Jesus is the Better Solomon

As Christians, we get into trouble when we read Old Testament books out of context. Let’s take Proverbs for example.

Reading Proverbs alone might cause us to think that there is an evil path and a righteous path – and that what it means to be a Christian is to try hard to stay on the righteous path.

After Jesus’ crucifixion he cleared this up when he was walking with two of his disciples (still unrecognizable to them). Luke in his gospel reports, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures” (24:25-26).

Could it be that even Proverbs was about Jesus?

Wisdom is personified as Woman Wisdom or Lady Wisdom in the book of Proverbs. There have been many debates as to why wisdom here is a woman. One suggestion is that, since there are some strong ties between Proverbs and ancient Egyptian wisdom literature, that the author of Proverbs is using a well-known Egyptian goddess Maat (who has been viewed as an expression of Divine Wisdom) as a bridge to explain the wisdom of the biblical Israelite God. If that is the case, then it is a brilliant example of contextualizing truth to the surrounding culture. We know that the book of Proverbs wasn’t just read by the Israelites, for even the queen of a distant land came to hear Solomon’s wisdom (Luke 11:31). Paul also contextualized truth for the Greeks when he took the Greek wisdom term “Logos” and applied it to Jesus.

It would be wrong of us to think that as wise as Solomon was, that the Proverbs are pointing us to “be like him.” For even Solomon drifted from God, disobeyed him by taking on many foreign wives, and became an emotional wreck at the end of his life.

So, how are we to read Proverbs?

After Jesus was born, we learn that he had “wisdom beyond his years” (Luke 2:40). When he was twelve, the religious teachers watched with amazement “at his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:47). When Jesus started his ministry those who knew him well said, “Where did he get all his wisdom…?” Jesus himself said in Luke 11:31, “…and now someone greater than Solomon is here.” Paul goes even further in 1 Cor. 1:30 to say, “God made Christ to be wisdom itself.”

Biblical scholar Tremper Longman says, “The ancient Israelite would read the metaphors of Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly as a choice between Yahweh and the false gods of the nations. This decision would have little relevance to modern readers… The gospel choice [in the NT for us] is a decision whether to follow Jesus. Thus, to understand the invitation of Woman Wisdom as the invitation of Christ to relationship with God makes the book contemporary Christian readers.”

Proverbs 2:3-5 says, “and if you call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Many years later, in Col. 2:3, Paul beautifully adds that in Christ “lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Reading Proverbs, with the NT in mind, we see Jesus as our wisdom. He died to free us from the foolishness that our sin brought us as well as the punishment that we deserve for our foolishness. He is the better Solomon.

Didactic Wisdom Leads to Despair

According to Charles Drew in his book “The Ancient Love Song” there are two types of wisdom: Didactic and Reflective.

Didactic wisdom fills the book of Proverbs especially. This type of wisdom promises blessing for righteous living and warns of judgement for disobedience. This type of wisdom teaches that if you do the things written in the bible then you will get a certain reward.

But, you are probably thinking to yourself that life isn't so simple. It may be generally true that those who live rightly live well. But you may know plenty of people (yourself perhaps?) that have done what you are supposed to (followed didactic wisdom) and are not living the good life.

The book of Proverbs and the Song of Solomon illustrate the benefits of following didactic wisdom. But, things start getting really confusing when we read the book of Job and Ecclesiastes. Suddenly, we see a guy named Job who is following didactic wisdom really well but gets all of his blessings for obedience taken away. What the heck?

The fine print of Job and Ecclesiastes reads: “If you follow didactic wisdom you may not receive the blessings promised.” When The Fall happened and sin entered into the world, didactic wisdom was fractured.

The problem with a lot of preaching today is that a lot of sermons leave out the fine print. The sermon becomes a list of things to do so that you can be blessed by God. But what if you do what you are supposed to do and aren't rewarded? What if you love your wife or husband and they verbally or physically abuse you? What will you do then? Most church members have no clue.

That is why God is usually the one who gets blamed. But we are the ones to blame.

We brought sin into the world and fractured God's system of obedience and blessing in the world we live in. However, there was One who did come into the world to redeem this fractured system. Job suffered even though he was perfect from a worldly standard. But Jesus, however, not only suffered but died even though he was perfect from a heavenly standard! Jesus suffered the consequences like one who disobeyed God in every way even though he didn't deserve it.

Jesus suffered to restore the blessings promised from didactic wisdom. In other words, because of the Resurrection, we don't have to live without hope that we will not get what we have been promised. Because of Jesus' work on the cross, if we follow God's wisdom, we will be rewarded. The rewards might not come right away or even in this lifetime. But the rewards will eventually come.

The second type of wisdom, reflective wisdom, is reflecting on Jesus and what he has done for us. Didactic wisdom leads to despair because we often times don't see the benefits when we do the things we are supposed to. But when we reflect on Jesus, it leads to hope because he promises to give us blessings that we deserve AND don't deserve... sometimes right now, but often much later on.

So let's not be quick to blame God when things aren't going well even when we are doing everything right. Instead, let's praise Jesus and thank him for securing eternal blessings that are drawing nearer day by day.