Identifying the genre of biblical wisdom literature may be more difficult than any other type of literature. Regarding the book of Proverbs, some scholars assume an overall disunity where random, pithy sayings have been compiled over decades or centuries. Alternatively, according to Ernest Lucas, Knut Heim locates proverbial clusters within certain parts of the book by analyzing literary devices such as repetition and linking devices, while similarly, Bruce Waltke finds proverbial units through the examination of inclusio, catchwords, and chiasmus.[1] Other scholars suggest that clusters are manufactured, and some assume that Proverbs consists of an intentional randomness. Consensus is nowhere to be found. Regardless, within any form of biblical literature, the interpreter must consider the possibility that form leads to function in that the organization and literary structure may inform the interpretive process. In general, Lucas, in agreement with Klaus Koch, acknowledges the assumption of an act-consequence nexus.[2] The linkage is not suggesting a God who rewards and punishes, but a God who has built universal principles into creation whereby actions have consequences. The linkages are general guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Accordingly, Lucas connects the Proverbs with education where “education in ‘life-skills’ has to begin with what is generally the case.”[3] The structure of the book certainly supports the wisdom genre, and in light of Lucas’s observation, the category of educational units or couplets may best identify the functional genre of Proverbs. The genre of Proverbs will inform teaching strategies such as the one presented below.
Now My Eyes Have Seen You: Images of Creation and Evil in the Book of Job (Volume 12): New Studies in Biblical Theology
Before engaging in a discussion regarding teaching Proverbs and Job, a brief analysis of Job’s genre is in order. Similar to Proverbs, no academic consensus exists regarding the genre of Job. Furthermore, the combination of poetry and narrative within the book of Job increases the difficulty. Robert Fyall summarizes the challenges of genre identification as follows: (1) the circumstances of the book are diverse, (2) the commingling of poetry and prose are demanding, (3) the book is experiential rather than an exposé on theodicy, and (4) the diverse poetry provides further complications.[4] However, within an exploration of the validity of Job’s faith, Lindsay Wilson notes various sub-genres including a complaint, a lament, and a legal disputation.[5] It is difficult to ignore the poignancy of the complaint accusation against Yahweh by Job in 10:3, “Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked?”[6] Furthermore, Wilson mentions that not only does Richard Hughes identify seven laments in the book of Job, but he notes that chapters 21 and 30 also must be added to the list.[7] Reminiscent of both Jeremiah and Ecclesiastes, Job 3:11 represents the genre well, “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?” The remainder of the chapter continues to build upon the initial exasperation. Additionally, Job contemplates the possibility of litigation against God; thus some consider the book’s genre a legal disputation, an argument Job is sure to lose to the Defendant. Finally, some scholars assume a fictional parable or ancient tragedy, but evidence to support the suggestions is limited. Instead, the category of wisdom literature that encompasses the subgenres of laments, complaints, and a legal disputation will be used to inform a teaching strategy for the book of Job.
Although genre certainly informs interpretation, the theological messaging of both Proverbs and Job provides the glue necessary for a proper teaching strategy. Fredrick Holmgren summarizes the thematic direction of Proverbs as follows: advice for living, explanations of what often occurs in life, lessons that lead to a pleasant life, and the general idea that the righteous prosper and the wicked are punished.[8] However, Holmgren continues, individuals took these pithy statements and pushed them “beyond the limits of good sense.”[9] In other words, instead of a general rule, individuals often assumed that misfortune always witnessed evil character and that prosperity always pointed to devotion. Reminiscent of a twenty-first century prosperity gospel, believers often embraced the idea that humanity has more control over their lives than reality allows. Accordingly, Job provides an important theological counterbalance to Proverbs, which is crucial to the teaching strategy of the books. According to Fyall, the theological messaging of Job revolves around three great themes: creation, providence, and knowing God.[10] Christopher Ansberry appropriately connects the thematic initiatives of Proverbs and Job under the headings of worldview, anthropology, and ethics.[11] First, the wisdom of Proverbs and Job both capture the ordering of the universe that God providentially controls. Second, both books contribute to character formation. Third, the wisdom of Proverbs and Job point to the importance of ethics, but they both provide a twist. As Ansberry explains, biblical wisdom avoids a deontological approach to ethics that continues to trip up modern believers, and instead, both Proverbs and Job avoid dictating rules and, alternatively, attempt to form and shape a believer’s paradigm.[12] In sum, genre analysis of Proverbs and Job provides the foundation, while the great thematic initiatives provide the building blocks for a teaching series.
