This book called Song of Songs, or in many Bibles “Song of Solomon,”  is quite different from a lot of books in the Old Testament.  Though the poetic style has been existent in some earlier books like Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, there hasn’t been any intimacy like this.  Through reading the text the first time through, a few questions came to mind regarding the purpose that this book has in the OT.  Just like many other books, there has to be a purpose for the people of Israel, right?  After all, most of the books we’ve read pertain directly to the Israelites, so this one should too.  While it seems like these intimate verses between a man and his wife do not have much to do with Israel as a whole, there are more ways of interpretation than just one. 

The first way that this text can be interpreted is probably the way most commonly perceived by the reader.  The literal interpretation of this text is that these are intimate poems written by Solomon and one of his wives.  This is the most common way to view this book, and the text supports it fully.  In most versions of the text it actually says “She” when the wife is speaking, and “He” when the husband, or Solomon, is speaking.  In this way, the book is interpreted by the protagonist using the writer to show the nation of Israel how important intimacy is in a marital relationship. This is logically backed by intimacy truthfully being a key role in any marriage.  Could this book simply be pointing out the importance of marital intimacy, or is there more to it?

The text can also be interpreted through an allegorical view.  This interpretation means that the book can be viewed as an allegory, or symbol, of the protagonist’s love for the people of Israel.  In any marriage, a covenant is made between the husband and the wife.  This covenant, or promise, between the two parties is based on their love to one another and the fact that they won’t leave or forsake each other.  This same type of covenant has been made by the protagonist to the nation of Israel.  He has promised them that he will never forsake them and he will always be there to help them along their journey.  Through this interpretation, the book was put in the OT to remind the Israelites just how important and intimate this relationship actually is.

Finally, these poems can be viewed from both of these interpretations at the same time.  Perhaps the protagonist is placing importance on the marital relationship and the relationship of he and his people in the same breath.  As mentioned earlier, intimacy is obviously important in a marital relationship.  As early as Genesis, the relationship between a man and a woman is present.  The protagonist shows the importance of this relationship by giving Adam a partner in Eve.  In Song of Solomon, the intimacy within the relationship is taken to a whole new level.  Just like this, it is clear that the relationship between the protagonist and his people was important way before this book.  It can be inferred that both of these relationships are held at equal importance in the eyes of the protagonist.  He wants them to know that intimacy between a man and wife is just as important as the intimacy between he and his people. 

These interesting songs definitely say a lot about relationships.  Throughout the Old Testament, we have seen the struggle in the relationship between the protagonist and the nation of Israel just like struggles in a marriage.  The most important part of any relationship is the intimacy and the covenant between the two.  In this book the protagonist sheds light on both relationships in a beautiful work of art.  Through various interpretations of this text, the implications for the nation of Israel are clear.

One of the most popular themes in our society is finding a so-called “secret to life.”  Seriously, there is a list of fifty “secrets” to life on highexistence.com. The truth is, everyone is in search of an algorithm or step-by-step process that leads to the winner’s circle of life.  In the Old Testament thus far, there have been many leaders rise and fall.  I’m sure they began to seek for more guidance since life did not always work out as planned. In Ecclesiastes, the author (commonly perceived to be Solomon) talks about various aspects of his life and the human life.  While reading, the same theme that many other humans think about daily came to my mind.  Could this account in Ecclesiastes be the author’s version of a secret to life?  Is what he is saying applicable to the modern world?

First, it is important to recognize who the author is before analyzing the text.  Solomon was a king who was of great service to the protagonist.  Wisdom is brought up a lot in Ecclesiastes, so Solomon is most commonly known for writing the book.  Solomon was a decent king, but in the end was compromised by his humanly desires.  He was wealthy and had a lot of things to show for it, but in the end, it seems like something was missing.  Could he have possibly lived a more fulfilling life if he could have tamed his desires and only focused on that of the protagonist?  I’m sure Solomon wishes he would’ve done a few things differently, so maybe in his old age he decided to help future generations by giving more of his wise words.  Effectively, Solomon is in fact the author of this book.

Next, it is necessary to check the text and look at some of the “secrets” that the author may point out.  It is clear that the author lived a relatively “good” life before this book was written.  He was very wise and wealthy, but he explains that these aren’t the most important things in life.  How many times do we see people gain wealth and completely blow it? (Given the exception of Bill Gates and other billionaires that have so much money they can’t possibly blow it all). It is quite easy to gain wealth and lose it in the same breath.  The theme that the author is alluding to is not money management, but instead it is putting hope in the right things.  If I were to hit the lottery and win a few million dollars, my life would seem pretty great for a while.  If I proceeded to live a self-indulging lifestyle and not grow any of that money, it would soon be gone.  Instead of putting hope in a lump sum of money or a lifestyle, have hope in something more concrete that isn’t going to slowly diminish. This is a “secret” that the author could be alluding to. 

