Ken Jr

For part 1 of my thoughts on Wisdom of Solomon, click here.

Well, reading Wisdom of Solomon has definitely been a pleasure. I can’t say that I ended up agreeing with all of the author’s thematic points (he seems to be indicting the Egyptians contemporary with him by recalling the history of the Exodus) or all of his theological inquiry (where his interest in greek philosophy may have led him astray, see especially 8:19-20 on pre-existence). I can say that the book as a whole was a very good look into inter-testamental Jewish attitudes and beliefs.

I really enjoyed reading chapter 12 of Wisdom of Solomon. The author makes a very bold defense of Israel’s conquering of the Promised Land and then (verses 12-18) launches into an amazing poetic argument for God’s complete sovereignty. I really like how here and throughout the book the author is comfortable with proclaiming God’s immense hatred of sin and his sovereignty over human affairs (often expressed as wrath) while also proclaiming God’s continuing, steadfast and totally undeserved mercy. God’s perfect justice and ability to rightly punish are held up as definite truths and at the same time God has the freedom to be merciful and compassionate towards those who have scorned him.

Idolatry and Ideas Post-Exile

A large part of Wisdom of Solomon is a polemic against idolatry. I thought that the denunciation of it given in Isaiah (44:6-21) was harsh, but this treatment is definitely harsher in almost every way (longer, more comparisons, more irony). Eventually this discussion of idolatry loops back around to the Egyptians. The author retells the story of the Exodus with many creative flourishes (poetic license, not all bad). For someone living within the midst of a conquered and displaced people group it is interesting how ready he is to use the themes of Exodus. There is definitely a sense that even though the Jews have been able to return to the Promised Land there are still promises to be completed. While I wouldn’t rule out a very political message of triumph over foreigners, Wisdom of Solomon still seems to be more aimed at convincing Jews and Gentiles of the superiority of the Jewish religion and of the inevitable justice that God will provide for those who choose to follow him. Whether such vindication occurs in the present moment or in eternity does not seem to be a concern: simply knowing that it will occur is enough.