Know when the Book of Proverbs, in its present form, was composed
Reign of Hezekiah (715-686 BC) or later
Know the 4 components given by Prof. Wind in answer to the question, “What is a proverb?”
- A concise expression communicating a truth of life
- Comparison based on observation, code of behavior, discovery of truth
- Practical wisdom based on life experiences
- General principles
Know 2 characteristics of the poetry of the Book of Proverbs
Parallelism, rich imagery
Know 4 of the 9 common topics of the Book of Proverbs
- Importance of spoken word
- Sex and marriage
- The harmonious home
- Child rearing
- Friendship
- Work ethic
- diligence/laziness
- Social ethics
- Principles for leadership/government
Know who is addressed 17 times in Proverbs 1-9
My son/sons
Know how the concept of “fear of the Lord” is best understood
“Exhibiting covenant faithfulness towards the Lord”
Know what both Proverbs and Deuteronomy highlight about who should be the recipients of God’s wisdom
Children?
Know the message which the words of Agur at the end of the Book of Proverbs help to communicate to the reader
Inadequate general revelation, need for special revelation
Know the meaning of the Hebrew word “megilloth”
The scrolls
Know what the common order of the Five Scrolls in the Hebrew Bible today reflects
“the typical liturgical usage of the five books within the Jewish synagogue, following the order of the major festivals”
Know how the Five Scrolls personify wisdom
Feminine
Know the historical dating of the events of the Book of Ruth (if there are no gaps in the genealogy)
1100 BC
Know the 4 themes of the Book of Ruth
- God’s faithfulness to the promise of the seed/king
- The providence of a sovereign God
- Inclusion of Gentiles in God’s covenant plan
- Overall narrative movement (death to life, famine to plenty, etc.)
Know the 2 interpretive suggestions, offered by Prof. Wind, concerning Song of Solomon
- Love poem, expressing the beauty of God’s design for marriage
- Portrayal of sexual desire “as a picture of something beyond the imagery itself” (unfulfilled desire/longing – pursuit of wisdom)
Know what Song of Solomon pictures within the OT canon, according to Prof. Wind
Commending patient longing for the coming seed
Know the 3 part pattern and message which characterizes Song of Solomon
- The time of the seed’s arrival has not yet come
- Patiently desire the seed’s arrival
- The seed’s arrival will be a new exodus and bring the Kingdom of God in its fullness
Know the 2 interpretive suggestions, offered by Prof. Wind, concerning Ecclesiastes
- About the preacher, not by the preacher
- Wise and true words that do not display the complete picture
Know the motto of the Book of Ecclesiastes
Everything is vanity/meaningless
Know what the 5 lament poems of Lamentations are all lamenting
The destruction of Jerusalem
Know the 2 points of wisdom which the Book of Lamentations communicates
- Wisdom acknowledges the rulership/justice of the Lord
- Wisdom hopes in God’s promises and waits patiently
Know the recurring OT motif that the Book of Esther demonstrates
“a gifted Israelite is taken into the palace of a foreign king and is thereby granted an opportunity to preserve the life of God’s people”
Know the 2 ways that the “Hidden God” of the Book of Esther accomplishes his purposes
- Believing actions of his people
- Unwitting actions of his enemies
Know how Prof. Wind labeled the structure of the Book of Esther
Feasting and fasting
