NAIROBI PENTECOSTAL BIBLE

COLLEGE

CENTRE :DELIVERANCE CHURCH KATITO

NAME : PETER O. OGEJO

CONTACT: 0722286676

C OURSE : WISDOM LITERATURE

LECTURER: PROF. JERITA KWENGE

CONTACT: 0721757852

D.O.S :19/04/2025

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LESSON 1

a) What is the difference between Biblical wisdom and Ancient wisdom of the times
the wisdom literature was written?

Ancient wisdom was found in the ancient (early or pre-historic age) times but was all
encompassing including religion, culture, creation and daily activities of life. This wisdom
involved all facets of life ad involved polytheism.

Biblical wisdom begins distinctively with the fear if God. It does not begin with us or even
with nature but with the creator he god of the Israelites as revealed in the Bible- the
Redeemer Himself. And the starting point makes all the difference with Ancient wisdom.

b) What is the difference between Biblical wisdom and earthly wisdom reflected
today in different ways?

Biblical wisdom is practical by nature, it addresses our normal lives, daily events and
activities, lifestyles and livelihood, culture and faith. It speaks about “what to do” “when to
do” and “how to” of life. As James aptly puts it, (James 3:17) the wisdom from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield. Full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality and without hypocrisy.

Earthly wisdom is limited to locations times and seasons. What applies today in one place
does not apply in another place and time. The earthly wisdom is sensual, because it generates
envy, self-seeking, confusion, and every evil thing.

c) What do you think is the place of wisdom in Christian life today?

Wisdom has a very key place in the Christian life today- because it has something to say
about ordinary living in the work place, in love, in marriage, child rearing, death and many
other important aspects of daily life. Wisdom also explores a number of vital life questions
that receive little or no attention in the New Testament. Jesus had access to the wisdom
literature and used it we would also be wise if we used it as a reference point in our daily
living.

d) Situation in my own life where the application of wisdom was needed.

My mother fell ill in 1996 and was taken to Nairobi for treatment. But unfortunately she
succumbed and died in Nairobi while undergoing treatment.

She had been living alone at home so there was nobody to take charge of what she used to do.

So being the one who could seek transfer to come and live at home, I decided against all
counsel (especially traditional beliefs) to come back home.

I was warned that I would not survive, my wife would not get children….. and other
difficulties would arise. I used Biblical wisdom like Proverbs 18:10.. The name of the Lord
and is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe… and here we are 28 years and
still counting.
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The family is preserved.

LESSON 2

1. What is the role of prayer in facing suffering in your understanding of the Book
of Job?

Job had, had an experience with God in his life. He used to pray and make sacrifices even for
his sons, just in case they faltered in there ways. He was conscious of Gods ability in various
ways.

The role of prayer is to bring comfort and reduce the anxiety in the unknown challenges.
Prayer brings Inner assurance knowing that there is a God who is involved in our affairs.

Prayer can also fortify our hope making it easier to endure the hardship and remaining
optimistic.

Prayer can also help promote inner healing and peace – emotional or psychological
challenges can be endured as we pray.

2. Develop a short teaching- (two paragraphs) that may help to clarify the
question-“Why do the righteous suffer?”

The suffering may not be necessarily because the person has sinned. The suffering may be a
result of the brokenness of our world which comes from the free will which God created man
with. This free will involves the wrong choices of other people There are natural laws which
when broken or not followed, the consequences are with us, good or bad.

Secondly, trials are permitted by God. Job did not know that God had very high regard of
him- as expressed when Satan asked to touch his goods and health! So the suffering comes to
Job to demonstrate righteousness- NOT a punishment for sin, known or unknown as the
friends of Job presumed.

3. What lessons do we learn about the nature and work of God in the Book of Job?
 We learn that God is sovereign.
 He works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, but in doing so,
He remains faithful and just.
 With that in mind, He works behind the scenes to accomplish his purpose with
whatsover He chooses
 He also approves his work which is beyond comprehension and He is concerned
about his people.
 He made Job understand his nature by the questions he asked Job about his creations
and creatures-Questions which Job could not answer because of his ignorance. God
asked him those questions because He knew that, that was one of the ways to stop Job
from questioning Him.

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LESSON 3

Using the five step method for studying Psalms identified in this lesson, do a study of
Psalms chapter 1.

i. The mood and genre of Psalms 1- wisdom

the historical situation of the Psalms-Post exile period as an introduction.
ii. Structural analysis; Contrast is seen in Psalms 1-

Vs 1-3—Pointing to the righteous.

Vs 4-5—Pointing to the wicked.

Vs 6—Sums both up summary and conclusion.

Poetic analysis;

We have contrastive parallelism, where two opposing ideas are set side by side-

the way of the righteous verses the way of the wicked.

Imagery & Metaphor

The righteous person is compared to a tree planted by the waters,(v.3)

This metaphor conveys stability, fruitfulness and divine sustenance.(Tree with deep roots
cannot be easily uprooted)

The wicked are like the chaff that the wind drives away (v.4)

This portrays instability, lightness, worthlessness and judgement.