If these are indeed “secrets” to life, would it be possible that they pertain to our lives in the modern world?  As it seems, these are some pretty universal concepts that can still be related to today.  In chapter 4, the author speaks about being alone with no one to enjoy life with.  He explains that this is a painful way to live that does not lead to a happy life.  Anyone that has ever been through a tough time with no friends to comfort them knows that there is truth in this.  Sometimes all we need is a word of encouragement from a friend, and this is what the author is alluding to in Ecclesiastes.  In chapter 7, there is a verse that I think has a lot of weight in our times.  Verse 21 basically says that we shouldn’t take to heart everything that people say about us.  This is a tough one in 2019, because I feel like we all want to gain the likeness of others.  The truth is, if we aren’t preoccupied with this idea, we might live a happier and easier life.  

It’s hard to say that the author is not providing us with some secrets to the life we live.  Sure, all of them may not pertain to everyone, but many of them are universal.  Our generation will continue to search for various ways to obtain this secret to life.  Maybe there is no secret at all.  However, if there is, this account in Ecclesiastes should definitely be considered as one of the top references for this topic.

The book of Job begins with a confrontation between the protagonist and Satan.  In an attempt to prove how faithful his followers are, the protagonist picks Job to be a demonstration.  Some have called it a “bet” between the two, so for the purpose of this analysis, we will also consider it to be the same.  Of course, in any fair bet there must be two opposite sides of motive.  Satan believes that when all of Jobs processions are taken away, he will not be the faithful and upright man the protagonist claims him to be.  The protagonist places his faith in Job, grabs some popcorn, and watches the turmoil unfold.  After reading the extensive dialogue between Job and his friends, and seeing how the book concludes, there is still an unanswered question.  Who won the bet?  Did Job prove to be faithful and upright or did Satan bring him further from the protagonist?

Though most of the answer comes from the closing chapters of the book, there are important aspects leading up to it.  First, Job did not exactly give praise to the protagonist right away.  The first dialogue we get from Job comes in chapter 3 when he immediately begins to curse the day he was born.  However, as his friends try to condemn him and tell him how there must have been something that he did to inflict this pain on himself, he doesn’t completely turn away from the protagonist.  In chapter 13, he expresses that he will still place his hope in the protagonist.  Nonetheless, Job definitely exalts himself by portraying this “perfect” persona.  He continues to try to prove his innocence and question the reason for his punishment.

The next point of interest comes when Elihu enters the scene.  Though he is a young guy that didn’t think he deserved a chance to speak, the author dedicates 6 chapters to his dialogue.  In chapter 33, he rebukes Job by saying, “God is greater than man, Why do you contend against him?”  Elihu begins to examine Jobs stance and makes sure he knows he is not completely in the right.  Through his dialogue, it is more clear why Job is suffering.  He explains that sometimes the protagonist has to speak to his people in more ways than one.  One of these ways being suffering.  Elihu really helps to determine if Job held up the protagonist’s argument.  In the eyes of Elihu, Job did not remain faithful and upright to the protagonist during his time of suffering.  

The last dialogue to examine is that between the protagonist and Job.  This could be the most important in the book, as these words are said to be directly from the protagonist himself.  He begins, in the beginning of chapter 38, by basically asking Job, “Who do you think you are?”  In the next verse, he questions his manhood by saying, “Dress for action, like a man.”  It’s actually quite comical that the protagonist is putting Job in his place like that and telling him to “man up.”  He goes on to question Job asking him if he can do all of these things that only the protagonist himself can do.  The book ends with Job’s confession and repentance, along with the restoring of his possessions.  Even though the protagonist forgives Job and allows him to regain his life, it is clear that he is not happy with him.  Job may not have distinctively cursed the protagonist, but he did not necessarily gain his likeness.

The question still remains: who won the bet?  After looking at the text through these three different perspectives, it is clear that Job did not act as the protagonist initially thought.  It may not be fair to say that Satan got Job to denounce the protagonist, but he definitely did not lose.  By examining the text of Job, it does seem that Satan did win this so-called “bet” with the protagonist.  

In the beginning of 1 Kings, it is evident that Solomon’s purpose is going to be different than his father’s.  King David was a man that had great success, but was involved in much war.  The protagonist has a specific plan for Solomon early on.  This plan, at first, is for Solomon to build a “House of the Lord,” or a “Temple.”  As the text proceeds to tell how this wise king builds the temple, it is amazing to see the amount of detail the writer of 1 Kings puts into describing it.  The question that came to mind is, why did the writer of 1 Kings include such a detailed explanation of the temple as it was being built?  This passage can be viewed from a historical, symbolical, and practical viewpoint.

