The Search for Meaning
We end our journey through the wisdom literature of Israel with Ecclesiastes, one of the strangest books in the Bible. The book is an exploration of some of life’s deepest questions: what is the point...
26 Touko 20250s
Awakened Love
The Song of Solomon (or “Song of Songs” in many translations) is I suspect among the least-taught books in the Bible. Sex makes many people feel awkward or uncomfortable. But should it? What is a book...
19 Touko 20250s
Rules for the Good Life
The Proverbs of Israel are wide-ranging in their subject matter, but there are several frequent themes. If we want to live purposeful, meaningful, righteous lives, what kind of rules might we glean fr...
19 Touko 20250s
The Beginning of Wisdom
The stated intent of the book of Proverbs is to provide wisdom and insight to the reader. How does Proverbs specifically, and the Wisdom literature of Israel more generally, help the reader approach l...
12 Touko 20250s
The Wisest Fool Who Ever Lived
Solomon presided over the absolute height of the kingdom of Israel, because God granted his request for wisdom in addition to giving him wealth and power. But Solomon’s great wisdom did not prevent hi...
12 Touko 20250s
Righteousness in Psalms
One of the main themes in the Psalms is righteousness: God’s attitude toward the righteous and unrighteous, contrasts between the behavior of the righteous and the wicked, and warnings and promises fo...
5 Touko 20250s
Teaching With Psalms
Songs have a complex relationship with culture; music is both shaped by, and also shapes, the culture in which it is written, and serves as a vehicle for transmitting the norms, values, and ideals of ...
5 Touko 20250s
The Kindness and Severity of God
The latter part of David’s life is marked by civil war, conflict, strife, and a lot of pain, stemming from David’s poor choices and God’s discipline. But in the midst of all his sorrow, we also see Go...
28 Huhti 20250s
