The next book in the Ancient Truth series is about ready. It covers Job, Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes. I took a look at Proverbs again to see if it would fit, but I’ve decided Proverbs will require a departure from the standard format. Rather than a survey and summary type of review of the Scripture, Proverbs requires a great deal more explanation. The middle section of the book is a collection of individual proverbs and each one seems to warrant a separate discussion of its own.
So I confirm that Proverbs will get its own volume, as will Psalms. The latter is a long way from publication, as you might note if you have been following the weekly studies. Once I get the shorter Wisdom Literature out of the way, I’ll probably start serializing the Proverbs here until we cover the whole book. I won’t make promises I can’t keep, but our study in Proverbs should see a post or two each week.
Scholarly note: Solomon well understood the mystical and otherworldly viewpoint inherent in his culture and religion. That he fell so far away from the matching conduct is mostly the result of our basic human moral weakness. For all his unmatched intellect and moral understanding, he was still just a man. So in a position of power at the pinnacle of Israel’s history, he was tempted by things we cannot imagine. A shepherd he was, but also a true Son of Adam with a lazy streak. The truly best men of God tend to dread the task of correcting someone else’s sin, but in his case, it meant way too much exposure to that sin for himself.
There are no unbroken vessels, so God keeps using whomever will make themselves available.