Primarily, it is important to realize who wrote the book in order to understand why this detailed description was included.  In ancient Christian and Jewish tradition, it is said that the prophet Jeremiah wrote the book of 1 Kings.  However, many modern day biblical scholars reject this idea.  They believe that it was written by different people and passed down orally.  If this is the case, wouldn’t it be difficult to recount these extremely specific details?  I believe this alludes to express how important the construction of the temple was.  From this point of view, one could say the people passed these details down to show further generations the importance of the first temple.  Providing details that take up two lengthy chapters in the book sounds a little over-the-top, but I believe that is part of the point.

Furthermore, we must look at the actual details to try to understand the reasoning and importance of this depiction of the temple.  The narrator begins by explaining the measurements of the temple to show how it was laid out.  After the measurements and the explanation of the different rooms, the engravings on the walls and doors are explained.  Chapter 6 verse 29 says, “Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms.”  Symbolism can be seen here dating back to the Garden of Eden.  The Garden was a place where the protagonist dwelt.  The temple was now a place where believers could come to be closer with the protagonist.  These engravings of trees and flowers, similar to what was seen in the Garden, are used as symbols to link the two places.  The protagonist meant to be with his people in the temple just as he was with Adam and Eve at the beginning of time. 

From a practical standpoint, these details about the temple could have been included to help later generations rebuild it, or build more.  These details include cubit measurements and the internal layout of the temple to make sure any future buildings followed these same guidelines.  It was the protagonist’s plan to have an established building for his people to meet with him and offer sacrifice.  As his people would not necessarily stay in one place forever, it was important to include these details so that they could build other temples in the future.

Through King Solomon, the protagonist was able to build a temple for his people and for their descendants.  Initially, it seemed kind of pointless for the narrator to include all of the details about the layout and construction of the temple.  After looking at these three perspectives, it is clear why these details are in 1 Kings and why it is important for the Kingdom of Israel.

In the book of Judges, there are many different “judges” or leaders that the protagonist places amongst the people of Israel.  There are accounts of these judges and the things they did to carry out the protagonist’s plan throughout the book, but one stands out from the others.  The story of Samson and how the protagonist planned to use him for the betterment of his kingdom is a very interesting account.  An intriguing question came to the surface as I studied the book.  Why would the protagonist allow Samson to be so strong, but so easily seduced?  I will also discuss the literary elements of the story and how it pertains to the nation of Israel as a whole.  

Samson, unlike any other judge, was chosen by the protagonist from birth.  The angel appeared to his mother and made her known of the fact that she would have a son and that “no razor shall come upon his head” (Judges 13:5).  The importance of him being chosen by the protagonist before birth lets the reader know that he is destined to do very big things for the nation of Israel, but in a different way than before.  Just like any other judge, he is chosen by the protagonist to enable his people to prevail over their enemies.  The difference is that the protagonist allowed him to use his own power for his own desires.  In an article by W.G. Blaikie, he expresses how Samson completely put his life on the line unlike the other judges: “Many risked their lives, but he actually, and on purpose, gave his, that his country might reap the benefit.”  Even though the strength ultimately came from the protagonist, he had the power to use it in whatever way he desired.  This is further explained in an article by Yair Zakovitch: “Samson’s battles are not those of his people or his tribe who are, in fact, in a state of peace with the enemy. Instead, Samson’s battles are his own and revolve around romantic entanglements.”

Some of desires of Samson were clearly not in line with the desires of the protagonist.  Early in his life it is evident that what he desires most is the love and affection of a woman.  The protagonist intervenes and puts a daughter of the Philistines in his path, and he immediately wants to marry her.  That doesn’t work out as planned, so he proceeds by killing many of the Philistines, as was the plan of the protagonist.  In the beginning of chapter sixteen, it is clear that Samson is searching for another woman, “Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her” (Judges 16:1).  He later finds a woman by the name of Delilah, whose main intention was to deceive him and find the core of his strength.  Of course, eventually he concedes to her since he cares about her love and affection over all things.  Samson could have been the sole deliverer of the nation of Israel if his infatuation of women did not take him over.  Mary Fairchild explains that “Samson abandoned his God-assigned mission to please the woman who had stolen his affections,” and furthermore, that “[t]his indiscretion led to blindness, imprisonment, and powerlessness.” He was more interested in gaining the likeness of his lover rather than that of the protagonist.  

