Friday 27 October 2017

Thoughts About the Psalms of Solomon

1. The Psalms of Solomon show an expectation both that Messiah would shatter Israel's enemies (that's similar imagery to what's found in the canonical Old Testament Scriptures) - and also show that Messiah would achieve that without rallying an army.

That shows that Jewish thinkers could think of imagery similar to the Bible's in not-so-literal terms.

And that means that the way Jesus fulfilled prophecy was not, in all Jewish minds, an impossible way for Bible-prophecy to have been fulfilled.

2. A recurrent theme is a pious man's inner struggle with the law of sin.

This is reflected by Paul, whether knowingly or not, in Romans 7.

Truly by the works of the law shall no man be justified, but the Law was intended as a school master to bring Israel to Christ.

3. Inclusion in God's Messianic salvation was in no way considered automatic upon Jewish ethnicity. Only the righteous could participate. This is reflected by the "they are not all Israel which are of Israel" statement of Paul's in Romans 9.

4. It mentions that a man can take nothing except what God gives him. But it doesn't mean it in the sense that God's sovereignty precludes freewill - rather it means that man cannot by his own will coax God into making concessions regarding his sin.

It talks about God choosing blessings for the righteous - but not in a determinist way, but because man has complied with God.

That is reflected by Paul in Romans 9-11, which talks about God's election, and "who are you to reply against God" not in the sense that denies freewill but in the sense that freewill can't dictate over God and His election and standards.

5. It mentions a man under the law being pricked by God in order to goad his heart into true service.

This is reflected in Acts by the way the Lord spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus.

Conclusions:

There were Jewish ways of thinking, in the backdrop to the first century AD, ways which Paul may have been familiar with, into which the Gospel fits not unnaturally. And it might help shed light on how certain passaged in the New Testament should be understood, particularly Romans, and particularly chapters 9-11.

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