Church of Christ Sermons and Lessons for 2012
Speaker	Sermon/Lesson Title   (Right Click to Download)	Audio   Video  Text    Ipod MS Word	Category	Date Added
Bobby Stafford	Poetry In The Old Testament     (Download Audio)		Poetry	September 9, 2012

Poetry in the Old Testament

Introduction:

Poetry is a style of writing used by many cultures throughout the world.  English poetry is described by rhyme and meter.  Rhyme refers to words that sound alike while meter is about the “beat” of a poem.  Rhyme and meter do not provide meaning to the poem. Hebrew poetry is quite different because it focuses on the arrangement of topics instead of arranging words in a rhyming pattern.  This arrangement of topics is referred to as parallelism.  These parallel thoughts provide information and meaning to the topic under consideration.  To fully understand Hebrew poetry, one must view both halves together in order to understand what either half means. This poetry is found in Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job and Song of Solomon.

Body:

I. Psalms

Psalm 2:1 compares raging of “the heathen” with “the people” imagining a vain thing. Psalm 2:2 compares the “kings of the earth” setting themselves against the Lord with the “rulers” taking counsel together against the Lord.    Psalm 2:4 conveys the same concept regarding God’s response toward those who plot and scheme to overthrow Him.   Psalm 42:1 is a figurative way of expressing one’s desire for God.  The first concept is literal and the other is figurative.  The ideas correspond.  

II.    Proverbs   Proverbs 1:13-16 has “4 sets.”  The writer instructs his son to stay away from those people who try to get you to make evil decisions.  It is repeated for emphasis and to enhance understanding.  Proverbs 1:7 is a contrast between wise and foolish.  Proverbs 10:19-21   The first line tells the reader to either strive for something good or avoid something bad.  The next line shows what happens when that advice is ignored. Proverbs 28:28 

III.  Ecclesiastes  Ecclesiastes 10:18   The two thoughts complement one another.  It emphasizes the results of being lazy.    Ecclesiastes 10:2, 12  

IV.  Song of Solomon Song of Solomon 4:7  There are two ways of expressing the same thought.   Song of Solomon 8:6-7  The man and his bride describe their experiences together through the use of poetic language. 

V.    Job  Even though it is quite different from the other books discussed, Job uses parallelisms throughout the book.    Job 3:11   Job 8:3    Job 11:7     Job 8:9   Job 11:12

 Conclusion:

Recognizing Hebrew poetry can be a great benefit in interpreting the text.  Each of us is called to be a student of the Bible, “rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Bobby Stafford

October 28, 2012