Life presents us with many obstacles. We need wisdom to handle these problems. Books such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are part of the wisdom literature of the Bible. These books are filled with timeless wisdom that can be applied to modern life. They provide guidance and advice on how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life in a variety of situations. These books differ in their approach to the skill of living wisely.

Proverbs, for example, is filled with practical advice on how to live a life of integrity and wisdom. With short sayings and metaphorical comparisons, it encourages readers to be honest, to be humble, and to be wise in their decisions. The setting of instruction in Proverbs is often the home, with the father and mother imparting this precious wisdom to their children (Prov. 1:8; 10:1; 15:20; 20:20; 23:22, 25; 30:11, 17; 31:1).

Ecclesiastes, on the other hand, is a book containing reflections of the “Preacher” as he considered the question of the ultimate meaning of life. While the majority of the book regards the vanity of earthly life “under the sun,” it also encourages readers to find joy and contentment in life while preparing for the final judgment (Ecc. 12:14). The certainty of death ends earthly satisfaction (Ecc. 9:2-6), but one can enjoy God’s gifts and fear Him by keeping His commandments (Ecc. 9:9; 12:13). Young people should remember their Creator while they still have the majority of their lives before them (Ecc. 12:1).

Finally, Job is a book that encourages readers to remain faithful to God, even in the midst of suffering and difficulty. People often turn to the book of Job thinking that the book will explain why they or their loved ones are suffering. But Job is never told why he suffers. With these misguided expectations, it is no wonder that many find the book unsatisfying. The book of Job is more about how God alone is wise. Each person who speaks in the book tries to diagnose the cause for Job’s suffering and provide the corresponding antidote, but none of them really have the right answer. The lesson is that faithful sufferers learn to trust in God without having the answer for their suffering. This is reflected in Job’s statement, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).

These books are part of the larger book—the Bible. With all its various parts, God’s word presents us with the problem of man’s sin and the need for God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus grew in wisdom and displayed great understanding (Lk. 2:40, 47; Mk. 6:2). Jesus lived the ultimate life of integrity. Jesus had wisdom greater than that of Solomon (Lk. 11:31). In Jesus is the wisdom of God hidden from all of the sages that came before Him (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3). He is the ultimate innocent sufferer who trusted in God even as He was slain for our sins (Lk. 23:46). Wisdom is fully realized in Jesus. By following Him, we can live meaningful lives here on earth and be prepared for the final judgment.

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” (Psalm 95:1-2.)

Psalm 95 begins by extending an invitation to an assembly. The words are not singular, “let me sing…” but plural “let us sing…” indicating corporate worship. The psalms are a compilation of songs (like a hymnbook) of Israel. They were used primarily in public corporate worship in Old Testament times.

Today, in the Christian era, the New Testament also calls us to sing and worship together. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). Each individual has their own relationship with the Lord involving prayer and worship; however, coming together in corporate worship is God’s command. Christians are to be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). The phrase “one another” in these two passages shows that these instructions cannot be carried out alone, in isolation.

Worshiping God and studying His word with others helps me to know Him better—in a way I could not know God alone. We all benefit when we come together to extol God’s greatness. I am often benefited by a comment made in a Bible class, an observation that is shared before we partake of the Lord’s Supper, or the way something is phrased by one leading us in prayer.

This is especially true in regard to the songs we sing. Expressing the truths of God’s word in the poetic form of a song sparks our imagination and stirs up our emotions toward greater appreciation. Notice how the heart is mentioned in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Notice also the mention of shouting joyfully in Psalm 95. God has good reasons for including the Psalms in His word. He has good reasons for commanding us to come together and sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him and one other. He intends for more to occur than merely imparting information to us in appealing to our intellect. The social and emotional aspects of our nature are involved too.

The Lord wants to appeal to our will to shape our values and desires. Colossians 3:16 mentions not only the teaching aspect, but also admonition. This involves warning and counsel about the proper course of action. Many of the contemporary worship songs are praise songs; this is great! However, good old hymns that encourage us to be workers for the Lord, warn us about the damage of letting angry words slip, and admonish us not to yield to temptation have their proper place. Corporate worship helps us encourage one another, stirring each other up to love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25). To do this we must not only be present physically in an assembly but also engaged in the worship.

Perhaps you are reading these words as you are preparing to assemble with God’s people on the first day of the week. Maybe you are already at the building. Have you come to worship? “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psa. 95:6).

God gave the commands to Israel regarding Tabernacle construction (Exodus 25-40). This was the place where the ark of the covenant was housed; above the mercy seat, between the cherubim atop the ark is where God met with His people (Ex. 25:22; 30:6). Wherever they travelled in the wilderness, the tabernacle was erected at the camp and priests would enter it to perform the religious services to God. Many years later—when Israel had long dwelt in Canaan—David bemoaned the fact that he dwelt in a fine palace of cedar, but the ark of the Lord continued to dwell in a tent (2 Sam. 7:2). The Tabernacle’s existence suggested a people still not fully settled in the promised land. Yet, God would not allow David to build the permanent structure of the Temple, but instead commissioned David’s son to do so (2 Sam. 7:3-13).

