Lesson 5: The Writings and You
Understanding a little of the background and the types of writing included in the 13 books of the Writings section of the Old Testament can help us appreciate their messages and apply their meanings in our lives.
The story of Esther is remarkable in many ways.
"This exhilarating account has all the elements of a great novel.
There is the beautiful young orphan girl who rises from obscurity
to become queen. She even hides a secret that could bring about her
demise. Then there is the ambitious villain whose passion is to destroy
the innocent. Finally the story line involves a power struggle, romantic
love, and a startling expose. But in the end, the point of this true
story is clear: Once again the Israelites' God had miraculously saved
them from certain destruction" (The Nelson Study Bible, introduction
Remarkably, the book of Esther does not directly mention God. Still,
His presence and power are felt strongly by readers of this inspiring
book. When we face difficult choices, the message of Esther forces
us to think, as Mordecai asked Esther to consider, "Yet who knows
whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther
Share Your Story
"As one of the greatest collections of songs, prayers, and poetry, the Book
of Psalms expresses the deepest passions of humanity. In these pages we can
hear the psalmist's desperate cry in the midst of despair, but also his ecstatic
praise of his Provider and Comforter. We can hear him pouring out his soul
in confession, but also bubbling over with joy. The Psalms lead us through
the valleys and peaks of human experience, but in the end they guide us to
the praise of our loving Creator…
"Like the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, the Book of Psalms is arranged
in five sections: Book I (Ps. 1-41), Book II (Ps. 42-72), Book III (Ps. 73-89),
Book IV (Ps. 90-106), and Book V (Ps. 107-150). Each book concludes with a
doxology, an affirmation of praise to God found in the last verse or two of
the concluding psalm. In the case of Book V, the entire last poem, Ps. 150,
is the concluding doxology… Books I and II are composed primarily of Davidic
psalms; Book III includes the psalms of Asaph (Ps. 73-83) and the psalms of
the sons of Korah (Ps. 84-88). Books IV and V include anonymous psalms, along
with a few by David and others" (The Nelson Study Bible, introduction
How does Psalm 51 flesh out the story of David?
Psalm 51:1-4, 10-11
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him,
after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to
the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that
You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge…
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from
After Nathan's rebuke of David for his sin with Bathsheba and the murder
of her husband Uriah, 2 Samuel 12:13 records in briefest terms David's response:
"I have sinned against the Lord." In Psalm 51 David bares his soul and gives
the emotional depth behind those brief words of repentance. The Psalms are
powerful guides to the emotional life of a Christian.
"The Hebrew title of this book is…The Proverbs of Solomon. The term for 'proverb'
is masal, which comes from a root idea meaning 'parallel' or 'similar,'
and hence signifies 'a description by ways of comparison'" (Gleason L. Archer,
Jr., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 1974, p. 465).
Proverbs is a book of wisdom. Where did Solomon get his wisdom?
"In 1 Kings 3, we read how King Solomon received his great wisdom. When chosen
to succeed his father David as king, Solomon humbly asked God to grant him
wisdom so that he might be a good king in governing God's people Israel: 'Therefore
give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may
discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people
of Yours?' (verse 9). God was very pleased with Solomon's humble and serving
attitude. Notice His response: 'Behold, I have done according to your words;
see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not
been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you' (verse
"The book of Proverbs, as with all of Scripture, is vital to living the Christian
life. It is quoted nine times in the New Testament: Romans 3:15; 12:16, 20
(Proverbs 1:16; 3:7; 25:21-22); Hebrews 12:5-6 (Proverbs 3:11-12); James 4:6,
13-14 (Proverbs 3:34; 27:1); 1 Peter 2:17; 4:8, 18 (Proverbs 24:21; 10:12;
11:31); 2 Peter 2:22 (Proverbs 26:11). Indeed, the book points to the ultimate
wisdom that is found in Christ" (UCG
Bible Commentary on Proverbs).
Here is a brief outline of Proverbs:
1:1-7 Title and Purpose Statement.
1:8-9:18 Prologue (father's teaching, wisdom personified).
10:1-22:16 Proverbs of Solomon (Major Collection).
22:17-24:22 Words of the Wise.
24:23-34 Further Words of the Wise.
25:1-29:27 Further Proverbs of Solomon (Hezekiah's Collection).
30:1-33 Words of Agur.
31:1-9 Words of King Lemuel From His Mother.
31:10-31 Epilogue (virtuous wife).
Why was the book of Proverbs written?
