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Home , Ecclesiastes 5, Isaiah 3

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June 29: Ecclesiastes 5-6; Proverbs 29 1. 5:10 and 19 offer an important insight: if we look to stuff to satisfy, it won’t. If we look to God to satisfy, we’re enabled to actually enjoy what God gives us. Who gives life and the ability to enjoy the fruit of work? What are some ways to cultivate an awareness of God’s generosity in our lives, and thus recognize Him as the Giver and break the grip of stuff?

2. Chapter 6:9 calls us to celebrate what we have instead of craving what we don’t have. Are you honestly content with all that God has given you? What things (possessions, people, station in life, etc.) do you believe deep down you need in order to be really happy? How could you go about developing contentment in your life?

June 30: -8; Proverbs 30-31 1. In Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, calls us to sober reflection on death. Why is it good to consider our death? How often do you think about your mortality and the certainty of eternity?

2. At first glance, it seems that 7:16-17 is commanding us to not be too spiritual and to enjoy sin in moderation. What’s a more Biblically-consistent interpretation of these verses?

3. In 8:14, the Preacher explores the apparent injustice of the prosperous wicked and the forgotten righteous. How should we respond to this apparent evil in the world, according to 8:15? What does God teach us through the apparent absurdity of life in 8:17?

July 1: -12 1. 10:1 illustrates the point made in 9:18. How is it that a little bit of sin destroys much good? What examples can you think of?

2. Because of certainty of aging and death (12:1-5 vividly describes the aging process), on its face, life is absurd and meaningless (12:8). What glorious truth in I Corinthians 15 reverses this ultimate tragedy? Notice how I Corinthians 15:1, 14, 17, and especially 58 use the vocabulary of Ecclesiastes (“vain,” “vanity”).

3. What’s the major lesson of Ecclesiastes in 12:13-14? Is this in agreement with the repeated calls to enjoy life throughout the book? Why or why not?

July 2: Song of Solomon 1-2 Song of Solomon: Title: The book is known as “Song of Solomon,” a shortened form of the the title given in 1:1. In Hebrew, a phrase like “” indicates that this is the greatest of songs, much like “king of kings” points to the greatest king.

Date & Author: The book claims Solomonic authorship. Solomon would have had the necessary literary skill to write such a beautiful composition. More than likely, the Song describes Solomon’s first marriage. As indicated in I Kings 11, he eventually took 700 wives and 300 concubines. Before these tragic and sinful decisions, Solomon apparently enjoyed a beautiful, god-honoring marriage, celebrated in this book.

Genre & Style: Song of Solomon is a poetic book including a series of songs and different speakers (it is almost like a play in this regard). As poetry, it includes numerous metaphors, similes, and comparisons. Although many of its descriptions of physical beauty and romantic love seem odd to 21st-century readers, they communicated powerful images to ancient readers.

Interpretation: Many in history have recoiled at the celebration of sexual love and have posited an allegorical interpretation of this book. In this interpretive scheme, the man pictures God while the woman portrays or the church. While this theme does indeed appear elsewhere in Scripture, there is nothing within the text of the Song itself to support this viewpoint: there are no comparisons drawn to God’s love for His people and no allusions made to Israel’s history. Furthermore, no New Testament author employs Song of Solomon in this way. Any allegory that exists finds its source in the mind of the interpreter, not the pages of Scripture.

It seems best to take it at face value, interpreting the figurative language within context, and recognizing this as a love song about an actual man and woman. This is a love song, a celebration of pure marital love. Since marriage itself pictures God’s love for His people (Eph. 5:22-33), Song of Solomon has a secondary purpose of illustrating Christ’s love for His church.

Message: The Song of Solomon is a celebration of pure marital love. Indeed, God designed sexuality to find pure and joyful expression within the covenant bond of marriage. The Song of Solomon affirms the goodness of sexual intimacy and the joys of marriage as part of God’s perfect creation. In our world, human sexuality has been twisted and perverted to the point that many Christians are almost embarrassed to acknowledge it. Song of Solomon should put that view to rest. While the employs discretion in discussing sexuality (it is, after all, shrouded in metaphor and euphemism in this book), it never treats it as inherently bad in itself.

