I recently completed two objectives.
First, I finished preaching through Ecclesiastes.
Second, I finished driving from South Carolina to Montana and back.
Now, these two accomplishments might seem disconnected, and for the most part they are. But for the purposes of this article, they are very much related.
When you are driving on a road trip, especially one that takes you from one side of the country to the other, you’ll inevitably see many different types of terrains and landscapes. And the various settings that our great nation has to offer reminds me of the different types of genres we find in the Bible.
Not an easy genre to preach
Working through the Law may feel like driving in the desert — straight forward, not much variety, just endless highway that makes you wonder, “Will this road ever end?” But, hey, at least the speed limit is 80 mph!
Comparing other biblical genres to roadside scenes might have you concluding that the Gospels are like the southern states — lots of similarities between them, but each has its own distinctives. The big cities may be the epistles — where long, complicated phrases can often be like technical intersections where all roads are connected.
Come to think of it: If poetry is doing its own thing like Hawaii and Alaska, and if historical narrative is represented by the historical Northeastern states, then that leaves apocalyptic literature right at home in Vegas.
But what about Wisdom Literature?
If you look out your metaphoric window at the scenes of wisdom literature, what will you see?
There you will find the majestic mountain peaks of the world. You’ll discover the winding roads that take you through them. And you’ll even drive through the depths of the valleys where life can often feel the most remote. This is the terrain I want to consider in this article. Specifically, I want to explore the question: How do we preach Wisdom Literature?
1. Remember the genre.
Growing up in the South, I often heard the phrase “neck of the woods” to refer to a specific neighborhood or region. A southern boy traveling to New York City would quickly feel out of place, but upon his return home, he might proudly exclaim, “Ah, now this is my neck of the woods!”
When you preach through the wisdom literature, you must remember what neck of the woods you are in — meaning you must consider what interpretive rules you should be using based upon that particular genre. For example, preaching poetry requires a different set of interpretive rules than epistles, and apocalyptic literature cannot be treated with the same rules as historical narrative. Each genre has its own distinctives, and a faithful preacher will keep them in mind and use them effectively.
I associate wisdom literature with beautiful mountain scenes because often a wisdom author wants the reader to see an entire forest to understand his point instead of focusing on particular trees.
When I preached through Ecclesiastes, I discovered a central theme throughout was joy. Now, if Solomon had been writing an epistle, he may have developed his theme of joy through a series of technical indicative phrases that followed a trail of logic and a developing argument.
Instead, Solomon wrote about his theme of joy through his various life experiences. If a reader fails to make the connections between the sections, he may conclude that Solomon is simply recording disconnected life lessons. But part of the job of the wisdom literature preacher is to continually point the listener back to what Solomon was doing as a whole — in this case, he was developing a theme of “Joy in the Journey” through various life experiences.
Consult a good introduction in a wisdom literature commentary to consider more interpretive rules for this genre.
2. Embrace the vivid imagery.
One characteristic you’ll find in wisdom literature is an abundance of vivid imagery. I was surprised at how much the church I pastor seemed to enjoy studying Ecclesiastes together. One reason was because of the weekly exposure we had to such vivid imagery used by Solomon.
Vivid imagery keeps things fresh; it shocks us; it stirs the pot; it keeps us on the edge of our seat; and it raises our eyebrows.
A biblical writer could exhort us, “Don’t be lazy,” which is good and true. Instead, he writes in Ecclesiastes 4:5, “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.” Now that gives a strong picture of laziness to avoid!
Further, you know laziness often produces excuses. The author could write, “Don’t make excuses because you’re lazy,” or he more effectively writes in Proverbs 26:13, “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!’” Preachers need to embrace this vivid imagery.
Preach against laziness, but do so by leaning into the unique language of the “fool who folds his hands and eats his own flesh,” or the sluggard who blames an imaginary lion for accomplishing nothing in life.
Your preaching will be more effective in communication when you don’t just preach the point of the verse, but you embrace the picturesque language,too.
3. Make specific application points.
Preacher, don’t forget that we preach wisdom literature, not in theory, but to real people living real lives. It is called “wisdom” literature for a reason! These truths aren’t just wise theoretically, but they’re the very source of life your people need to survive.
My grandfather-in-law was a pastor who taught me much about preaching. He used to say something like, “When there’s a fog in the pulpit, there will be a mist in the pews.” Preachers need to do the hard work of making the truth of the text clear. Preachers need to remove the cloud of confusion from the text and enable listeners to understand and embrace the truth preached.
The preacher is not only responsible to say true things, but to put the sermon in the laps of the listeners. Give your people more than a commentary. Take the truth of the text and apply it so well that it feels personal and specific to them, as if the sermon were sitting in their own laps.
4. Engage the unbeliever.
Wisdom literature often provides direct statements about the biggest realities in life a preacher should use to address the unbeliever. Ecclesiastes 5:2 provides one: “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.”
A few questions to the unbeliever:
- “I wonder if you feel big or small compared to God?”
- “Do you ever consider what God thinks of your words?”
- “Remember, God hears everything you say?”
- “What might His evaluation of your words be?”
- “If God is in heaven, and you are clearly on earth, why does Solomon say to let your words be few?”
- “One day you’ll give an account for everything you’ve done wrong; what words will you use then?”
Wisdom literature often reminds us of the important realities in life. Preacher, don’t forget to engage the unbelievers present on Sunday mornings with life’s biggest realities.
5. Wisely preach Christ.
Wisely preaching Christ from wisdom literature means preaching Christ in the Old Testament in a way that is not forced but is legitimate. Preaching Christ from the wisdom literature should not look the same every week. Wisdom sermons shouldn’t have the gospel messily tied on at the end. That’s not wrong necessarily, but there are better ways to preach Christ from these books.
When possible, preach the gospel as the text naturally flows there. For example, when Solomon concludes his search for meaning in Ecclesiastes 2 and comes up empty even after searching in work, possessions, alcohol, sex, entertainment, and other categories, the preacher can point to the reality of Jesus — who promises to be the satisfaction for thirsty sinners.
Further, when Solomon says, “Fear God and keep His commandments,” of course the preacher joyfully points to the perfect righteousness of Jesus on behalf of sinners, but don’t stop there! The preacher then proclaims not only that Jesus died for sinners, but His grace from the cross and resurrection now enables individuals to walk in grace-filled, Spirit-led, effort-giving obedience. The gospel pardons the sinner and gives him what he needs to obey.
Preaching the gospel from the wisdom literature is a craft, and preachers should do it wisely and effectively.
Real life insights
Whether you’re looking at the mountain peaks above or the valleys below, wisdom literature meets the listener in real life. Preachers should embrace the uniqueness of this genre, use its vivid imagery, and make compelling, Christ-filled applications in hopes of pointing listeners to the grandeur of God.
— Donald Thomas has served as lead pastor at Abner Creek Baptist Church, Greer, since 2019. He is a graduate of North Greenville University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married with five children.