D. Summary of the Three-Fold Theme of the Writings of

1. Proverbs - Wisdom Calls Mankind to Understand His Ways (Mind)

2. Ecclesiastes - God Gives Mankind a Purpose in Life When We Serve Him (Body)

3. Song of Solomon - God Calls Mankind to Walk With Him in the Cool of the Day (Heart)

The third theme of this three-fold series of writings reveals the results of applying the book's message to our daily lives:

1. Proverbs - The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom. The virtuous woman is a reflection of a person walking in wisdom and the fear of God.

2. Ecclesiastes - Fear God and Keep His Commandments. The man who keeps God's commandments has a purpose and destiny in Christ.

3. Song of Solomon - Loving God is Mature as We Abide in Christ & Labour in His Vineyard. The man who abides in Christ and produces fruit that remains.

Combining these three themes to see how they flow together in each of Solomon's writings, we see that Proverbs teaches us to serve the Lord with all of our mind as the fear of the Lord moves us to wise choices above foolishness. The outcome of this journey is the development of a person who is strong in character, symbolized by the virtuous woman. This is illustrated in the story of Job. In Ecclesiastes , the believer serves the Lord with all of his strength by obeying God's commandments because of his fear of the Lord. The outcome of this journey is the development of a person who walks in his purpose and destiny, rather than in the vanities of this world. This is illustrated in the book of Lamentations. The Song of Solomon reveals the most mature level of serving the Lord with all of one's heart. This person yields to God's love being poured into him by learning to abide in constant holy communion with the Lord. The outcome of this journey is the development of a person who overflows in the fruits and gifts of the Spirit. This is illustrated in the book of Psalm.

The themes of the books of the Holy Bible can be often found in the opening verses, and we now can easily see these three themes in opening passages of the writings of Solomon. Proverb's opening verses emphasize the need to make sound decisions through Wisdom of Solomon , instruction and understanding.

Ecclesiastes' opening verses emphasizes the vanity of human labour when one does not serve the Lord.

Song of Songs emphasizes the intimacy of love that proceeds from man's heart.

Thus, it is easy to see why King Solomon would follow such a three-fold structure in his writings. Since Deuteronomy 6:4-5 was one of the more popular passages of Scripture for the children of Israel, it would make sense that Song of Solomon , in his quest for the meaning of life, would follow this three-fold approach in his analyze of what it meant to worship God. Although the book of Proverbs places emphasis upon serving the Lord by making wise decisions, a careful study of the book of Proverbs will reveal that this three-fold emphasis upon the spirit, soul and body is woven throughout the book.

Figure 1 - Thematic Scheme of the Books of Poetry

The literary structure of the book of Proverbs must follow the theme of the book. It is important to note that such a breakdown of this book of the Holy Bible was not necessarily intended by the original author, but it is being used as a means of making the interpretation easier. It is hoped that this summary can identify the underlying themes of the book, as well as the themes of its major divisions, sections and subsections. Then individual verses can more easily be understood in light of the emphasis of the immediate passages in which they are found.

For years, I viewed the book of Proverbs as a book of randomly compiled sayings, with no apparent arrangement or structure. At first reading, this book appears to be an endless list of one-sentence sayings with no relationship to other verses or passages in this book. However, the book of Proverbs has a very clear order, from the first chapter until the last verse. This is because God is a God of order, and everything that God does has a purpose and an order to it. Note:

1 Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done decently and in order."

