May 10 Job 1-3, 38-42 --- Job’s tragedy, Job’s epiphany.
Job is the oldest book in the Bible, and is the first of the section we call Wisdom Literature. It is an epic poem that demonstrates the way God deals with Satan and with people. Through the poem we are given insight onto man’s continuing struggle with injustice and sin, and are show the limitation of man’s wisdom in the light of God’s truth.
May 11 Psa 1, 8, 19, 23 --- Psalms of God’s majesty and personal care.
May 12 Psa 51, 100, 103, 139 --- Psalms of mercy and praise
Psalms are a collection of songs and poetic writings. They were written by various authors and cover a wide range of topics. Common themes are praise and exultation of God, cries for mercy and deliverance, and value of God’s word.
May 13 Prov 1-3 --- Why wisdom: it’s value and reward.
Proverbs is the core of the Bible’s Wisdom Literature. It is primarily King Solomon’s collection of wise sayings from Jewish and from other ancient cultures. It also includes large sections of Solomon’s personal writings on wisdom. Proverbs should not be seen as absolute promises of God but as truisms that reveal the usual ways in which God, people and the world work. Much of Proverbs is written in chiastic verse form.
May 14 Ecc 1-5, 12 and Song 1-2 --- Frustration with life, a time for everything, the joy of love
Ecclesiastes shows King Solomon’s frustrations with life in general, and reveals how a self centered lifestyle will always bring frustration.
Song of Solomon is a training manual for married couples told in love story form. Much of the discourse is specific to Solomon’s location and culture but the principals revealed can be applied anywhere. It is also seen by many as a prophetic view of the relationship between Jesus Christ and his church. Song of Solomon is the last of the Bible’s Wisdom Literature.
May 15 Isaiah 1-2, 6, 40, 52-55 --- Call to repentance, exalting God, restoration by Christ.
Isaiah is the first in the Bible’s books of the prophets. It has many prophetic references to Jesus Christ, who came 700 years later. It also predicts numerous other events, many of which have happened, and some that are yet to come.
Prophetic literature is often full of figurative language, and frequently uses natural illustrations to reveal spiritual truth. Some parts the prophets foretell the future, but more frequently it calls people to repentance and a right relationship with God. The prophetic books are divided into two sections; the major prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel, followed by the twelve minor prophets. This distinction is based on the size of the books, not their significance.
