The Poetical Books

Job

“Except the two first chapters and the ten last verses, which are prose, all the rest of the book is poetic: it is therefore properly called a Poem.” (Adam Clarke)

The why of the book is, “Why do bad things happen to good people? Is God really in control of this world? Is He just?

Job’s friends suggest that perhaps there’s some sin for which God is now punishing him.

When God finally spoke to Job at the end of the book He answered differently: In essence, He told Job that ‘I am God, and you are only a tiny, finite human being – you can’t possibly hope to understand the way I run My world. Everything I do is just, even if you can’t see the justice.’” ¹

Is Christ in this book? Yep! 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Psalms

This is Israel’s song book. The psalms celebrate the goodness, love, power, wisdom, and faithfulness of God; they also chronicle people struggling with God, wrestling with Him; expressing dismay, doubt, fear, and faith. This is the longest book in the Bible.

“The Hebrews divide the Psalms into five books. The origin of this division is not easily ascertained; but as it was considered a book of great excellence, and compared for its importance to the Pentateuch itself, it was probably divided into five books, as the law was contained in so many volumes.” (Adam Clarke)

The five books are: Book I 1–41, Book II 42–72, Book III 73–89, Book IV 90–106, Book V 107–150. The first four books end with a doxology. Psalm 150 serves as a doxology for the entire collection.

Throughout the Book of Psalms we see and hear Christ, the Spirit of Christ speaking of the life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, return, and kingdom of our Lord.

Proverbs

“I think it very likely that Solomon did not compose them all; but he collected every thing of this kind within his reach, and what was according to the Spirit of truth, by which he was inspired, he condensed in this book; and as the Divine Spirit gave it, so the providence of God has preserved it, for the use of his Church.” (Adam Clarke)

Proverbs 1:1-4,7

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Ecclesiastes

“In his declining years, perhaps a bit cynical about life, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He uses his vast personal experience to teach us about the emptiness of a life devoted to anything but the Lord. If anyone could say “I’d tried this world and it’s not worth it,” it was this man. As he says, there is nothing eternal, nothing of lasting value “beneath the sun”” ² . He ends with this advice, 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments.

Song of Songs

“In his youth, he wrote the eternally optimistic (and deeply symbolic) “Song of Songs”.” ²

This is a love story. Some see it as a simple love story. The Jews saw it as a love story about God and Israel. Many in the church see it as a love story about Christ and the Church.

Psalm 98:1-3

O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

NEXT: The Prophets