To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to
receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give
prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise
man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain
wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise
and their riddles.
What is the starting point?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom
The Proverbs were written to teach wisdom, but without a deep respect and
reverence for God, the lessons will not produce real godly wisdom. The fear
of God is the starting place.
The book of Job is another book of wisdom, though not everything that every
character in the story says reflects God's wisdom. The book addresses the
troubling questions we face in the midst of suffering.
"Why do the righteous suffer? This answer comes in a threefold form: (1)
God is worthy of love even apart from the blessings He bestows; (2) God may
permit suffering as a means of purifying and strengthening the soul in godliness;
(3) God's thoughts and ways are moved by considerations too vast for the puny
mind of man to comprehend, since man is unable to see the issues of life with
the breadth and vision of the Almighty; nevertheless God really knows what
is best for His own glory and for our ultimate good. This answer is given
against the background of the limited concepts of Job's three 'comforters,'
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar" (Archer, p. 454).
How does Satan accuse and test God's people?
So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
"Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all
that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his
possessions have increased in the land.
"But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely
curse You to Your face!"
So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has
he will give for his life.
"But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will
surely curse You to Your face!"
Job suffered horribly at the hands of Satan. Thankfully, God is in ultimate
control and can turn even our most difficult trials for our good (Romans 8:28).
For a fuller picture, see our lesson on "Why
Does God Allow People to Suffer?"
What was Job's conclusion?
Then Job answered the Lord and said: "I know that You can do everything, and
that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
"You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I
have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which
I did not know.
"Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you
shall answer Me.'
"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.
"Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Job came to see himself in perspective compared to the all-powerful Creator
God. He repented and submitted to God, and God forgave him. This means Job
will receive eternal life as a child of God! God's wonderful promises far
outweigh all the troubles and trials of this life (Romans 8:18). And Job received
physical blessings as well.
Song of Solomon
This short love song "celebrates human sexuality within the context of marriage"
(The Nelson Study Bible, p. 1097).
What does the Song of Solomon say about sexual purity before marriage?
Song of Solomon 2:7
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of
the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.
In the context of the Bible, sexual love is a special blessing reserved for
marriage that helps strengthen the bond of oneness between a husband and wife.
The Shulamite woman poetically charges the virgins of Jerusalem "not to awaken
love until the time is right" (New Living Translation).
"This delightful book is a beautiful story of love, loyalty, and redemption.
One of only two books in the Bible named after a woman, this narrative masterpiece
tells the story of the salvation of Ruth, the Moabitess. Through her relationship
with her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth learned about the living God and became
His devoted follower. Abandoning her family and homeland, she demonstrated
both her love for her widowed mother-in-law and her faith in Israel's God.
Her faith was well placed, for God not only provided for her; He also placed
her in the messianic family line" (The Nelson Study Bible, introduction
"Ruth is one of the five books of the Writings known to the Jews as the Megilloth—the
other four being the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations and Esther.
While the word megilloth simply means 'rolls' or 'scrolls,' this
term is used specifically of the festival scrolls—that is, the books
of the Writings read in the synagogues at feast times. One of the major threads
running through the book of Ruth is that of harvest, specifically the smaller
spring harvest—first of barley and then of wheat (see Ruth 1:22). For this
reason Ruth is traditionally read in Jewish synagogues during the Feast of
Harvest or Firstfruits (Pentecost)—which occurs during this agricultural period
in May or June" (UCG
Bible Commentary on Ruth).
Though set in the violent period of the Judges, Ruth's story is a peaceful
one that demonstrates God's love for everyone, not just Israel. It also teaches
the virtue of loyal love (Hebrew hesed) and demonstrates redemption,
with Boaz serving as a type of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
How did Ruth reply when her mother-in-law told her to go home rather
than abandon her homeland and make the challenging move to Bethlehem?
But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following
after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will
lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
"Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to
me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."
Ruth demonstrated the beautiful quality of loyal love, not only to Naomi,
but to God. She had come to know, worship and trust the true God through her
marriage into Naomi's family, and even though she was now a widow, she firmly
committed to not go back to the ways of paganism.
Lamentations does not state who its author was, but tradition says it was
Jeremiah, the prophet who said, "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes
a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the
daughter of my people!" (Jeremiah 9:1).