The books seems to unfold along the normal flow of a human relationship (this outline is borrowed from the Faithlife Study Bible, Lexham Press, 2016):

I. Courtship (1:1–3:5) II. Wedding (3:6–5:1) III. Marriage (5:2–8:4) IV. Epilogue (8:5–14)

July 3: Song of Solomon 3-5 1. 3:6-11 describes the wedding procession in all of its splendor and glory. In 4:1-5:1, the man describes his spouse and their union in poetic detail. For the first time, he describes her as his bride in 4:8. How does the enjoyment of marriage glorify God?

2. In 5:2-8, the wife is unprepared for the husband’s arrival, but he is gone by the time she opens the door for him. As she goes looking for him around the city, the city guards treat her harshly. In response to the question of the daughters of the (5:9), in 5:10-16, the wife describes her husband, much like he had done in 4:1-7.

July 4: Song of Solomon 6-8 1. Take a look at 7:10 and contrast it with Genesis 3:16. In Genesis, the word indicates the sinful desire to be in control; here it describes the pure desire for one’s spouse. When relationships are ordered God’s way, joy is the result.

2. 8:6-7 is a famous declaration of the power of love, a love that ultimately mirrors divine love. In 8:11-12, Solomon’s polygamy (the vineyard is a metaphor for the marriage relationship, here shared with many tenants; Baal-hamn means “lord of a crowd,” a metaphor for Solomon’s multiple wives) is contrasted to the pure monogamy of the speaker (perhaps Solomon reflecting back on his first marriage?). Satan’s lie, repeated over and over, is that someone else will bring satisfaction. God instead calls you to rejoice in faithful commitment to our spouse. What are some dangers to your marriage? How can you protect it?

July 5: -3 Isaiah: Title/Author: The title is simply the author’s name. Isaiah name, meaning “the LORD is Savior,” essentially captures the major message of the book.

Date: 1:1 shows that Isaiah’s prophetic ministry covered the reign of four kings during the 700’s B.C. Three major events loom over the text: the war with Syria and Israel during the reign of King (esp. ch. 7-12), the invasion of Sennacherib during the days of (36-39), and the coming exile of (40-66). During the war with Syria and Israel, Ahaz made a foolish alliance with the powerful Assyrian Empire. In 722 B.C., the Assyrian’s conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. In 701 B.C., Sennacherib unleashed his armies on Judah, an event recorded in chapters 36-39. During this time, Judah was in a state of spiritual decline. Ahaz was among Judah’s worst kings. Although Hezekiah brought about many religious reforms, they would quickly be undone by his wicked son Mannaseh. Style: As a prophetic book, Isaiah not only offers predictions of the future, but also preaching for the present.The prophets stood as spokesman for Yahweh, delivering His message to His people. They employed a rich variety of styles including parables, drama, preaching, lament, and poetry. Interpreting prophecy can be challenging, since many prophecies have both a near and far fulfillment.

Message: The includes several major themes. The first of these is sin and judgment. Isaiah offers repeated calls to repentance and warnings of coming judgment. God’s people must live for God’s glory. The prophet’s concerns are not just for Israel, they include the nations (13-23). Third, Isaiah predicts a day of future restoration (esp. chapters 40-66). Interwoven with these predictions of future restoration are numerous Messianic prophecies, including the famous “.” Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament some 65 times, demonstrating its importance to the coming of Christ. It is second only to the Psalms in regard to New Testament quotes.

The book has two major sections. Chapters 1-39 deal with Isaiah’s day, while 40-66 look beyond into the Babylonian Exile, and ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom. In 1-39, the looming threat is , while the call is for God’s people to trust Him (see 30:15). In 40-66, the danger in view is the coming exile to (some 150 years after Isaiah) and the promised restoration after that. This section looks beyond Israel’s history with a promise of a new heaven and a new earth.

I. Judgment and Salvation (1-35). A. Introduction (1-6). B. The Book of (7-12). C. Judgment on the nations (13-23) D. Judgment on the whole earth (24-27) E. Judgment and deliverance (28-35). II. Historical Interlude: Sennacherib’s Defeat (36-39). III. Restoration after Exile (40-66). A. God will free His people from Babylon (40-48) B. God will free His people from sin (49-55) C. God points His people to final, future salvation (56-66)

1. How does God respond to Israel’s attempted worship of Him in 1:11-15? Why? What would He say about your worship of Him?

2. In chapter 3, Isaiah describes God’s judgment against the nation. What’s involved in this judgment in vv. 1-12? Why does it happen, according to 3:8?