Whatare“TheWritings”

• ThetypicaldesignationoftheWritingsortheWisdomBooks.• Job• Psalms• Proverbs• Ecclesiastes*• SongofSolomon*• Lamentations*

• Worthyofconsiderationinthissection:• Thebooks:

• Ruth*• Ezra• Nehemiah• Esther*

• Thereason:eachofthesebookshashadsomedegreeof“allegoric”interpretationthroughhistory.

• The*arethebooksofthemegiloth – ascrollofwisdomliteratureintheTaNaKh.

PrinciplesforthestudyoftheWritings

• Ifyoustudyfordirectapplicationtoyourlife,youwillalmostalwayscreateamess.• Ifyoustudywithoutlookingunderthesurface,youwillalmostalwaysmissablessing.• Ifyoucreateascenariothatdoesn’tworkliterally,youarelikelynotinterpretingitincorrectly.

Recognizetheinherentdangerinreadingwhatisnotthere,

butalsorecognizetheequaldangerinnotreadingwhatishiddeninthere!

Whatyou’llfindintheWisdomLiterature

• Ruth:Aprophecyofthelatter-daysreturnandredemptionofIsrael.• ReadannuallyatPentecost

• Esther:AprophecyofIsraelinthedaysoftheTribulation.• ReadannuallyatPurim

• Job:Aprophecydescribingthe“DayofJacob’sTrouble.”• Psalms:Propheciesofrevelation,remnant,orreign.• Proverbs:HowIsraelistoprepareforthecomingTribulation.• Ecclesiastes:ReproofforIsraelintheTribulation(Koheleth - tocallorassemble).• ReadannuallyattheFeastofTabernacles

• SongofSolomon:HowIsraelshouldprepareforseparationfromhermaster.• ReadannuallyatPassover

• Lamentations:DescriptiveoftheTribulation• Readannuallyonthe9th ofAb.

HowtoStudytheWritings

• Ifthereishistory,putitinitscontext.• Readeverywordlookingforacluetoplaceanytypologyintoitspropercontext.• Findathemewithinthebook.Don’tisolatepassagesfromthebook.• Testyourtheory…overandoverthroughoutthebook.• Lookforinconsistenciesand“appaling”statements.Thesecanoftenbetheshibboleth thatgivesinsight.• Rememberthefoundationalprinciple:BooksintheOldTestamentarenotaboutthechurch.

SomeExamples

• ThebookofRuth– SeeRuth:MoreThanMeetstheEye.• ThebookofPsalms– AquicklookatPsalms1-8• Psalm1:TheblessedMancomparedtothewickedmen.• Psalm2:Thesomeday-reigningKing.• Psalms3-7:Thecryoftheremnant,progressingfrompersecutiontotrust.• Psalm8:ThereigningKing.

• SongofSolomon–• Isitliteral(MarkDriscoll)• Isitallegorical(TheRomanCatholicChurch- thevirginMary)• Isittypical(Evangelicals– Christandthechurch)• Isitprophetic(Fundamentalistdispensationalists)