As early as the fourth century AD Christian writers referred to the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon as the "poetic books." Perhaps more controversy swirls about these five books than any other division of the Old Testament. The canonicity of three of these books was questioned in ancient times. The interpretation of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon are notoriously difficult. Even among conservative scholars there is no unanimity regarding the date of Ecclesiastes and Job. The archaic poetry of some passages in these books make them virtually impossible to decipher at points. In spite of these difficulties, the careful study of the poetic books is most rewarding. Job depicts faith under trial. Here the believer is assured that his suffering is not necessarily the result of grievous sin on his part, and that an all-wise and all-powerful God ultimately is in charge of the universe. In Psalms the believer can learn to express his faith in the various circumstances of life. This book is also full of direct messianic prophecies from the pen of the prophet David. Proverbs provides a collection of wise observations to guide the believer in his daily walk. Ecclesiastes stresses that faith is the key to meaning in this life, and that the enjoyment of life is a duty. The Song of Solomon places the divine seal of approval upon the human emotion of love and physical attraction. Lessons are taught in these books which help to place in proper perspective the message of the rest of the sacred word. This present volume completes the Old Testament Survey Series.