The Beauty and Power of Old Testament Poetry

Goal

To be able to take in the Beauty and Power of Old Testament poetry so as to fill us with joy in our amazing God.

The Beauty and Power of Old Testament Poetry

1. What is poetry and where is it in the Bible?
2. The Unique Beauty of Hebrew Poetry
3. Feeling the Power in Poetry

Where do we find poetry in the Bible?

• Old Testament—almost ½ is poetry:
• Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Psalms
• Large parts of the Prophets: Hosea (entire), Micah, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Isaiah, Jeremiah
• Songs in narrative books: Genesis 49, Exodus 15:1–18, Deuteronomy 32 and 33, etc…

New Testament Poetry?

• Not as much poetry in the New Testament, but
• Many quotation from O.T. poetry
• Songs are included in several places (e.g. Col 1:15–20)

What is Poetry

• Rhymes?
• Has a rhythm?
• Pretty?

Not a “pretty rhyme” but intensified language

The Eagle by Alfred Tennyson

Not a “pretty rhyme” but intensified language

The Eagle by Alfred Tennyson

Psalm 27

4. One thing have I asked of the Lord,
         that will I seek after:
4. that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
         all the days of my life,
4. to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
         and to seek him in his temple.
5. For he will hide me in his shelter
         in the day of trouble;
5. he will conceal me under the cover of his
         tent;
         he will lift me high upon a rock.

Psalm 27 (not poetic version)

5. For he will hide me in his shelter
         in the day of trouble;
   he will conceal me under the cover of his
         tent;
         he will lift me high upon a rock.
    
5. He’ll make sure I am safe when there’s trouble
   and keep me away from danger

Poetry today in our songs

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
      that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
      was blind but now I see

Poetic Form

There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all his cash in a bucket.
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

Limerick

There is a young schoolboy named Mason,
Whose mom cuts his hair with a basin.
When he stands in one place,
With a scarf round his face,
It’s a mystery which way he’s facin’

Parallelism

• The basic feature of Hebrew poetry is pairs of lines which resonate together
  By day the LORD sends forth his love
  and at night his song is with me. (Psalm 42:9)
• This rhythm of paired lines is called “parallelism”.

Occasionally four lines
e.g. Isaiah 1:3

The ox knows his master
  the donkey his owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know
  my people do not understand

Matching Parallelism e.g. Ps 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

Opposing Parallelism
e.g. Ps 90:6:

• The grass (as a picture of how short our lives are)
  In the morning / it flourishes / and is renewed;
  in the evening / it fades / and withers.

Proverbs 14

31. Whoever oppresses the poor
          shows contempt for their Maker,
    but whoever is kind to the needy
          honors God.

Picture to reality

• one of the parallels is a metaphor, the other literal:
• Psalm 42:1

As the deer pants for the waterbrooks, ←figurative
So pants my soul for you, O God” ←literal

• Ps. 103:13
  As a father / has compassion on / his children,
  so the LORD / has compassion on / those who fear Him.

Staircase parallelism

• To create movement in the song to a climax, e.g. Ps 29:1,2a

Give unto the LORD,
    O you mighty ones,

Give unto the LORD
        Glory and strength.

Give unto the LORD
            the glory due to his name;

Worship the LORD
                in the beauty of holiness.

An Example: Psalm 40

1. I waited patiently for the Lord;
         he inclined and heard my cry.
2. He drew me up from the pit
         out of the miry clay,
2. He set my feet upon a rock,
         and made my steps secure.
3. He put a new song in my mouth,
         a song of praise to our God.
3. Many will see and fear,
         and put their trust in the Lord.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
  “Come unto me and rest;

Lay down, you weary one,
      lay down your head upon my breast.”

I came to Jesus as I was,
      weary and worn and sad;

I found in him a resting place,
      and he has made me glad.

Beneath the cross of Jesus
      I choose to take my stand,

The shadow of a mighty rock
      within a weary land;

A home within the wilderness,
      a rest upon the way,

From the burning of the noontide heat,
      and the burden of the day.

The Lord Is My Shepherd
Ps 23—A Psalm of David.

1. The Lord is my shepherd;
         I shall not lack.
2. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
         He leads me beside still waters
3. He restores my soul.
         He leads me in paths of righteousness
               for his name’s sake.
4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
         I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
         your rod and your staff, they comfort
         me.

Psalm 23

5. You prepare a table before me
         in the presence of my enemies;
   You anoint my head with oil;
         my cup overflows.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
         all the days of my life,
   and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
         forever.