We even have Scriptural evidence that Solomon set these proverbs in a particular order, or arrangement. Note:

At least five superscriptions can be found within the book of Proverbs ( Proverbs 1:1, Proverbs 10:1, Proverbs 25:1, Proverbs 30:1, Proverbs 31:1), allowing scholars to divide the book into at least five sections:

1. Proverbs 1-9 - The Introduction

2. Proverbs 10-24 - The Collection of Proverbs

3. Proverbs 25-29 - The Proverbs Copied Out by King Hezekiah

4. Proverbs 30 - The Words of Agur

5. Proverbs 31 - The Words of King Lemuel

While each of these five sections begins with an introductory verse, we can note unique characteristics within each section. Most modern commentators further divide the second section of 10-24into the First Collection of Solomon's Proverbs ( Proverbs 10:1 to Proverbs 22:16) and the Words of the Wise ( Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:34) with two subsections being identified within the Words of the Wise ( Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:22 and Proverbs 24:23-34). They then call the third section "The Second Collection of Solomon's Proverbs."

Regardless of how the book of Proverbs is grouped into sections, all agree that it clearly lays out two directions that a man can take in his life, with each direction, or path, bringing different results. These proverbs in general provide a contrast between the path of wise man and of the fool.

We learn in this book that God has called us to walk the path of Wisdom of Solomon , which will lead us into becoming conquerors and not captives like the fool, to be overcomers in all things and not to be overcome, to be able to go over and not go under. God has called us to victory and not defeat. All wisdom is hidden in God in Christ Jesus:

Therefore, the book of Proverbs points us to Christ. It leads us down the path that leads to Christlikeness. Since the foundational theme of Proverbs is how to love the Lord our God with all of our mind, the structure and divisions of this book reflect the different phases of our life that develop our mental wellbeing as we become like Christ. The following summary will reveal a clear and orderly path that the book of Proverbs will lead us down, if we will just learn to follow the voice of Wisdom of Solomon , which is for us, today, the voice of the Holy Spirit.

We find a summary of the plan of redemption in Romans 8:28-30 that God the Father offers every person.

Romans 8:28-30, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Song of Solomon , that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

Paul says in Romans 8:29-30 that the destination, or purpose, of every believer is to become like Jesus Christ. To bring this about, we will need to follow His divine plan for our lives. In the Father's foreknowledge, it begins with predestination, then calling, after which we move into justification as we hearken unto this calling and believe in the redemptive work on Calvary. We are kept in this position of justification as Jesus now serves as our Great High Priest making intercession for the saints. This will bring us into the final phase our redemption, which is glorification. These are essentially the four phases, or steps, that are laid out in Romans 8:29-30 in which God the Father oversees our redemption. This is how we can outline the book of Proverbs.

Paul says in Romans 8:29-30 that the destination, or purpose, of every believer is to become like Jesus Christ. To bring this about, we will need to follow this divine plan. It begins with the Father's foreknowledge, which has two phases: predestination and calling. We then move into justification as we hearken unto this calling and believe in the redemptive work on Calvary. We are kept in this position of justification as Jesus now serves as our Great High Priest making intercession for the saints. The next step is not mentioned, but it is the role of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification. This will bring us into the final phase our redemption, which is glorification. These are essentially the steps that are laid out in Romans 8:29-30.

Regarding the underlying theme of this opening prologue to Proverbs , we find in Romans 8:29-30 that calling is a part of the Father's divine foreknowledge for every believer. In this passage of Scripture, predestination comes before calling, in which God establishes a purpose, or a plan, for our calling. If we interpret the prologue in Proverbs 1:1-6 in light of the structure of the book of Proverbs , which follows God's divine plan of redemption, we see how these opening verses reveal what God has predestined us to become, which Isaiah , a person who walks in divine wisdom in every aspect of his life: spiritually, mentally, physically and financially. This is the emphasis that the book of Proverbs makes as one aspect of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. For example, in the book of Luke , we conform to the image of Jesus Christ by walking in the office of the prophet, being filled with the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts , we walk in the office of the apostle, taking the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. In the Gospel of Matthew , we become conformed to the image of Christ Jesus by walking in the office of the teacher, making disciples who will in turn teach other generations of disciples about the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Mark's Gospel, we become conformed to the image of His Son by walking in the office of the evangelist, preaching the Gospel with signs following. In John's Gospel, we conform to the image of Jesus Christ by walking in the office of the pastor, maintaining fellowship with our Heavenly Father to lead His sheep. Every book of the Holy Bible provides one aspect of God's plan for His children to be conformed to be like Jesus. In the book of Psalm , we conform to His image by developing a passion for His Word ( Psalm 1:2). Therefore, in the book of Proverbs , we are conformed by walking in divine wisdom ( Proverbs 1:2-6), which is the way we worship the Lord with all of our mind. We will see the character of this person in the final chapter of Proverbs as it describes the virtuous woman.

