Written:
30 BCE – 50 BCE:
Probably in Alexandria, Egypt. This was
a well-known book around the time of Christ.
Most of the people in the first century would have understood that it
wasn’t written by King Solomon, and would have understood that the voice of
Solomon was a literary device.
Three Basic Sections of the Book:
I.
Chapter 1 – 6:21: Arguments on Justice, Death and
Immortality
II. Chapter 6:22 – 11: Personification
of Wisdom
III. Chapter 11 – 19: Commentary
on the events of the Exodus from Egypt.
Revealing of
Divine Justice in these events.
I.
Chapter 1 – 6:21: Arguments on
Justice, Death and Immortality
Justice:
God has a covenant of faith with humanity – God is faithful to those who
are just. God’s Grace and Mercy remain
with the just.
Death: The author insists
that the reward of the just is immortality after death. But the punishment of the wicked is simply
death – the implication is the ending of the person’s divine soul. Since the wicked person was not in touch with
their divine soul during life, through the cultivation of wisdom, the wicked
person cannot obtain immortality when they die.
Immortality:
Immortality depends on the inner life of virtue. Immortality is the divine life toward which
all human beings have been destined from the dawn of creation. The decisions and actions of human beings
determine the quality of final life.
These are clear arguments for the idea of
an eternal life with God. In early
Hebrew writings there is not much of a philosophical argument, that we have
evidence for, that there was a clear concept of a life after death. This book shows that at least in Hellenistic
times that the Hebrews were debating and writing about this question and
concept.
II. Chapter 6:22 – 11: Personification of Wisdom
Wisdom comes
from God and was present during creation.
Wisdom is the bridge between humans and God. Wisdom knows God’s works, what is pleasing to
God. And brings connection and
friendship with God. The wisdom that comes from God is a gift that brings to
completion the wisdom through which humans were formed at creation. Human beings have been shaped and formed by
the wisdom of God in such a way that they yearn to be completed by the wisdom
of God which comes as a gift.
Solomon is the
ideal figure of wisdom. He is presented
as naturally gifted, yet he realized his limitations. Also he is continually yearning and trying
for God’s wisdom.
Chapter 9: Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
Chapter 10: A listing of historically wise people and
events before Moses: Adam/Cain; Noah/the Flood; Abraham/the Nations; Lot/ Sodom
& Gomorrah; Jacob/Esau & Laban; Joseph/Potiphar’s wife; Moses/Exodus
from Egypt.
III. Chapter 11 – 19: Commentary on the Plagues of Egypt and how
they relate to the sins of the Egyptians.
There is a cause - effect relationship. Revealing of Divine Justice in these events.
I. Sin: killing
of infants in the Nile – Plague: undrinkable bloody water
II. Sin:
Idolatry of animals – Plagues: gnats, flies, diseased livestock, locusts,
frogs.
III. Sin:
Refusal to recognize the true God – Plague: rain, hail, fire
(symbolizing God’s
power over nature)
IV. Sin:
Enslaving the Hebrews – Plague: Captivity by darkness
V. Sin: Decree
to kill infants – Plague: Death of the first born & Drowning of the army.
The author
contends that the huge sin that Egyptians have committed over many centuries is
Idolatry, so many of the plagues of Egypt reflect the sin of idolatry of
animals.
This chapter
might seem like it is a separate book from the first half of the book, which is
about wisdom. But actually the author
has moved from a philosophical context to a historical context. He is using the story of Exodus to show what
happens to a nation that does not dedicate itself to learning, pursuing and
following the Wisdom of God. The Justice
of God is revealed in this part of the book in this specific historic
content.
It should be
noted that the Christian idea of Divine Grace and Forgiveness is not mentioned
here. This book is pre-Christian so it
has more of a cause-effect relationship to eternal life. It is possible that Martin Luther excluded
this book from the Bible because of the lack of divine Grace and Forgiveness
that Christ brings with the Blessed Assurance of God’s forgiveness of our sins
through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
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