By Chuck Baker

Introduction

Would you like to know what the poetic books of the Bible are all about? Strong poetry always contains strong emotions, and the poetic books of the Bible will not disappoint in that area:

• Job: This book focuses on the suffering of a righteous man. Understanding his pain can help us all deal with our own!
• Psalms: The entire range of human emotions may be found here, from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of passion and praise!
• Proverbs: Develop your mind. Proverbs is not just a collection of facts and figures, though—it is knowledge applied to life. Following the advice found here will help you walk closely with your Maker!
• Ecclesiastes: Solomon had it all—fame, fortune, power, and wisdom. Yet everything he had was, in his own words, “meaningless”. Ecclesiastes shows how a life without God is a life of emptiness. Heeding its warnings may save us a great deal of strife in our life!
• Song of Songs (Song of Solomon): God is love—and a lot of poetry is too. Come explore this depiction of a sensual, sexual relationship between husband and wife—love and sex the way GOD sees it, the way GOD created it—NOT Hollywood! Be prepared to be swept away…

Yes, passion is power! And if you’re a writer or a poet—or you’d like to explore writing in a safe environment, this course is the place to do it!

I’m Chuck Baker—a Christian, a husband, a father, a teacher, and a writer, and I bring all of those perspectives with me as I examine the Bible. I always find a personal connection to God’s word, and it inspires the wide variety of writing that I do. To give you an idea, I write:

• Fiction and nonfiction
• Poetry and prose
• Books, novels, chapter books, children’s picture books, newspaper columns, magazine articles, online columns, serial stories, online courses, community education courses, adult education courses, and public school courses.

My poetry has been published in print publications and online, and I’ve just had my first collection of poetry accepted for publication. It’s called Cross Examinations, and it explores the tough areas of human life, while showing possible Christian responses to them. I say all this not out of excess pride, I pray, but to let you know a bit of my writing background. I see the world in pictures and stories, and Jesus—the greatest teacher ever—taught me how to do that.

I love to share thoughts and words with others and thereby increase my own understanding along the way. Our course for GET POETIC! will include the following lessons:

1. An Overview. The poetic books of the Bible—what are they? Light verse? Greeting card poetry? Or is there some substance here? Check out this section to find out what you will discover in the five poetic books of the Bible!
2. Job. Why do good people suffer? Why do evil people sometimes prosper? Can we ever truly know God’s will, God’s thinking? Job, the “Superman” Christian that he is, doesn’t have to leap tall buildings or bounce bullets off his chest; he simply holds fast to his faith during what must have seemed the worst possible day in his life.
3. Psalms—Part one: Positive Prayer and Praise! Although Job ultimately has a good ending, its tone is full of pain and depression. Let’s lift ourselves up with our first lesson on Psalms, as we look at the powerful praise and prayer that can lead us to a fulfilling life with God.
4. Psalms—Part two: The Other Emotions. Ok, I’ll admit it. Not all of Psalms is positive sayings, prayer, or praise. There are some other deep emotions contained in its pages, and we’ll look at them here.
5. Proverbs—Time for some life lessons. How hard it is to learn how to live our lives, combining the various roles we play. Christian, husband, father, son, sibling, teacher, and writer—I’m all of that, and it can get confusing. Thankfully, the wisdom of Proverbs is available to help me (and all others like me) live the life God has designed.
6. Ecclesiastes. Again, the roller coaster continues—this time, on its downward slope again. We look into a “meaningless” life, and hopefully, we’re shocked by what we discover. Fear is a strong emotion, and often, it is fear which drives us the hardest—the “stick” rather than the “carrot”. Don’t repeat Solomon’s mistakes; learn from them!
7. Song of Songs (Song of Solomon): Ok, some of the images are a little dated. For instance, I don’t know too many men who have told their wives “Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.” But one thing is clear—the deep love that the lover and his beloved have for each other. One other point becomes obvious as well—if more husbands and wives read this book of the Bible together, there would be far fewer divorces!
8. So What’s It All Mean, Then? We’ve torn this chunk of the Old Testament apart; now it’s time to build it back up. In this section, we examine relationships among the ideas found in these five books of the Bible. Reading is fine, but what can I take from these parts of the Bible to apply to my own life? You’ll find the answers to these and other questions in our eighth and final lesson.

Now that you’ve read this far, I can tell you’re a serious seeker of truths behind the word of God! Come seek with me, fellow traveler, as we explore… GET POETIC! One poet’s walk through the poetic books of the Bible…

Lessons

Click here to see course syllabus