Module 4: Poetic Books

Hi everyone, and welcome to the fourth module for the Old Testament survey course. In this section, we'll be working through the Poetic books of the Old Testament.

Below you will find links to all the study material for this module

Module Objectives & Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:

  • Place the Major OT people, events and books of the Poetic Books in a general chronology.
  • Explain the main message(s), organization, theme(s), and/or character(s) of the Poetic Books.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the character of God as revealed through His revelation in the praise and wisdom literature of the Poetic Books.
  • Consider how God’s revelation through the Poetic Books applies in the student’s life and ministry.

Instruction Documents

In this section, you'll find links to the instruction documents for this module. There is an instruction document for an individual student studying on their own. And there is an instruction document for students working through this material with a group. Click the links below to access those documents.

Bible/Textbook Reading

In this section, you'll find links to the list of required Bible and textbook reading for this module. The student should read the assigned Bible portions and respond according to the instructions contained in the Bible Response Reflection or Discussion documents found below. The student may read the assigned portions of the Textbook before the lectures, or they may wait and read them after the lectures to serve as review, and to fill in any additional information the student may wish to know. Click the link below to access this document.

Bible Response Reflection Journal/Discussion

The student will choose one or more portions from the assigned Bible reading for this module and write a journal and/or discuss with their group based on that Bible passage. As you read from the Old Testament, let it be a devotional experience. Detailed instructions for this activity are given below. Click the link to see the instructions for individual journaling or the instructions for group discussion.

Lecture Videos

In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Poetic Books module. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Before each video, there is a link to a study guide for that lecture and a link to blank, fill-in notes for that lecture. Click each banner to open access to each video. There is also a link with each video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface. In addition, there is a link to download the audio from the presentation for offline review. And after most of the lectures, there is a link to a summary sheet for the Bible book(s) covered in that lecture. Click each link to access those documents

Intro to the Poetic Books

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Reviews

In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 4. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to begin the slide show.

trigger icon
Review Slideshow
Click Here to closeopen

Click the prev. and next buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.

It is highly recommended that the student recite these reviews out loud as an aid to memory. Some memory aids and tricks were mentioned in the Lectures for some of the summaries (e.g. SCRuB). The student should also brainstorm any shorthand memory aids to help them commit these review summaries to memory. The student should not just attempt to memorize the summaries, but also to use the summaries as a framework to understand and retain the nature and content of the Old Testament.

Course Material Response Reflection

The Student will choose one or more items from either the Video Lectures or the Course Textbook which stood out as personally significant to them. The student will then reflect and write on the item(s); how it/they challenged or added to their current understanding, and how their worldview, life, and/or ministry should be affected by their new understanding.

Detailed instructions for this activity can be found by clicking the link below:

Timeline - Step Four

The student will research and present an Old Testament Timeline in seven steps over the course of all seven modules.

Step Four of the Timeline should include the following information:

  • The events, characters, and Bible books for each of the Poetic Books.
  • These should be appropriately placed in the historical epochs as displayed in the first step of this project.

If you are working through this material in a group, the group leader may choose for the Timeline to be constructed as a group activity during the group meeting time.

Detailed instructions for this activity can be found by clicking the link below:

Review Quiz

This section contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 4. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.

trigger icon
Quiz for Module 4
Click Here to closeopen
Review Quiz for Module 4

Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.


Which is NOT a part of Job's perspective in the diologues?

"I still hope"

Sorry, see Lecture 28

"I'm miserable in suffering"

Sorry, see Lecture 28

"I need an intermediary to talk to God"

Sorry, see Lecture 28

"The wicked are always punished"

Correct

"I want to ask God why this is happening"

Sorry, see Lecture 28

"I'm innocent"

Sorry, see Lecture 28
The prose into to the Book of Job has two rounds of a very similar pattern.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 28
Which Psalm "life context" best describes a time when life is going well and God's blessings are experienced?

Preorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Disorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Reorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Orientation

Good Job
The Main Body of the Book of Proverbs is a collection of apparently randomly arranged proverbs.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 30
The Course Lecture argues that the best way to understand the Song of Songs is as an allegory of God's love for His church.

True

This is a possible interpretation, which has been popular in history, but the Lecture argues that it is not the best interpretation, see Lecture 32

False

Good Job
The expression of disorientation is typically expressed by which form type of Psalm?