The most intriguing element of this story is how it possibly mirrors the story of the people of Israel during this period of time.  The nation of Israel, like Samson, were chosen directly by the protagonist to fulfill his plan.  When they had the protagonist’s blessing and he was in their corner, no one could stand up against them.  However, when they were worshipping other gods and living by only their own will, they always found themselves in bondage.  The same can be seen with Samson.  When he had his hair and wasn’t preoccupied with a woman, he accomplished the will of the protagonist.  On the other hand, when his hair was shaved and he was not in the likeness of the protagonist, his strength was gone and he could not see.  It could be said that this story was given to the people to make them realize what they can accomplish when they solely worship the protagonist and live in the likeness of his eyes. 

The story of Samson stands out amongst the other judges’ stories.  This is purposefully done so that the people of Israel would have their eyes open to the power of the protagonist.  Samson’s life was one of strength, lust, triumph, and ultimately despair.  Although the protagonist finally accomplished his goal for Samson by driving out the Philistines, the nation of Israel was not left with prosperity.  If Samson could have controlled the desires of his heart and aligned them more with the protagonist, he could have done much more for his people.  

The majority of the second half of Genesis tells the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob.  The story is one of a son, that is the most favored by his father, and the different things he encounters throughout his life.  It is a story of trials and triumphs, as any good story is.  After reading and understanding Joseph’s life, there is just one question that is still at the forefront of my mind: out of all his brothers, why was Joseph the most favored by his father Jacob?  It may be a simple answer for some, however it poses much discussion about the second half of Genesis and the book as a whole.

Primarily, it is important to know the origin of Joseph and who his mother was.  In Genesis Chapter 28, Jacob is sent to Paddan-aram by Issac in an attempt to fulfill the blessing the protagonist promised to Abraham.  He was sent to find a wife and continue a bloodline to become “fruitful and multiply,” taking the land that the protagonist gave to Abraham.  He met Rachel, who he believed to be sent from the protagonist.  He planned to marry her and begin to multiply just as he was blessed.   Things didn’t go completely as planned when he arrived and met Rachel’s father, Laban.  According to Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Laban wanted a “steep price” for his daughter Rachel. Her father had planned for him to marry his older daughter, Leah. However, if he wanted to be with Rachel, he had to work for Laban for many years.  Rachel was unable to have children, so the protagonist blessed Jacob with Leah and the ability to fruitfully reproduce.  Many children later, the protagonist blessed Rachel with the ability to conceive a true child from Jacob.  This child was Joseph.  From the beginning Joseph was favored by his father because he came from the woman Jacob was first in love with.  The protagonist blessed Jacob with a son from the woman he had loved all along.

Joseph was also favored because he was his last born son.  In most cases in these times, the firstborn son was the most favored.  According to an article in the Jewish Virtual Library, “Biblical legislation gave the firstborn male a special status with respect to inheritance rights and certain cultic regulations.”  He was usually the heir to everything, and in some cases had the valuable birthright that was most desired.  In the case of Jacob, however, he viewed Joseph as more of a blessing from the protagonist in his old age.  This reason is actually very evident in the text, as we are told why Joseph is favored so much.  In Chapter 37 verse 3 of Genesis it is quoted, “Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any other of his sons because he was the son of his old age.”  Jacob saw Joseph as a blessing since he was conceived in Rachel’s womb.  This is an interesting concept that has not been introduced yet in the Old Testament.  Though Joseph was born last, he was still first in the eyes of his father.

Jacob saw great potential in Joseph at an early age.  He knew his son had great gifts from the protagonist through dreams.  However, those same dreams are what caused Joseph a great deal of pain.  The dreams that he had and told to his brothers are what lead their jealousy to take over completely and overthrow him.  They were already upset about his coat, but when he began to explain his dream and insinuating that he would rule over them one day, they had enough.  While he gained dislike among his brothers, his father knew he was blessed and gave him more favor.

In addition, Joseph was favored the most because he had the best qualities of a son.  This can be inferred from what we know about Joseph’s character and how he reacts to the non-ideal situations he is put in.  He is always slow to anger and patient with all the trials he is put in throughout the book.  Joseph always had a great connection with the protagonist, which explains how mild mannered and good he was.  Joseph was the offspring Jacob was waiting for to begin to fulfill the promises made to his ancestors. 

Though Joseph was disrespected and turned on by his own brothers, he still managed to do great things for his family.  This story of a boy rejected by his own brothers is one of the greatest in the Bible.  He was favored the most by his father, even though he was his youngest son.  Because of things that happened before Joseph’s life, he was his father’s favorite and went on to do great things.  This story that takes up the majority of Genesis is one that has implications for the entire book.  According to Samuel Emadi, “Joseph’s story is the story of the whole Bible. It’s the story of glory through suffering, exaltation through humiliation.”