March 10, 2008

Today we began the poetic section of the Old Testament. As we began class, we focused our discussion around literary terms and methods. We discussed concrete and abstract principles and their interpretations. Likewise - we discussed how parables worked, as well as their form and functions, different layers, and the varying interpretations.
We spent most of the day building a framework for the students to help in their understanding of the poetic books. Isaiah is one of the poetic authors, however as we build the framework for the students' understanding, they will (hopefully) be able to better understand the message found within these books.
One of the students struggles with the concept of being like 'salt' in the scriptures. We spent time as a class looking for symbolic interpretations and figuring out what it might mean and why it might be applicable. The students did a great job of grasping onto most of these ideas. We discussed some of the common literary symbols - light & dark, good and evil, water and life etc...
We also discussed the importance of poetry and song in the Old Testament culture and how these were the highest forms of praise and how repetition was used to enhance meaning. Additionally, we talked about parallelism, and how it is used poetically in the bible. Most of Isaiah's writings are parallelisms.
As we talked about some of the symbols, we talked about coal. Many of the students did not know that diamonds come from coal - however they are perfected after heat and pressure. Some diamonds don't make it - they crack under the pressure - some come out perfect and brilliant. However a diamond CANNOT form without the heat and pressure. One student pointed out how we are like the coal, and our trials are the heat and pressure - and how we have the potential to become something amazing and perfect if we are able to withstand and survive the trials which we face. What great insight. We discussed some of the trials which we all face... death, sickness, love, etc. The students then thought about whether or not they actually wanted their trials - and most seemed to realize that through our trials we are able to grow and to become something that we would never reach without them. Even though they are tough, they serve as tools which help us learn and grow - things we can't gain any other way.
We discussed how chapters 1-2 are a prologue, 3-41 are the poetry, and 42 is the epilogue. I also pointed out that Job lived in the time period of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, as his book is poetic - it is organized into the poetic section of the OT.
As we began to study the book of Job, we read about Job being perfect and upright. We saw that part of his formula was that he 'eschewed evil', and we talked about this for a couple of minutes.
We spent the remainder of the time discussing how the sons of God (who they were - how does one become a son of God? - through making covenants with the Lord and taking His name upon us...etc) presented themselves before the Lord. We saw that Satan was present, and we saw that Satan has power.

I asked the students to take some time tonight to look at Job 1-19. To look at the poetry and see if they could find any poetic symbols. Tomorrow we will continue our study of the book of Job, and I'm excited for the students to begin to discover and understand these beautiful poetic passages of scripture and find the meaning and messages found therein.
We are working on Daniel 2:44-45 for our scripture mastery this week.