Chaff is light, and quickly discarded, unstable!

The choice of words is rhythm,… walks not,……….nor stands,…. nor sits… progressive
move from walking…. sitting- positions which present levels of engagement.

Looked at from other scriptures-

It is in tandem with Jeremiah 17:7-8

Which also depicts a picture of a flourishing person. The great contrast between those who
trust men and those who trust God.

Deuteronomy 28:2-14- the blessings of obedience and the curses of the disobedient

Psalms 92:12-14..Believers are compared to fruitful vines and trees in this case even in old
age.

John 15:1-5 also gives the same truth of briging forth fruit by abiding in the Lords

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Applying the Psalm

 If we want to be happy or fortunate, we will not listen to, or have fellowship

with the wicked.

Notice the progression walking, standing and sitting with bad counsellors.

 We should check where we “Sit”, ”Stand ” or walk- Ephesians 2:6, 6:11,

14.
 We should instead delight in Gods truth in a continual way- day and night.
And then experience unceasing fruitfulness and success.

LESSON 4

In at least three paragraphs, Defend the following statement using support from the
book of Proverbs. ”Proverbs can be used as a moral code of ethics in any society”.

Code of ethics is a set of guiding principles intended to instruct a group of people on how to
act in a way that aligns with an organization’s values and benefits all stake holders, It
establishes standards, guides decision making and promotes ethical behaviour.

In guiding behaviour, the book of Proverbs has several guidelines e.g. Honesty, patience,
humility 16:18 pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall, anger and
compassion 15:1 a swift answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger, hard
work 6:6, to the ant o sluggard; consider her ways and be wise 14:23, kindness 19:17
whoever is generous to the poor lends to the lord.

In passing down wisdom and ethical values. , from one generation to another 1:7,22:3 the
prudent sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on and suffer for it ,.

In encouraging social harmony, Pro- 12:22 speaks about lies and its consequences, 28:6
respect and co-operation.

Justice is highlighted in 31:8-9, rights of others 29:7, maintaining peace and order, avoiding
pride 11:2.

LESSON 5

In which ways can the book of Song of Songs be used in pre-marital and marriage
counselling?

In pre-marital counselling it should be stressed that;

i. Physical attraction is important but not the only thing to look out for.
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 ii. That after the attraction, we must be careful not to arouse love before time 2:7.
iii. That love can be affirmed by involving parents 3:4- brought him whom my soul
lovely to my mother’s house.
iv. That preparation, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually is important 3:5.

In Marriage;

i. It is important to express love fully and consummate it in sex- that is where sex is
protected.

Other expressions of affection should not be held back 3:6-11.

ii. Be satisfied by fulfilling each other’s desire 5:1

iii. Deal with challenges which may come during marriage 5:2-8.
iv. Communication is very key in marriage lack of it will extinguish love, 7:1,8:4 and
always have a heart of giving 7:13.
v. We must grow in love by being intentional about what we do 8:6-7, and take
responsibility of our actions or non actions 8:10-12.

How can I use the book of Ecclesiastes to inject hope to someone on the verge of
committing suicide out of what they see to be the meaninglessness of life?

The thought of suicide can be from overwhelming sadness especially if the expectations are
not seemingly being met, or exhaustion- feeling tired- too tired to keep fighting on- or
wanting circumstances to change.

These can be very devastating- but to reinforce the message of Ecclesiastes- in order to see
the whole picture of what people have tried;-

 He tries wisdom and folly 1:17,2:3

 He tries pleasure and wine 2:1-3
 He amasses possession and riches 2:7-8
 He tries anything he desires 2:10
 He thinks non-existence is better than existence 4:1-8

The list is long but it needs to be brought to a conclusion after considering all sides of the
“Die”

He concludes that without the revelation of God- life has no meaning. But if there is to be
meaning in life, it must not come from what we are all running after but in reverence and
obedience to God. These two things help us to navigate through life. In the New Testament,
God reveals himself in Jesus Christ- the God who became man- to redeem us from the
clutches of sin and death which drive us to hopelessness and death. In Christ who
Ecclesiastes suggests we get real meaning in life. Christ alone redeems His people from vain
and meaninglessness in life (1 Peter 1:18)

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PAPER

WISDOM FOR EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

Q. Identify and analyse instructions in the five books of poetry that can enable one to
live daily life with satisfaction

Dealing with personal matters

In Song 2:15 the teaching is that we guard against everything that would spoil our life or
relationship with Christ and fellowship with him….”the little foxes”. This implies the sins of
commission and omission. They may be considered small, but left unattended can cause
much damage to our spiritual life and well-being. That is why the writer prays that the little
foxes be caught before they cause havoc. The Christian must therefore guard his thought life

Delighting in love and beauty

In the same book Song 3:1-5 we see someone in love going through challenges, tests and is
not deterred by the obstacles. Many people who claim to be in love, whether in marriage or
otherwise have not gone through the testing’s of life In order for their love to stand the test of
time and trials. This is the kind of love we ought to have. A proven love. Song 6:3 is the
epitome of such struggles and challenges, where one is delighted in loving and being loved.
This will alleviate the low self-esteem people are struggling with in our time.