It is likely a common phenomenon to pick and choose from passages of Proverbs or Job to communicate a concept or message. However, a more appropriate approach may be to preach the two books together using topical initiatives. If a teacher were to attempt to create a ten-week series, the first week would require an introduction to wisdom literature. The following nine weeks could be divided by assigning Ansberry’s three categories to three weeks each: worldview, anthropology, and ethics. The key to the approach is the use of both Proverbs and Job in each session in order to provide the proper canonical balance without making the same mistake that Job’s friends did when spewing advice. The possible topics for each category seem quite flexible, so the following examples simply provide potential options.
The first week would not only provide the basic introductory content for wisdom literature but also furnish a detailed explanation of how Proverbs and Job balance each other and why it is important to not read one without the other. The passage where Jesus explains to the disciples that neither the blind man nor his parents were at fault for the suffering in John 9:1-5 may be particularly relevant. The second through fourth weeks would focus on the worldview category. Creation and providence would take center stage during these three weeks. The divine order of the cosmos (Prov 3:19-20) built into all creation, the connection between the original Edenic vision and the new cosmic reality in Christ, and Yahweh’s providential care could all contribute to the lessons. Furthermore, the important connection between God’s sovereignty and divine relationality could be explored, highlighting that if one trumps the other, then the believer’s view of God is distorted. The fifth through seventh weeks would focus on the anthropological category. The delicate dance between God’s providence and human responsibility could underpin the second teaching category. The former could be emphasized utilizing the book of Job while the teacher points out that humanity cannot control and manipulate Yahweh with righteous behavior; the latter could be emphasized by any number of proverbs while the teacher points out that actions have consequences. The topic of evil and the influence of evil forces within the world also could be examined in light of both Job and Proverbs especially in light of how God uses difficult circumstances of life to forge character. A proper understanding of evil naturally opens the discussion of the importance of expressing the reality of suffering to God just as Job did in his complaints, laments, and disputation. Finally, and maybe most importantly, the teacher could highlight how a relationship with Yahweh, a deep-seated knowing, trumps any form of prosperity. The eighth through tenth weeks could focus on the ethical category. To suggest that the Bible is a book about ethical behavior completely misses the point. In fact, some of the most egregious and shocking behaviors seem to be supported in Scripture such as divine warfare in the Old Testament and Jesus’s relational connections with foreign women in the New Testament. During these three weeks, the teacher could spend time juxtaposing various proverbs with the message of Job to show how motives count. To do good for the purpose of manipulating Yahweh into a reward undermines wisdom. To give advice and judge other believers based on their external circumstances risks completely missing the point of God’s initiatives. To hold grudges against the wicked who seem to prosper appears to undermine one’s understanding of God’s sovereignty. In sum, the educational genre of Proverbs alongside the complaint and disputation genre of Job provides a strong foundation upon which to build a teaching series that focuses on the theological messaging of the books. The key to teaching Proverbs and Job is to teach them in tandem by allowing the message of one to harmonize the other.
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[1] Ernest C. Lucas, “The Book of Proverbs: Some Current Issues,” in Interpreting Old Testament Wisdom Literature, ed. David G. Firth and Lindsay Wilson (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017), 37–39.
[2] Ibid., 42–43.
[3] Ibid., 44.
[4] Robert Fyall, Now My Eyes Have Seen You: Images of Creation and Evil in the Book of Job (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2002), 23–24.
[5] Lindsay Wilson, “Job as a Problematic Book,” in Interpreting Old Testament Wisdom Literature, ed. David G. Firth and Lindsay Wilson (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017), 62–72.
[6]Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008).
[7] Wilson, “Job as a Problematic Book,” 69.
[8] Fredrick Carlson Holmgren, “Barking Dogs Never Bite, Except Now and Then: Proverbs and Job,” Anglican Theological Review 61, no. 3 (July 1979): 341–346.
[9] Ibid., 346.
[10] Fyall, Now My Eyes Have Seen You, 184–190.
[11] Christopher B. Ansberry, “Wisdom and Biblical Theology,” in Interpreting Old Testament Wisdom Literature, ed. David G. Firth and Lindsay Wilson (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017), 176–192.
[12] Ibid., 189.
Bibliography
- Ansberry, Christopher B. “Wisdom and Biblical Theology.” In Interpreting Old Testament Wisdom Literature, edited by David G. Firth and Lindsay Wilson. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.
- Fyall, Robert. Now My Eyes Have Seen You: Images of Creation and Evil in the Book of Job. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2002.
- Holmgren, Fredrick Carlson. “Barking Dogs Never Bite, Except Now and Then: Proverbs and Job.” Anglican Theological Review 61, no. 3 (July 1979): 341–353.
- Lucas, Ernest C. “The Book of Proverbs: Some Current Issues.” In Interpreting Old Testament Wisdom Literature, edited by David G. Firth and Lindsay Wilson. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.
- Wilson, Lindsay. “Job as a Problematic Book.” In Interpreting Old Testament Wisdom Literature, edited by David G. Firth and Lindsay Wilson. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.
