satan had claimed that Job only loved God because God had put a hedge about him, because Job had prospered hugely in material terms. If Job lost his wealth, then he would curse God. So God let Satan go after Job. Job endured these calamities bravely, without blaming God. And so God allowed Satan to attack Job himself physically, as long as he didn’t kill Job. And Job had a dreadful attack of boils.
Three friends of Job then came to comfort him. They went along with the idea that if you live life morally, then life will go well. So they said to Job, “Hmm, life’s not going well for you, Job, you must be sinning; you must be doing something really bad.”
They’re harsh, moralistic and miserable comforters. They knew there was a pattern, but they only saw one end of it. They thought they could understand it all. They knew that there was a pattern, but they didn’t see any exceptions to it. Proverbs says that if you are faithful and don’t commit adultery, life will go well with you. Now, if you are faithful to your spouse, you certainly increase your chances of a happy and long-lasting marriage. But we know that isn’t always the case. And Job confirms that. If we think that if we live good lives, then things will go well us for, then we’re wrong. On the other hand, if we think that means we can do what we like, that there are no moral absolutes, then we are also wrong.
So, back to Job. Job did break his silence and vented his feeling to God. He did have a go at God, crying out in pain, despair and anger. His friends also told him off for this. God then appeared. God rebuked Job’s friends, saying, "I am angry with you....you have not spoken of me what is right." (Job 42:7) They had failed to see the whole picture; they didn’t know true wisdom.
God also spoke to Job. God described the glories of the natural world in an amazing speech. Philip Yancey, a well-known Christian writer, describes God’s message in this way: “Until you know a little more about running the physical universe, Job, don’t tell me how to run the moral universe.” God did not criticise Job for crying out in anger; the only thing he criticised him for was his limited perspective. Job didn’t know the bigger picture – the cosmic battle between God and Satan, the fight between good and evil. The Book of Job doesn’t answer the question of why people suffer, but it tells us that how we respond to suffering matters. Through his faith Job helped God to gain a great victory over the powers of evil.
The Wisdom Literature deals with some big questions. What is the meaning of life? How should we live? Why do good people suffer? The three Wisdom books between them confront these questions. No one of them provides a complete picture. Proverbs sets out a basic pattern for living, and Job gives us some insight into what’s going on when the pattern breaks down. Through them we can learn wisdom; we can learn insight into how the world works and how to live. But is wisdom just something we can learn?
In Proverbs wisdom is pictured as a woman calling. Wisdom isn’t just an abstract concept, a matter of rules; it’s personal. What if the wisdom of God was a person you could know and love? If you could be in a relationship with that person, it would help to make you wise. What if wisdom was a person?
Several New Testament scriptures identify Jesus with the personified wisdom pictured in Proverbs. Indeed, Jesus is wisdom personified. Ultimately wisdom is knowing Jesus. It is in Jesus that we can find true wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God to us – the wisdom of God in the form of a person.
Let’s pray.
Father, thank you for making us wise to where wisdom is, in Jesus. Now make us wise in knowing him. Show us a parish how to know and love him, to make us wise. Help us this year to grow more and more into the likeness of Jesus.
Amen.
posted by Sharren Taylor at 1:25 pm
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