Wisdom of Sirach
Objective:
-
Faith in God
- Honoring your father and mother
Resources:
Reading:
- Sirach 2: 1-11
- Sirach 3: 1-34
- Sirach 4: 1-11
- Sirach 6: 1-17
- Sirach 24: 1-17
- Sirach 38: 1-15
- Sirach 51: To be prayed at the end as a group prayer
Key verse(s):
“You that fear the Lord, believe him; and your reward shall not fail” Sirach 1:8
Comments:
- Also known as Joshua the Son of Sirach
- The last of the Wisdom Books
- It is the longest of the Wisdom Books
- We read multiple chapters/paragraphs during the Great Lent in our Coptic Lectionary
- Sirach was written close to the Nativity of our Lord
- It was originally written in Hebrew and then translated into Greek
- The Book contains plenty of virtues and practical and reflective wisdom
- Sirach 51 is a thanksgiving prayer by Joshua
- Ch.2
- V.1: When we grow spiritually, the devil will increase the wars as long as we are getting closer to Christ as he wants us to fail
- This is opposite to the people who think that being close to God will prevent temptations from them
- V.5: As gold gets more purified when tried in fire, the man also increases spiritually and gets purified more when he resists the devil
- V.11: God took care of the people before us and took care of us before in our lives, He will not stop!
- V.1: When we grow spiritually, the devil will increase the wars as long as we are getting closer to Christ as he wants us to fail
- Ch.3
- Ch. 2 talks about how to honor your father and mother
- This chapter expands on the commandment that God gave Moses
- V.1: The spiritually wise people come together to form the Church
- V.19-34: Talks about the difference between a pure heart and an unwise heart
- Ch. 4
- V.1-11: The importance of giving donations and supporting those who are in need
- This has to be done with wisdom lest we give money to people who use it in bad/wrong means
- V.11: If you support the poor, you become a child of God
- Ch.6
- The importance of a Godly friend
- V.17: Fearing god = Choosing friends who fear God too = Healthy friendships
- Ch. 24
- The Fathers understand this chapter to be a reference to Christ
- V.5: Begotten from the Father before all ages
- V.7: He is a heavenly God
- V.13: He incarnated as a seed of Jacob
- V.14: He is an Etenral God
- V.17: He was exalted on the Cross in front of multitudes
- Ch. 38
- Medicine and medications are from God
- V.2: God has blessed us with medicine and medications
- V.3: The knowledge of a doctor is a talent that God gave to use for the glory of His name
- V.4: Taking medications is not against the faith. We understand that God blessed us with these. The herbs are created by God that cause the cure
- V.9: Being sick should encourage the person to pray more, not an excuse to not pray
- V.9-12: shows the correct order. You pray and repent first, and then rely on medicine
- V.14: A message to the doctor. Don't forget God's hand and always pray for the patients
- V.15: Sometimes God uses the disease for people to pray and repent (e.g. Covid 19)
- Ch. 51: To be prayed at the end as a group prayer.
Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions
Homework:
**Servant may add more questions