Day 50 ~ Is there a promise of Heaven in the Old Testament?

Are all the proverbs written by Solomon? Or only the ones that say they are written by Solomon (1, 10, 25). I get that question answered in Proverbs 30 & 31, when the author of those chapters are listed as Agur, and King Lemuel. But Agur and King Lemuel is only listed in Proverbs 31, and no where else, so we don't know who they are. According to I Kings 4:32, Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs and 1000 songs.

• 25:16 - gluttony - "Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit."
• 25:17 - "Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you"
• 25:24 - repeated nearly verbatim from 21:9. Why?
• What is the deal with lions? Are their lots of lions around the promised land? Psalms and Proverbs uses the lion many times.
• 25:18 -19 - hey, I was only kidding!
• 27:1 - don't boast about tomorrow
• recurring theme - self praise - as in don't do it - 27:2
• 27:13 - repeated again from 20:16 - garment as surety (guarantee)
• 28:20 - get rich quick schemes will not go unpunished
• 29:18 - no vision = no restraint
• 30:4 - "Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?" - I'm assuming this is about Jesus.
• 30:6 - why some people don't write in their Bibles.
• 30:26 - rock badger - don't eat it!
• The whole chapter 30 of Proverbs was odd. I'm glad Agur only wrote one chapter.
• 31:10-31 - a virtuous woman described. Depressing for us working moms - I can't even keep my own house clean! Fortunately, my husband got me housecleaning as a christmas present (hint, hint, excellent gift!). Now I have the time to make the fine linen garments for him.
• 31:23, 31 - the gates of the city - it must have been like the business district - it would be interesting to see the activity around the gates of a city like Jerusalem.

Twenty books are completed, 46 remain. It doesn't seem like we've covered much territory when you look at it this way, but we're more than 1/2 the way through the entire content. Only forty days remaining in the challenge. Wow.

Ecclesiastes - it's all about the context of the writer in my mind. If this was written by Solomon, which it appears it likely was, then this fellow was unhappy. Remember that Solomon ended his rule in a terrible manner, led astray to worship many idols by his 700 wives and 300 concubines. (See 1 Kings 11:1-13). (You won't read about this in the Chronicles, written with "rose colored glasses" highlighting more of the good than the bad). He also wrote some of the Proverbs and Psalms, and the Song of Solomon which we'll read tomorrow. If I had to guess, I'd say he wrote Ecclesiastes near the end of his life when it was all going downhill. Of course, I haven't read the whole book, maybe the end provides something more than "vanity, vanity, all is vanity."

Now, after starting the depressing book of Ecclesiastes, I wonder why the author (king Solomon, most likely) is so short-sighted. Why does he consider that when he is dead and everything is lost or passed on, that he has wasted his life, that is is a waste. Has he no promise of something after he's dead? No eternal rewards? And this brought to mind heaven. Or the lack of reading about heaven.

Did the people of the old testament have a promise of life after death before the new covenant? Was there a promise of Heaven?

King David seemed to have some kind of understanding that he would have an opportunity to dwell with God:

• Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
  Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

In Matthew and Luke, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are described as being in heaven, or the kingdom of God, or Paradise. But the phrase "Kingdom of God" is only found in the New Testament in the New King James Version, same thing with "Paradise."

So what permanent, everlasting promise is there to the people of the Old Testament that would be enticing enough to follow all these commandments? Is it to avoid eternity in hell? Proverbs has many instances where as soul can be delivered from hell, or behavior that will lead to hell. To me it would have all seemed futile? Am I right to think that if you're an OT Hebrew, you're trying to follow the rules just to keep from being punished, not because you will get an eternal reward. Doesn't seem too enticing to me. But every once in awhile we get a glimpse of the savior to come in some prophetic passages.

What was "heaven" to the people of the Old Testament? Did they have an understanding of the promise of eternal life in a perfect creation with God? A future dwelling place, as promised to the righteous in the New Testament? Did they understand that they were striving to please God so that they could be with Him? The word "heaven" is almost always used to refer to the physical sky/planets/atmosphere.

This makes the New Covenant even more important. If I were a Hebrew, or a modern-day Jew, what do I have to look forward to? Sacrifices that don't fully or permanently atone for my sin in a new temple? As a Christian, I have a promise of something more than my dreams can imagine, rewards for my faithfulness and devotion, and eternity with my Savior and Lord in heaven, an opportunity to be in the His glorious perfection. No wonder Solomon found it all futile...it was! He seems to have no promise, so it didn't matter. The Law is not enough. But even if the Law was followed perfectly, there would be no promise without Christ's sacrifice. As soon as you enter into the New Testament, it is full of "Kingdom of God," eternal life, and visions of heaven. It's all about the covenant...it's all about Jesus.

I think Hebrews will unlock some of this for us. In 37 days.

I had a song in my head, and coming out of my mouth (just ask my co-workers) all day today - I could not get it out of my head until now when I can't remember a lick of it except the really high squealign part (some 70s pop one-hit wonder with the really high "aaah ahh ahhh ah ah ah" sung with a black woman with an afro full of babies breath per the youtube video). It has been replaced with the Byrds 1965 hit "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everthing There is a Season). Hum it in your head. Now read Ecclesiastes chapter 3.

Okay, more about heaven. Will there be pets in heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:21 makes me think about it: "Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?" Don't worry little Timmy, you'll see Lassie in heaven." Is that true? Do animals have souls? Why would Jesus die to redeem Lassie? No. Here is how Billy Graham answers the question on his website.

Q: Will there be animals in heaven?
A: God has a special reason and place for each of His created beings. Animals, too, are a part of an orderly creation by God. Man, as the highest order of creation, has been given dominion over the animal kingdom (Genesis 1:26-28). We believe that animals were intended for man's enjoyment and use. The Bible itself does not indicate that there is life after death for animals. It may be that God's purpose for animals is fulfilled on this earth. However, if animals would make us happier in heaven, surely there will be a place for them there. Some Bible interpreters have called attention to Isaiah's description of the peace of God's future kingdom where he says that "the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 65:25). Heaven will lack nothing that is good and that will bring glory to God.

7:26 - perhaps this is the root of Solomon's problem - we know it is what led him astray. - "And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her."

After a week or so of some "light reading," there was much to chew on in today's passage. But, I've got to move on!