Praying with Scripture - Unit 3 Test

What is the preacher's point in Ecclesiastes 1:1-14?

The world is just going to keep going and everything good comes to an end. Life just keeps repeating and is cyclical.

--> "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the suns" - Ecclesiastes 1:9

What is the preacher's point in Ecclesiastes 2:1-7?

No matter how much you possess, none of it will make you truly happy ("I'll be happy when..." statements). There is nothing wrong with desire and material goods, but it is not top priority.

--> "Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy; rather, my heart rejoiced in the fruit of all my toil" - Ecclesiastes 2:10

What is the preacher's point in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8?

There is a right time for everything

--> "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens" - Ecclesiastes 3:1

What are we comparing in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8?

We are comparing opposites here

--> a time to be born and to die, a time to kill and to heal, etc.

--> times for positivity and negativity (room for everything)

--> beginning and an end to everything

--> helps us grow

What is the preacher's point in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14?

- Obey God's commandments because He will judge us when we die

- We are with the author, not the teacher

- Life is "hevel" and it's all fleeting, except God

How would you describe the relationship between the man and woman in Song of Songs? Since the book serves as an allegory for God and His people, what does this teach you about God's affection for His people?

- The man and the woman are deeply in love and are engaged to be married

- This portrays how God's love for us is unconditional and He would do anything for us

Jeremiah 1:1-10

Why does Jeremiah (at first) resist the Lord? How does the Lord rebuke him? What does the Lord ask of him?

- Jeremiah thinks he is just a kid and can't do it

- The Lord gives him the words and says He will not leave him alone

- The Lord asks him to be a prophet

Jeremiah 9:1-11

How is this passage an example of accusation and announcement of punishment?

- The Israelites are worshipping other gods and are being deceitful, speaking lies

- God will punish by destroying all of Jerusalem

- God takes all of their land (removed from temple)

Jeremiah 31:1-14

What does the Lord promise His people?

The Lord promises everything they need to survive and more, including no more languish, the Promised Land, God being a continuous presence in their life, and love.

Hosea 2: What does Scripture tell us about idolatry and adultery? Is God faithful to us even though we sin against him?

- Idolatry and adultery are bad and cheating on your spouse is like cheating on God

--> breaking that relationship

- God will return to us when we come back to Him

Hosea 11: What kind of a father is God? How does he love us? How am I receiving this love?

- God is a loving father who raises us and will be there waiting for us to turn to Him after we sin

- His love is personal and unconditional

- We receive this love through prayer and repenting for/recognizing our sins

4 parts of the role of a prophet

1. accused Israel of their sins

2. called Israel to repentance

3. warned the people of Israel of consequences

4. gave messages of hope (people didn't want to hear this)

memory verse (Proverbs 1:7)

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

categories of Psalms

- praise

- lament

- imprecatory

- wisdom

categories of praise Psalms

- individual

- communal

--> royal

categories of lament Psalms

- individual

- communal

categories of lament individual Psalms

- suffering

- penitential

penitential Psalms

sin, asks for forgiveness

imprecatory Psalms

Psalms that wishes evil upon enemies or curses them

The books in Wisdom Literature have very different tones, perspectives, and teachings. Why does Scripture include all these different kinds of "wisdom?"

- Some parts are attributed to King David and King Solomon

- These are not primarily historical

--> made up of poetry, metaphors, proverbs, and fictional parables but they still contain truth

What are Psalms?

- a new Torah about prayer

- the prayerbook of God's people, even exiles, designed as a virtual temple for all generations of God's people

What does Psalms consist of?

There are poems of lament and poems of praise (lament is what's wrong in the world and praise is what's good in the world)

What does Psalms do?

- a way to wait for the Messiah and gives us hope for the Messiah

- poetically retells the biblical stories

- teaches us how to pray (gives us the words so we can meet with God)

- helps us to ponder our ideas from different angles

- intentionally placed

What is a theme of Psalms?

Biblical faith is forward looking

What is Ecclesiastes?

This book is a very blunt look at the human condition

What are the themes of Ecclesiastes?

- The author wants to let the teacher deconstruct all the ways we give life meaning and purpose from God

- touches on time and death, our goals in life, the gifts of God, conclusion and evaluation

- Wisdom doesn't always work how we think it will

- We should surrender our control of life because life can't be made better or worse

- Focus on what God provides for us

Are the teacher and author the same person in Ecclesiastes?

No, two different people

What is Song of Songs?

- a collection of poetry written by King Solomon, or someone writing from his point of view, that celebrates the goodness and beauty of human love and intimacy

- poems that explore love and sexual desire

What does Song of Songs serve as?

an allegory of God's love for His people, and is a foreshadowing of Christ's love for the Church, His Bride

What are the themes in Song of Songs?

- reflects on meaning of the images and divine nature of love

- talks about realities of love and how it is a gift from God

- The song holds out hope and is an allegory for our relationships (underlying + deeper truth)

What does the conclusion of Song of Songs do?

- touches on power and intensity of love (can be dangerous or life-giving)

- ends open-ended

Jeremiah

- accuses Israel of their sins: idolatry and adultery

- has to warn the Israelites to not break the covenant

- has a message of hope for Israel's future as well as judgement

When does Hosea preach and prophesize?

Hosea preached and prophesied during the century that saw decline and final destruction of the northern kingdom

--> a period of both moral and material dissolution

What does Hosea do in his writings?

takes stock of his own unhappy marriage and draws a parallel between God and his unfaithful spouse Israel

What does Hosea focus on?

focuses on moral evils and the injustice of the society in which he lives and condemns idolatry

What does Hosea accuse Israel of?

- rebelling against God

- worshipping the Canaanite god Baal and more

- breaking the commandments and then going to God like everything is fine

- trusting political alliances with Egypt and Assyria instead of God (will betray them eventually)

What does Hosea tell the Israelites about repentance?

Hosea tells them to turn back to God even though he knows it won't last

--> Repent will lead to message of hope (God's love is more powerful than all of their sins)

What is the warning/consequence of the Israelites' actions?

imminent defeat by future nations

What is the message of hope from Hosea?

The message of hope was about God's mercy and hope for the future. God will do something to save His people and will heal them (ultimate purpose).

Be able to read a psalm and identify what type of Psalm it is and give evidence. Be able to explain why a Psalm is a certain type. What makes each Psalm an example of that category?

Psalm 19

wisdom

--> verses 7-10: talks about Torah

Psalm 42

lament (individual)

--> verse 5: The psalmist cannot worship at the temple

Psalm 72

praise

--> verse 1: talks about giving the king what he needs to rule

Psalm 79

lament (communal) and undertones of imprecatory

--> verse 1: essentially asks for help as the people are being conquered

Psalm 110

imprecatory

--> verse 5: Psalmist is addressing a ruler saying God gave him power and he needs to take revenge

Psalm 116

praise (individual)

--> verse 1: The psalmist almost died so he is thanking God for saving his life

Psalm 130

lament (individual)

--> verse 2: "Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy."

--> verses 3-4: crying out

--> verses 5-6: waiting

--> verses 7-8: trusting redemption will come

Note: "supplications" is a key word (penitential)

Psalm 136

praise (communal)

--> verse 3: "Praise the Lord of lords; for his mercy endures forever"

Note: These are words of gratitude to God and He remains faithful