Answer

Living Wisely: The Wisdom in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job

Part 1: Summary of the Videos

In The Book of Proverbs, the video explores the smartness of the writing and the wisdom that is in it. This wisdom is a force that is equated with the term “chokma” (BibleProject, 2016, May 4a). The main idea in this video is that life within the universe is organized into a systematic pattern, and only those who seek wisdom end up living it successfully. This force leads people to make wise choices, the lady wisdom which can be accessed by anyone willing to. Living wisely, according to this video, goes beyond intellectual knowledge, but extends to all creative aspects of living that help people get through life successfully. The journey to this wisdom begins by the fear of God, the starting point of having this wisdom. The book collectively is a collection of wise sayings and declarations that if one chooses to live by, then they would indeed find what is referred to in the video as “the good life” (BibleProject, 2016, May 4a, 4.31).

In The Book of Ecclesiastes, the book is compared to a middle-aged critic, and two voices come out, the critic and the author (BibleProject, 2016, Aug 17b). It is the author who exposes the ideas of the critic. The universe, the people and existence are a blink. To live wisely, the critic admits, is to accept a number of inevitable facts.  The critic observes that we are all going to die regardless of our actions. The critic also observes the random nature of life—there is chance in life that defies the organization and predictability observed in Proverbs. He observes that life is like vapour. The main idea in this video is that it is not that life has no meaning; but that its meaning is never clear (BibleProject, 2016, Aug 17b, 4.18). The final admission—that people ought to enjoy all the sides of life, both the good and the bad—is a really troubling assertion.

In The Book of Job, the video begins by examining the suffering Job goes through in the initial stages. It is something God is against, but an experiment that has to be done (BibleProject, 2016, Oct 22c). Job remains steadfast to God. The main idea in the video is a reinforcement of the random nature of things, and an admission that the wisdom is so strange we often can fail to recognize it. Job is mostly on God’s side, saying He is just and wise, but often, Job questions God’s doing, and God in return, shows Himself to Job. Job could not comprehend the complexity of God, but it makes him humble. According to the video, living wisely includes recognising that the loss of everything is not a punishment, neither is the great ending for Job a reward; it is rather a reaffirmation that in whatever circumstance, it would profit Job to trust in God’s wisdom.

Part 2: Application

The perspective that most resonates with me is the one offered in The Book of Ecclesiastes—the one that the video identifies as that of a middle-aged critic. This perspective opens by exposing the vanity of things, especially wisdom, seeming to contradict the very essence upon which Proverbs is written. In other words, it reiterates that even while wisdom may be vital and the foundation upon which a successful life is built, a ceaseless pursuit of wisdom is all in vain (BibleProject, 2016, Aug 17b). The author allows us to hear through the voice of the critic that there is always need to find balance in life.

One of the reasons this perspective actually resonates with me is the sheer number of people I have lost through death either by accidents or varied natural causes. Some of these people were great at what they did, they had all the wisdom they could and were by all accounts leading a successful life. On the other hand, some of these people I knew were rather going through life with no clear purpose nor vision. They had no seen thirst for knowledge and no desire to pursue that which is considered wise. Yet for all these two groups, it was as the critic rightly points out in the Book and in the video—smoke. They all ultimately died. This then calls for the need for one to strike a balance while they live. In The Book of Ecclesiastes, the march of time makes great sense because sooner or later, we are all gone. The right thing is then to stick to the conclusion that the author draws from the critic—there is chance in life, and to really be happy, one has to strike a balance between all things, both the good and the bad. I feel that letting myself be guided by my attitude towards the present moment far surpasses the sages I could learn from all wise words. In common parlance, it is like taking one day at a time.

The perspective that I find so hard to accept is the one offered from The Book of Job. It is a perspective that I believe, calls into question the very nature of God as being just, kind and rewarding the good and those who incessantly seek wisdom. The reality of the wisdom offered in this Book strikes at the heart of justice and fairness of God, questioning the organization of things that Proverbs is most in agreement with. According to the perspective offered here, being good and having all the wisdom that God can give is no guarantee that one will have a good life. While this is somehow supported by the reality of the world as it is, it is a perspective that is difficult to understand when the perpetrator is God Himself.

In the video The Book of Job, God allows the Satan to make Job suffer. The reality of this suffering, at least according to Satan, is to show God that Job is not who he says he is (BibleProject, 2016, Oct 22c). God has to know better, but still He lets Job undergo such. In many ways then, I understand when Job accuses God of being reckless, unfair and corrupt. Even if his loyalty had ended as a result of this experience, I do not believe that this ought to have counted as a sign of defiance. In the end, God restores all that Job had. It is the complexity of this that the video sees as an essence of God’s wisdom. Job lost everything, not because it was a punishment, so him gaining them back is no reward. This indeed leaves me with questions regarding the main point really for Job’s great suffering.

One of the areas I need to work on in my life is my estimation of the role of knowledge and wisdom in my life and in the world in general. Wisdom is great, and seeking it is grand. But I have to learn to live with the inconsistencies that life brings. I have often sought wisdom, but it is not true that this has always translated into something positive for me. There is chance and there are inconsistencies that define life in all its strangeness. I have often found this fact difficult to accept, but reviewing these videos has made it clearer that even while wisdom is vital, it is not everything. This is one perception I have to work on. I also need to work on what I teach people about the scheme of God and what He says about wisdom. Often, the full extent of God’s wisdom is infinite. The experience of God teaches that to an extent, this wisdom can take on the bizarre ugly side, and seeing good people suffer must not necessarily make me question the wisdom of God and the beauty of his plan.

REFERENCES

• Bichler, G., Malm, A., & Cooper, T. (2017). Drug supply networks: a systematic review of the organizational structure of illicit drug trade. Crime Science, 6(1), 1–23.
  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-017-0063-3

  Buxton, J., Margo, G., & Burger, L. (2020). The impact of global drug policy on women: Shifting the needle. Emerald Group Publishing. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-83982-882-920200037/full/pdf?title=prelims

  Collins, J. (2021). Evaluating trends and stakeholders in the international drug control regime complex. International Journal of Drug Policy, 90, 103060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103060

  Giommoni, L., Berlusconi, G., & Aziani, A. (2021). Interdicting international drug trafficking: A network approach for coordinated and targeted interventions. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, (2021), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-020-09473-0

  Keck, M., & Correa-Cabrera, G. (2015). U.S. Drug Policy and Supply-Side Strategies: Assessing Effectiveness and Results. Norteamérica, 10(2), 47–67. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.20999/nam.2015.b002

  Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2021). High-intensity drug trafficking areas (HIDTA) program. The White House. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/high-intensity-drug-trafficking-areas-program

  Tursunmuratov, M. (2020). Practices to fight against drugs in international experience and its features. The American Journal of Applied Sciences, 02(09), 81-89. https://doi.org/10.37547/tajas/volume02issue09-14

  U.S. Mission OSCE. (2018, July 18). Reducing the supply of and demand for illicit drugs: Strategic approaches. U.S. Mission to the OSCE. https://osce.usmission.gov/reducing-the-supply-of-and-demand-for-illicit-drugs-strategic-approaches/

  Villareal, C., Rojas, J., & Ochoa, M. (2018). Operational impact of canine teams in the fight against drug trafficking in Colombia: review of their contribution, strategies, and recent trends. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l’OIE, 37(1), 201-211. https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.37.1.2751