James: What is Wisdom ?

14-Jun-13

There are two theologies, or main themes in the Bible. Creation, and the Exodus. What do these two themes represent?

Exodus represents the theme of salvation and deliverance. The Exodus was the supreme example of salvation and deliverance in the OT. The theme is repeated many times in the OT, both with individuals and with the nation of Israel as a group

Deliverance/Salvation Dlivrance/Salut

The theme of the exodus also is seen in the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the Salvation he made possible for us

Creation is the second theme. It not only deals with the beginning of everything, it also is the basis for Wisdom in the bible. It is based on the assumption that God created everything, he made it rational, that the world is based on order and can be discovered. God sustains the world, and makes it possible for us to live our lives and prosper. Where the Exodus was a dramatic display of God's power, Creation was the foundation of day to day life and existence.

James: What is Wisdom ?

Fertility: a) be fruitful; b) multiply c) fill the earth Authority: a) subdue rule over it

14-Jun-13

Gen 1 28 God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

When God created humans in his image, Genesis says that he blessed them, and gave them command to subdue the earth. DEFINITION OF BLESSED: to bestow power for success, prosperity, fertility.

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Puis Dieu les bnit en disant : Ayez des enfants, devenez nombreux. Remplissez la terre et dominez-la.

DEFINITION OF SUBDUE: To bring under control, to nurture, discover. They were to learn, to discover, and to bear fruit in all areas of life--physical, social, spiritual This is the beginning of Wisdom

Deliverance as God's isolated acts of saving his people through remarkable events.

God also gave instructions to his people in order that that may understand what God expected of them. He had said, "I will be your God and you will be my people." He also said, "be holy as I am holy." Torah is not law, it is teaching or instruction.
Ex 24 12 And Yahweh said to Moses, Come up to me on the mountain, and be there, and I will give you the tablets of stone and the law and the commandments that I have written to instruct them. Le SEIGNEUR dit Mose : Monte vers moi, dans la montagne, et reste l ; je te donnerai des tablettes de pierre, la loi et le commandement que j'ai crits pour les instruire.
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So God gave his commands and instructed his people on what kind of lives he expected them to live.

But the question was, "how should I live"? What does God expect of me? If I am supposed to love God with my whole heart, soul, mind and strength, what do I do?

Comment devrais-je vivre? How should I live?

This is where Wisdom came into the story. The Wise men of Israel studied creation, people, life, relationships

love your neighbor as you love yourself Lev 19:18 tu aimeras ton prochain comme toi-mme. Lev 19:18

as well as what God had spoken to Israel. Their job was to show the people what to do to live as God wanted

The other point you find in OT Wisdom is the emphasis on constantly striving and trying to get wisdom. Use example of a carpenter and a master carpenter.

them to live. Also, this was before the printing press, so no one had bibles, so how do you teach people to obey God? Wisdom. Give them examples of what to do in different situations. Something like a "case study."

James: What is Wisdom ?

14-Jun-13

These two slides will have to be Reversed

Topic
Trials Asking/Requests Riches Gods gifts Listening Showing partiality Faith and works The Tongue Wisdom The World or God Anger Concern and Worry The Rich Patience Oaths Prayer

Sujet
preuves et tentations Les Demandes les Richesses Les dons de Dieu l'coute Ne pas agir avec partialit La Foi et les Actes La langue Sagesse Le Monde ou Dieu la Colre L'inquitude les Riches la Patience des Serments la Prire

James 1:2-4 1:5-8 1:9-11 1:12-18 1:19-27 2:1-13 2:14-26 3:1-12 3:13-18 4:1-10 4:11-12 4:13-17 5:1-6 5:7-11 5:12 5:13-18

Matthew 5:10-12 7:7-8 6:19-21 7:11 7:21-27 5:19-22 7:21-23 7:16 5:5-9 6:7-8, 7:7f 5:21-22 6:25-34 6:19-21 5:11-12 5:33-37 6:12-15

We see in the OT over and over again where God gives instruction and teaching, then follows it with ethical and moral instruction. Deuteronomy has many such examples of this formula, so much so many scholars see Deuteronomy as an early example of wisdom teaching and literature. We find the same principle in the NT. James uses seven teaching from Leviticus 19. He gives examples of the teaching of Moses from the Torah and gives his readers concrete examples of what to do.
James also uses the teaching of Jesus from the

Topic Favoritism Love your neighbor Judging Wages Do no complain Oaths Settle your differences

Sujet Favoritisme Aime ton prochain Juger le salaire Ne vous plaignez pas les Serments Rgler vos diffrends

James Jacques 2:1, 2:9 2:8 4:11 5:4 5:9 5:12 5:20

Leviticus Lvitique 19:15 19:18 19:16 19:13 19:18 19:12 19:17

Sermon on the Mount in his letter as well. He uses teachings from Jesus and then give us practical application of those truths. In all, James uses 16 different teachings from the Sermon on the mount in his letter. This is the purpose of wisdom, "To know wisdom and instruction, to understand sayings of understanding, 3 to gain insightful instruction, righteousness and justice and equity, 4 to give shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and purpose to the young, 5 may the wise hear and increase learning, and the one who understands gain direction, 6 to understand a proverb and an expression, words of wisdom and their riddles. ========================================== And this is where "Fear of the Lord" enters into the

La Crainte du SEIGNEUR

picture. What good is wisdom? What is our focus, our purpose, our goal in learning Wisdom? Proverbs makes the point over and over, as does Job and other places in the bible. The phrase is used 21X in the

The Fear of the LORD

OT, 10X in Proverbs alone.

James: What is Wisdom ?

14-Jun-13

Basically, without Fear of the Lord as our source and the goal for seeking wisdom, the word of

Sagesse sans la Crainte du Seigneur Think and Grow Rich Wisdom without Fear of the Lord Un Guide d'auto-Assistance A Self-Help Guide

God is little more than a self-help book. Fear does not mean being afraid of the Lord, it means having a proper relationship with God. CONCLUDING COMMENTS HERE...

To Bestow power for Success, Prosperity, Fertility What does that look like from a NT context?
John 15 talks about bearing Fruit. Bearing fruit can only happen when their is a relationship between the vine and the branch. Colossians 1:10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, Again, Wisdom is meant to be the vehicle that will help to know how to bear fruit.
Col 2 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
"God's saving action in Christ is not limited to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus;to his earthly career belong also the giving of blessing and increase through healing, feeding, and preservation of life."