II. God the Father's Foreknowledge: Calling Us to Our Journey (Preparation for the Journey) ( Proverbs 1:7 to Proverbs 9:18) - Most scholars consider Proverbs 1-9 to be a discourse, or a tribute, to wisdom. This section serves as an introduction to Solomon's collection of wise, pithy sayings that follows. This introductory material is a preparation for being able to understand the rest of the book. Its underlying emphasis is the divine calling that God gives to every human being. Therefore, we find the statement of wisdom "crying out," "uttering her voice" and "calling" used repeatedly throughout this section of Proverbs.

In these first nine introductory chapters, wisdom is personified as a person speaking in the feminine gender. Just as an artist sketches an outline of a painting, then splashes colors upon the canvas, until a beautiful painting emerges, so in these chapters of Proverbs does wisdom begin to reveal itself verse by verse (as an artist reveals a picture color by color) until chapter 8, when wisdom is seen as an intimate part of God and His creation. Wisdom is personified as a person speaking because man would be incapable of understanding his experiences in life without divine wisdom being given to him. This impartation is done in the person of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is personified as a woman because the Hebrew word translated as "wisdom" is in the feminine gender.

These chapters contrast the table of blessings ( Proverbs 9:1-6) with the trap of death ( Proverbs 1:17-19, Proverbs 9:18). The wise man chooses wisdom"s table of blessings. In contrast, the fool chooses the trap of death, supposing that it is a table of blessing. Studying this introduction is a necessary preparation for finding one's way through the rest of the book of Proverbs. Thus, a drama immediately unfolds in the introduction, revealing to us how wisdom sets a man free, but the trap of death ensnares its victims in the strongholds of sin. These strongholds do not turn its captives loose until it completes its assignment of death. In contrast, wisdom leads a man into his rightful place of glory and honor above God's creation ( Proverbs 3:35, Proverbs 31:30), and into submission to his Creator.

This section of Proverbs is actually a call to follow the path of Wisdom of Solomon , in which wisdom presents his arguments for choosing the path of wisdom over the path of the fool. God calls mankind to righteousness in this present Church age through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that has been sent upon the earth, who convicts the world of sin righteousness and judgment ( John 16:7-11); but prior to this age God called mankind to righteousness through Wisdom of Solomon , which testified from Creation ( Romans 1:19-23), and from society. We see in these chapters that wisdom is a path that is to be diligently followed. Wisdom is a decision that is made on a daily basis, and these daily decisions will determine our destiny, both in this life and in the life to come. This book of wisdom contrasts the wise man with the fool throughout the book. As we will see in Proverbs , every decision that we make is either a wise decision, or a foolish one. Every decision affects our eternal destiny. This section begins with a call to follow wisdom ( Proverbs 1:7-9), and ends by explaining how every human being decides between destinies, heaven or hell ( Proverbs 9:1-18).

In the path of wisdom there are many dangers. It is for this reason these nine chapters give us many warnings against the evil man and the adulteress, even before the real journey begins. The path of wisdom is narrow and easily missed. All of us have fallen off this path at one time or another in our lives. This book of Proverbs was written by King Song of Solomon , considered the wisest person that has ever lived. Yet, even he fell off this path of wisdom because he allowed pride to blind his vision and dull his hearing. This gives us an indication of how narrow is this path to follow.