The Wisdom Books Kristie Costantino

Erin BrindisiMaddie Stewart

Anthony MassiSage Stevenson

Steffen Romando

Proverbs: What is a good life?Parenting

Discipline your children while there is hope; do not set your heart on their destruction

CommunicationA soft answer turns away wrath; but a harsh

word stirs up angerAttitude

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall

Manners at courtA gift opens doors; it gives access to the great

WorkIn a toil there is profit, but mere talk leads

only to povertyConducting business

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them

Reputation A good name is to be chosen rather than great

riches, and a favor is better than silver or goldLeadership

If a ruler listens to falsehood, all of his officials will be wicked

GossipA perverse person spreads strife, and a

whisperer separates close friends

Learning A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but

only in expressing personal opinionRelationships with neighbors

A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water

The Story of Job1. Job has a wealthy family with good health2. Job loses everything3. Job doesn’t question God, and Job trusts in

God4. Job wants to find out why the good suffer5. Got tells Job that He is the creator of the

universe6. Job is awed and humbled, and admits that

the mystery of life is too great for him to understand

Problem of Evil• Problem of Evil is why the good suffer and the

wicked

The “Answer”The message of the book of Job, is even in the

darkest moments, God is in charge, loving and caring for all of us through it

The Book of Ecclesiastes• This book is known for “a pessimistic outlook

on life”• The book is about a teacher named Qoheleth,

who likes to quiz his students• Qoheleth is worried about injustice and

wickedness• Qoheleth came to the conclusion that life was

a mystery he couldn’t solve

Wisdom: What is our Final Destiny

Author• Jewish Scholar• Live in Alexandria, Egypt in 100 BC.• Jews had been tortured and put to death not

long before his era

The Answer• The scholar wanted to know when the

rewards would come• He realized that rewards would come in the

after life

The Afterlife:Concept of the soulPerson as a wholeNo way for a person to live onPossibility of life beyond deathRare event of restoring people

Sirach: Wisdom in the Teachings of Israel Wisdom as a womanHistory of IsraelWisdom’s homeTeachings of IsraelKeeping the commandmentsAdvice given in the book

Praise of WisdomChapter 24

Wisdom comes from mouth of God

Wisdom’s TestingTests us

Times for growing strong

The Song of Songs: Human & Divine Love

Very different

Love poems

Stories of Encouragement Jacob, Rebekah, David, Saul, Jonathan.Babylonian ExileBooks of Tobit, Judith, and Esther.

Tobit: The Faithful JewWritten by unknown author about 200 B.C.Tobit became sad because he has become

blind. (cataracts)

The Rewards of FaithTobit reminds us that the end Faithful

goodness and trust in god are rewarded with blessings.

The grateful deadBook of Tobit shows traces of several ancient

stories.

Judith: Courage and PietyBook of Judith written by Palestinian Jew who

wrote sometime after 150 B.C.Story set in the Persian period after the

Babylonian Exile.

Purim

• Honors Esther

• Feast celebrated by the Jews

Jonah: The Parable of MercyPoint of God’s mercy.

We are all “insiders” Ezra and Nehemiah had worked to purify Judaism

of foreign elements and build the boundaries of Jewish identity.

Some took it as Israel alone could be worthy of God’s mercy.

Book of Jonan was written to argue against the narrow-minded spirit.

God called to be alright to the rest of the world.

Wisdom and Virtue for Then and Now.

Judaism before Jesus was engaged in a kind of ongoing conversation- with itself, God and with culture.

Variety outlooks in wisdom books.

Builds up rich tradition books of Tobit, Judith Esther and Honan are like responses. They speak powerfully.