"The five chapters of Lamentations are five poems with ch. 3 as the midpoint
or climax. Accordingly, the first two chapters build an 'ascent,' or crescendo,
to the climax, the grand confession of 3:23, 24: 'Great is your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion.' The last two chapters are a 'descent,' or decrescendo,
from the pinnacle of ch. 3…
"The poetry of the book enhances its purpose and structure. Chapters 1 through
4 are composed as acrostics of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Each verse or group of verses begins with a word whose initial letter carries
on the sequence of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. This would be similar to
an English poem in which the first line begins with A; the second begins with
B, and so on. One purpose of this device was probably to aid in memorization
of the passage. The acrostic also suggests that the writer has thought things
through and is giving a complete account of the subject" (The Nelson Study
Bible, introduction to Lamentations).
Even when God displays anger, is there hope?
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
God is faithful and merciful, and even His discipline is a sign of His love.
Trials should bring us to repentance and deeper trust in Him.
"The purpose of Ecclesiastes was to convince men of the uselessness of any
world view which does not rise above the horizon of man himself. It pronounces
the verdict of 'vanity of vanities' upon any philosophy of life which regards
the created world or human enjoyment as an end in itself. To view personal
happiness as the highest good in life is sheer folly in view of the preeminent
value of God Himself as over against His created universe… It is only God's
work that endures, and only He can impart abiding value to the life and activity
of man" (Archer, p. 475).
How does Solomon sum up the lessons he learned, many of them the
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is man's all.
Without a proper reverence for God and without obeying His beneficial laws,
we can't have a relationship with God. And as this book shows, without a relationship
with God that transcends this temporary, futile world, our lives are meaningless.
But as children of God, our lives can be complete and full of true and lasting
Esther, a Jewish orphan living in Persia, through extraordinary circumstances
became wife of the king! As mentioned in the introduction to this lesson,
God had placed her there to save her people.
Even though God's name is not mentioned in the book, is it clear
that Mordecai and Esther trusted in God?
And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that
you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews.
"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance
will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house
will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a
time as this?"
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather all the Jews who are
present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days,
night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king,
which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"
Various theories have been proposed about why Esther does not mention God.
One theory is that "the author may have written the book in the form of a
Persian state chronicle in order to explain to the Persians the Jewish celebration
of Purim" (The Nelson Study Bible, introduction to Esther). Whatever
the case, the theme of the whole book and the implications of passages such
as the above clearly show God's hand at work in saving His people.
Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians and was trained to become an
official in the Babylonian court. During his long life he continued to serve
God in spite of the dangers, and after the fall of Babylon also served in
the Persian government.
"The basic theme of this work is the overruling sovereignty of the one true
God, who condemns and destroys the rebellious world power and faithfully delivers
His covenant people according to their steadfast faith in Him" (Archer, p.
Daniel's prophecies are foundational in understanding other prophecies, such
as the book of Revelation. Jesus Christ also quoted Daniel in His Olivet Prophecy
(Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:27).
God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream about a massive image to reveal
"what will be in the latter days" (Daniel 2:28). What did Daniel tell Nebuchadnezzar
about the meaning of the dream?
"And wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the
birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you
ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.
"But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another,
a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
"And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks
in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom
will break in pieces and crush all the others.
"Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of
iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be
in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.
"And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
"As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of
men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with
"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which
shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people;
it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
Here are excerpts of the explanation of this passage from our booklet Are
We Living in the Time of the End?
"Daniel, interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a colossal human image, spoke
of a series of 'kingdoms' to arise on the world scene. The first of these,
said Daniel, was the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar himself (Daniel
2:28-38). It was to be followed by three other kingdoms (verses 39-40). Comparing
history with other prophecies, we can understand that these four kingdoms
were, in order, the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian and Roman empires.
"Speaking of the fourth and final kingdom, the Roman Empire, Daniel said
it would be 'strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters
everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces
and crush all the others' (verse 40). Rome indeed proved to be more dominant
and enduring than its predecessors, swallowing up their remnants in a reign
that lasted for centuries.
"However, Daniel also revealed fascinating prophetic details of this kingdom.
He said the legs and feet of the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream represented
a kingdom, later shown to be the Roman Empire. The image had feet and toes
composed 'partly of potter's clay and partly of iron.' This indicated that
'the kingdom shall be divided' and 'partly strong and partly fragile.' Also,
'just as iron does not mix with clay,' the components of this kingdom would
not adhere firmly together for long (verses 41-43).
"Then, describing Jesus Christ's return and His overthrow of all human kingdoms
and governments, Daniel says, 'in the days of these kings the God of heaven
will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed…it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever' (verse 44)." For
more details, see Are
We Living in the Time of the End?