The arrangement of Tabernacle (and later the Temple) had meaning (Heb. 9:1-7). Each piece of furniture was a shadow of heavenly things (Heb. 8:5). Jesus is the substance of those shadows by functioning now as our High Priest in heaven itself (Heb. 8:1, 2; 9:24). Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses, rendering the temple in Jerusalem obsolete by the sacrifice He made with His own body (Mt. 5:17; Jn. 2:19-22; Heb. 10:8-10)

The church of Christ is God’s place of service and worship today. Yet, the church is not made of material things; instead, it is the people God has saved (Acts 2:47). God’s kingdom is in the hearts of those who follow Him (Lk. 17:20, 21). The Lord’s church must be arranged as He has directed (Col. 3:17). However, we should not confuse the church God has established with the building where His people meet. Jesus told the woman at the well that soon the geographical location of worship, which was so important under the Old Testament, would no longer be of consequence (John 4:21-24).

The New Testament does not command us to have a church building. It commands assembling (Heb. 10:24-25; cf. James 2:2; Acts 20:7); therefore, as an expedient, a building is often the best way for us to come together in one place to worship (1 Cor. 11:18, 33,34; 14:23). Some who have imbibed of the surrounding religious culture and are ignorant of the New Testament teaching on the church may regard the physical structure where Christians meet as holy. They may try to make a parallel between selling religious material on church property and the moneychangers at the temple (John 2:13-17). They may make a law forbidding eating on church property based on an erroneous application of 1 Corinthians 11:22.

Certainly, the assembly should be focused on worship and devotion to God, rather than distractions of business transactions or satisfying one’s hunger. I’m not advocating that just anything should be done in a church building or on church property; however, I am asking if the New Testament does not require (much less mention) the church having a building or owning property, then how important are rules people make regarding what activities may take place on that property? Remember, today it is God’s people, Christians, who are His holy temple, not a physical place or building (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:21).

Sheepherding was a chief industry of the Hebrew people in ancient times. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all shepherds. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, the servant mentioned the fact that the Lord had given Abraham’s family flocks and herds as evidence of his honored status (Gen. 24:35). Isaac’s possession of many flocks and herds caused the Philistines to envy him (Gen. 26:14). Later, Jacob would manage Laban’s flocks (Gen. 30).

In the Ancient Near East, kings and other leaders were styled as shepherds of their people. When God sent Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel after Saul, he went to Jesse’s house, but the youngest son was not present. David was out keeping the sheep (1 Sam. 16:11). He knew that God would be with him in a battle against Goliath for the Lord had already delivered him from bears and lions in his defense of the flock (1 Sam. 17:34-36). Later, when the tribes of Israel gathered at Hebron to make David king, they said, “Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel’ ” (2 Sam. 5:2). It is no surprise that God is often referred to as a shepherd (Psa. 28:9; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:15). David famously wrote, “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psa. 23:1).

We might not like to think of people as sheep, but the figure is fitting. God’s children cannot be appropriately represented by the metaphor of dogs, lions, or tigers. Predators, who are dangerous to all other living things, are not characteristics of God’s people. The helplessness of the sheep is the chief characteristic that causes them to represent God’s people so well.  A deer’s quickness can allow him to escape danger. An animal with fangs and powerful claws, like a lion, allow him to stand up against any beast of the jungle. However, a flock of sheep run together until they are killed.  Such a defenseless type of animal is used to describe us.  We are defenseless on our own and need the Lord to protect us. The shepherd stayed by the sheep day and night to protect them from predators or robbers. We need God to stay by our side, to guide us, protect us, and provide for us.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Jesus shepherds our souls (1 Pet. 2:25). Elders in the church watch out for our souls (1 Pet. 5:1-3). They operate under Jesus, the chief shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4). The Lord wants His flock fed and protected from spiritual harm (Jn. 21:15-17; Acts 20:28, 29). If a shepherd finds one sheep is missing, he leaves ninety-nine to go looking for the missing one (Mt. 18:12-14; Lk. 15:4-7). Stay close to the Lord our Shepherd and His flock. Spiritual dangers and death lurk if you should wander off alone.

Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians has a lot to say about unity found in Christ. God’s plan is to unite all things in heaven and on earth in Christ (Eph. 1:10). Major differences existed among people in the first-century church.  These differences presented obstacles that had to be overcome. Jews and Gentiles had no fellowship with each other; however, they became one body by the cross of Christ (Eph. 2:16).  In the church God brought oneness where there was once separation.  He broke down the middle wall of partition (Eph. 2:14). 

In today’s world, the body of Christ brings together people who are vastly different. People of different races, cultures, and backgrounds make up the church; moreover, even among individuals in the church who share similarities in these, differences still exist in personalities, likes, and dislikes. Yet in all of this, God’s plan is unity in the church.

Notice the unity described in Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” The items listed here are tremendously significant points of unity in the body of Christ.  However, the unity God desires and has given in the church is not something that comes without effort. Just prior to this, Paul urged these Christians to walk in a manner worthy of their calling, “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-3).

Lowliness is humility. Pride causes a man to exalt himself.  This will not help unity.  When people exalt men, division occurs. A prime example of this problem was the carnally-minded church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:3,4).

Next to lowliness is gentleness. Gentleness is meekness, power under control. Those who are meek are not eager to display their power to others, but rather learn to control themselves so that the greater good may be accomplished.

Longsuffering is also essential to unity. Being patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ will go a long way toward maintaining unity.  Problems among brothers may come because of misunderstanding of the Bible or of each other.  If my brother misunderstands, I should patiently help him to understand. Problems that arise from a brother who genuinely misunderstands are to be handled differently than those that arise from one who deliberately causes division.  Notice the difference between the instructions regarding a weaker brother (1 Cor. 8:11-12) and a factious man (Titus 3:10).

Finally, we must bear with each other in love.  Genuine love is the best cure for a divided body. No wonder the famous chapter on love was written to the aforementioned Corinthian church that was divided over spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 13). 

Let us make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit by having attitudes of humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love.