Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 Stay in Touch with Both Sides
15-17 “I’ve seen it all in my brief and pointless life—here a good person cut down in the middle of doing good, there a bad person living a long life of sheer evil.”
“Why do many good people die young while many evil people live long miserable lives?” That question has existed since the human race began. The problem is that our knowledge is faulty. Obviously, we want our beloved friends and family members to stay around as long as possible. Sometimes good people live long lives so that they may continue to bless others. One philanthropist died at age 92, having given away 8 billion dollars. He left a small apartment, a modest amount of clothing, and money that didn’t even amount to $50. On the other hand, some wicked people live long lives because God is giving them every opportunity to repent.
How does God view things? Psalm 116:15 tells us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” While we view death as a disaster and irreparable loss, God welcomes dying believers into heaven. God’s ways are higher than ours. The recent death of Charlie Kirk at age 31 shocked millions of people. But God is using Charlie’s death to galvanize believers who were merely lukewarm before.
“So don’t knock yourself out being good, and don’t go overboard being wise. Believe me, you won’t get anything out of it. But don’t press your luck by being bad, either. And don’t be reckless. Why die needlessly?”
Wait, Solomon! What do you mean? All of us are sinners in need of a savior; there is no such thing as being “too good.” Sadly, these statements sound like Solomon is making excuses for himself, trying to wriggle away from truly following God. When it comes to Solomon’s advice, not all of it is valid. To quote a saying from the American South, “you have to chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” When you study Solomon’s life, you realize that the only time he humbles himself to God is at the beginning of his reign. Once the wealth and the wives start coming, Solomon loses touch with God.
“It’s best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it. Wisdom puts more strength in one wise person than ten strong men give to a city. There’s not one totally good person on earth, not one who is truly pure and sinless.” Hmm. Now Solomon is directly contradicting his earlier statement. Go figure!
21-22 “Don’t eavesdrop on the conversation of others. What if the gossip’s about you and you’d rather not hear it? You’ve done that a few times, haven’t you—said things behind someone’s back you wouldn’t say to his face?” Do these statements need comment? MYOB-Mind Your Own Business!
How to Interpret the Meaning of Life
23-25 I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.” Sounds as if Solomon has been looking for wisdom in all the wrong places. In the modern age, Solomon would be trying all kinds of drugs to expand his consciousness. All we can say is “Don’t copy Solomon!”
26-29 “One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught. At least this is my experience—what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I’ve tried to make sense of life. But the wisdom I’ve looked for I haven’t found. I didn’t find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while. Yet I did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we’re the ones who’ve made a mess of things.”
Remember that these sentiments have been written by a man with 700 wives and 300 concubines. Certainly, this guy has experience, much of it bad. But consider the politics of surviving in an enormous harem. To survive such a situation, a lady would have to be a schemer of some kind. While Solomon is certain that he is assessing his ladies, the ladies are tasking their brains to find new means of manipulating Solomon. The best summary of this situation is the last statement: “we’re the ones who’ve made a mess of things.”
This part of Ecclesiastes 7 illustrates Solomon’s shilly-shallying attitudes as he makes one statement and then contradicts himself shortly thereafter. These differences demonstrate that we must be careful which parts of Scripture we take to heart. May God help us so that we learn His lessons from His Word and remain true-hearted, not copying Solomon.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to gain the lessons from Your Word that You have for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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