"The Book of Ezra, and then of Nehemiah, tells what happens when a small
contingent of Jews returns to resettle the Promised Land. Despite opposition
from neighboring peoples, discouragement, and even lapses into sin, a Jewish
presence is restored in the Holy Land and another temple erected on the site
of Solomon's earlier edifice. There, in a tiny district of what was once its
own land, the little Jewish community struggles to survive and awaits God's
promise of a coming Messiah, God's agent, who will see that all the ancient
promises made to Abraham are fulfilled" (Lawrence Richards, The Bible
Reader's Companion, 1991, introductory notes on Ezra).
God restored the Jewish nation to set the stage for the first coming of Jesus
Christ. The restoration described in Ezra and Nehemiah is just a small foretaste
of the great return of all Israel that will take place when Jesus Christ returns.
What was Ezra's mission?
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it,
and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezra was from a priestly family, and he was also a scribe who copied and
studied the law. He diligently studied the Scriptures so he could live by
them and teach them.
In the Hebrew Bible, Ezra and Nehemiah together were one book. Nehemiah chapters
1 through 6 tell about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Chapters
7 to 13 talk about the even more important work of restoring the people to
God: "…the wall of the city would mean nothing without the wall of the Law
surrounding the people" (The Nelson Study Bible, introduction to
What happened a few days after the wall around Jerusalem was completed?
So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the
sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites
who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord
your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard
the words of the Law.
Under Nehemiah's leadership, they completed the wall in 52 days, finishing
on the 25th of the sixth month (Nehemiah 6:15). A few days later at the beginning
of the seventh month they celebrated the Feast
of Trumpets and were taught from the Scriptures. Their sadness at learning
they had not obeyed God's laws was followed by gladness at being able to understand
and obey, including being able to rejoice in God's festivals. They also celebrated
of Tabernacles and the Eighth
Day (Nehemiah 8:18).
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally one book, the last book in
the Hebrew Bible. They cover the same historical periods as 2 Samuel (1 Chronicles)
and 1 and 2 Kings (2 Chronicles). In fact, "the chronicler made use of the
books of Samuel and Kings for about half of the narrative" (The Nelson
Study Bible, p. 659). But the compiler of Chronicles, traditionally Ezra,
had a different emphasis and perspective. Writing to the Jews who had returned
from captivity, he wanted to emphasize the continuity with their past and
"The remnant was returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple because of
the promises God had given to David many years before (see Ezra 7:10-23).
God's promises were still in effect—even though the people had been in exile…
The theme of Chronicles is that God Himself established David's kingdom (29:10,
11) in fulfillment of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through the
Davidic covenant, David's kingdom itself embodies the promise of the future
kingdom whose ruler is the great Son of David, Jesus Christ" (ibid., pp. 659-660).
Why does 1 Chronicles leave out stories of many of David's weaknesses? It
seems the purpose was to focus on encouraging the readers to follow David's
What was King David's desire for his son Solomon and the people?
1 Chronicles 22:19
"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise
and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant
of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built
for the name of the Lord."
1 Chronicles 28:9-10
"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with
a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts
and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will
be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
"Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary;
be strong, and do it."
David stresses the importance of a right relationship with God. Having a
right heart was the key to making the work of building the temple (or rebuilding
it) truly successful and meaningful.
"2 Chronicles opens with the reign of King Solomon and the building of the
temple (chapters 1-9). After recounting the revolt of the northern tribes
under Jeroboam, chapters 11-36 deal with the history of the southern kings
of Judah up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C." (Eerdmans' Family
Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1978, p. 84).
The story of 2 Chronicles is the story of Judah's decline and departure from
God, leading to their captivity. But the book focuses extra attention on the
righteous kings, such as Hezekiah and Josiah, who instituted reforms and sought
to lead the people back to God.
What happened when Josiah's men found the Book of the Law that had
been lost during the reigns of unrighteous kings?
2 Chronicles 34:14, 19, 21
Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the
Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by
Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his
"Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and
Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath
of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the
word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book."
Josiah's repentance and reforms delayed the punishments that Judah's sins
had incurred. "All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God
of their fathers" (verse 33). However, soon after Josiah's death the nation
returned to its rapid downhill slide.
The book describes Judah's captivity and the destruction of the temple, but
ends on a positive note. The proclamation by Cyrus, king of Persia, allowing
the Jews to return and rebuild the temple was a powerful fulfillment of prophecies
by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:10) and Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28-45:1).