For strong and stable families and homes

In Proverbs 24:3-4 encourages and exhorts us to build our homes and families in wisdom
and understanding. In Psalms 127:1- To trust God for blessings for the family.. Unless the
Lord builds a house the labourer labours in vain. Build homes and families which reflect the
virtues of God, in patterns, habits and general discipline.

Prov. 22:6—to teach and train our children in God’s ways. These among others help anchor
the family in a Godly way and leaves a good legacy.

Prov. 31:10- talking about how to treat a spouse; a strong marriage is anchored on
faithfulness, wisdom and mutual respect. Before one settles for marriage, due diligence
should be done about the family background of the spouse when done properly and necessary
counselling done certain things which usually brake families can be forestalled. A woman
who fears the Lord would be a great blessing more valuable than the dowry paid or offered,
Prov. 14:1, the wise woman builds her house

Fear of the Lord is foundation

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom- Prov.9:10. Living with reverence to God leads
to true insight and life aligned to his purpose.

Prov. 8:11 Wisdom is more precious than rubies and nothing one desires can compared with
her.

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This wisdom will cause us to speak with kindness and discernment because we realise that
words shape destiny. Speaking life and truth builds strong relationships according to Prov.
18:21.

The choice of embracing hard work

We live in times when hard work is disdained; People are used to short cuts, quick fixes and
easy life. But Prov.10:4 exhort us to know that hard work and integrity leads to true
prosperity. When wealth is got through hard work and integrity, it lasts. See, how many
protracted court cases are we have of beneficiaries of a parent’s estate, or wealth. Most of
them were not worked for and that is why there are fights and even deaths of the dependants
who never worked for what they are fighting for. The mega corruption scandals this country
is dealing with ought not to be so if people embrace the ethic of hard work. Sadly, the
younger generation has captured it, if you want to be rich become a politician.. The only
comfortable group is the political elite who are not even half as qualified. All the other
professionals are on “strike” over issues money or demands for better working conditions,
what a shame!

Timing is the essence of good living

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 we are told that for everything there is a season and time. So we must
learn to embrace and not fight the seasons of life. Life moves in cycles and just like the
seasons of life, winter, spring, autumn and summer.

So is our life when we learn to be contented with Gods time- then our lives take a different
look. A time to laugh and a time to cry…. Seasons come and go, so we should not be ruled
with season. When we look to God, we will outlive the seasons that seem to threaten our very
existence

Live with eternity in view

In the same book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 after the preacher has tried, money, women, pleasure
and has realised the vanity there in, he makes a very sound conclusion. Fear God…

Live for God. This is where true fulfilment is found. True fulfilment is not found in material
things or our accomplishments.

Trust God through the unknown

In the book of Job, we learn that suffering can lead to greater understanding Job 1:21-22. Job
did not know that there was a battle over him in the background. But he trusted in God Job
13:15…though he slay me yet I will trust him… After going through a lot of suffering, he is
refined and is able to understand God’s wisdom beyond human understanding. This means,
that had he not gone through the suffering, he would not have such a depth of insight into the
things of God and the being of God. We should not therefore just dismiss situations without
knowing what Gods purposes are. In essence we can only help somebody in the areas we
ourselves have been helped. That is why there are a lot of quotations from the book of Job,
being used in funeral services to comfort and assure the bereaved of help in the midst of pain.

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Job 32-37…is a very candid record of counsel which is very rare in that it comes from a
younger person…”I am young and you are very old. Therefore I was afraid and dared not
speak or express my opinion”. He refers to the inspiration of the almighty giving him
understanding Elihu brings in a very different perspective, having waited, listened and
analysed what the four men had said through their dialogue. The point is that not every old
person is wise. At the end, it is God who tells the three friends of Job that they had not
represented him properly to Job. Even though He seems over confident in his words, he gave
a better perspective than the first speakers. And eventually God takes over at that stage and
speaks to Job and his friends

Job had expressed the desire to stand before God that he might present his case…God now
suddenly comes to him and gives him the desire of his heart. Instead of answering directly,
God asks Job questions which he can’t answer and therefore has very little grip on God’s
dealings with man , which includes Job.

Practice a life of stillness and praise

In the noise of life, the tumults of this world, there are times when wisdom is found in
silence, reflection and worship of God. The psalmist in Psalm 46:9-10, he knows that God is
the one who makes wars to cease, whether physical, emotional, psychological and so he can
be still and know that God is in control, and that His purposes will stand and prevail.

Choosing the righteous path all the time

Psalm 1:1...Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the
path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Your environment and companions shape
your destiny, walk with the wise. This is a choice we have to make every day without getting
tired or weary.