Q. One subject that did not really come up in your first major chapter was the effect of the Fall both on nature and human nature. Yet I would suggest that Ecclesiastes and Job at least do come to grips with the fact that bad things do happen to God’s people or good people in general. If a good handling of life means being wise enough to be in tune with the nature of reality, I presume that would include realizing when nature and human nature are out of tune with reality. Would you agree?
A. Yes. In this book I don’t do more than note that Proverbs does not address where folly comes from in a world made in wisdom, any more than the Prologue of John’s Gospel addresses whence comes the darkness in a world made through the Word who shines in the darkness. The biblical writers are more concerned to address sin and evil as living challenges than to theorize about them. But “sin” is one way of depicting human nature as out of tune with reality.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In