Complaint

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Lament

Good Job

Thanksgiving

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Hymn

Sorry, see Lecture 29
Proverbs stresses that there are only two ways to live, the way of wisdom or the way of the fool.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 30
Which of these is NOT one of the questions addressed by the Book of Job?

Does Job serve God only for God's blessings?

Sorry, see Lecture 28

Why do the innocent suffer?

Well Done

Is God Just?

Sorry, see Lecture 28

Is Job Righteous?

Sorry, see Lecture 28

Who has wisdom?

Sorry, see Lecture 28
In the Epilogue, God sides with the three 'friends' against Job.

True

Sorry, see Lecture 28

False

Correct
What word best summarizes the Book of Job?

Wisdom


Romance


Praises


Vanity


Creaturehood

Great Job
Solomon likely contributed much to the writing of Ecclesiastes, but was not the final author.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 31
Which word best summarizes the book of Proverbs?

Vanity


Romance


Creaturehood


Praises


Wisdom

Excellent
Which section is highlighted by the organization of Job?

Dialogues

Sorry, see Lecture 28

Monologues

Sorry, see Lecture 28

Prologue

Sorry, see Lecture 28

Hymn on Wisdom

Excellent

Epilogue

Sorry, see Lecture 28
Which Psalm "life context" best describes a time after the difficult time, when God has come through and rescued, and restored blessings?

Disorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Orientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Reorientation

Good Job

Preorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29
The preamble of Proverbs summarizes the purpose of the whole book.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 30
The Book of Proverbs teaches Deuteronomistic Theology.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 30
Wisdom in Proverbs is defined as skill in applying God's revelation to godly living and godly choices.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 30
Which of these is NOT a possible explanation of the nature of the Song of Songs?

It is a dramatic love story

Sorry, see Lecture 32

It is a wisdom treatise describing the folly of love

Correct

It is a series of love poems

Sorry, see Lecture 32
Which is NOT a theme of Ecclesiastes?

Find Joy

Sorry, see Lecture 31

Fear of the Lord

Sorry, see Lecture 31

Qoheleth

Good Job

Vanity

Sorry, see Lecture 31
Which is the correct order of the organization of Psalms?

Disorientation, Orientation, Reorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Reorientation, Orientation, Disorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Disorientation, Reorientation, Orientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Orientation, Reorientation, Disorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Reorientation, Disorientation, Orientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Orientation, Disorientation, Reorientation

Great Job
The Book of Job has a happy ending.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 28
Biblical Wisdom is putting God at the center of all of life.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 30
Psalms is not one writing, but a collection of individual writings.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 29
Ecclesiastes speaks of the futility of the secular view of life in order to highlight the absurdity of life without God.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 31
In the Book of Proverbs, a proverb is a promise from God.

True

Sorry, see Lecture 30

False

Good Job
What is the meaning of the word Qoheleth?

Leader of an assembly/teacher/preacher

Good Job

A Proverb which counsels the reader to gain wisdom

Sorry, see Lecture 31

A Lament which asks God for help against enemies

Sorry, see Lecture 31

The purpose for the book of Ecclesiastes

Sorry, see Lecture 31
Which Psalm "life context" best describes a time when life is going horribly, when God seems to be inactive or hidden?

Reorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Preorientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Orientation

Sorry, see Lecture 29

Disorientation

Correct
Song of Songs demonstrates that Christians should not avoid or be ashamed of godly romance and sex.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 32
The Psalms were used in the Temple rituals.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 29
The Lecture on Song of Songs argues that the church should overcome our culture's twisted understanding of sex and romance by demonstrating a better, healthy understanding of sex and romance.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 32

Discussion/Reflection/Essay Questions

This section contains some questions for further thought and discussion from Module 4. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions are generated from a larger group of possible questions, so they will likely be different every time you open this banner. You may reopen this banner to see different questions. Click the banner to view the questions.

trigger icon
Discussion/Application Questions
Click Here to closeopen

The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:

  1. How can the Book of Ecclesiastes be used to reach our culture with the good news of Jesus?
  2. What are the four themes of the Book of Psalms? What difference does this make to everyday life?
  3. What are the "real" questions of Job and how do they apply to your life today?
  4. What does it mean that the Psalms are "historically ambiguous, to be universally applicable"? What difference does this make for how we read and apply the Psalms?

Module Completed!

Congratulations, you have reached the end of the fourth module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.

I encourage you to continue on to the next module as soon as is convenience. The button below will take you to Module 5.