Eccles. 8:10-13
Every so often I look around and marvel at how low our morality has sunk. A part of me says that this is as low as it has ever been. Then I bump into some historical reference and realize we have a ways to go to get to the bottom. The one thing we have today that past generations did not is an incredibly high level of communications. When a famous actress or singer gets out of her car and someone sees up her skirt, it is known to anyone who was interested in minutes to hours. Not so in the past. The evil that once was considered evil is now grain for the media mill. Things that were once covered up in shame are broadcast to the widest audience. The influence of yesterday's evil will be felt in tomorrow's lifestyle. Things that are worthy of praise are considered useless. Things that are worthy of condemnation are made public. Even horrible events are broadcast, streamed, and published. It is just empty.
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised [1] in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Footnotes
[1] 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
Footnotes
[1] 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
- Why would it be futile to forget those who were wicked and died?
- What impact does remembering past evil as evil have on today's choices?
- Why are some wicked persons remembered as wicked and others become "myths"? - How should wickedness be dealt with?
- What are the consequences of allowing evil or wickedness to continue?
- What is the ultimate deterrent for most wicked people?
- Why is "going to hell" of little concern to a wicked person? - Why is it well for a person to fear God openly?
- In what ways do you fear God?
- Why is it spiritually healthy to sometimes be afraid of God?
- Why is more spiritually healthy to not have to be afraid of God?
- Which would you rather have: a long life under the sun or an eternity in heaven?
Every so often I look around and marvel at how low our morality has sunk. A part of me says that this is as low as it has ever been. Then I bump into some historical reference and realize we have a ways to go to get to the bottom. The one thing we have today that past generations did not is an incredibly high level of communications. When a famous actress or singer gets out of her car and someone sees up her skirt, it is known to anyone who was interested in minutes to hours. Not so in the past. The evil that once was considered evil is now grain for the media mill. Things that were once covered up in shame are broadcast to the widest audience. The influence of yesterday's evil will be felt in tomorrow's lifestyle. Things that are worthy of praise are considered useless. Things that are worthy of condemnation are made public. Even horrible events are broadcast, streamed, and published. It is just empty.
1 comment:
I think our low morality is a problem in this country. I ask myself if we have sunk to the all time low experienced by Elijah in the book of 1 Kings. Elijah had performed some great works through the power of God. One day he received a threating message from Queen Jezebel. Elijah fell from his spiritual high and was terrified and ran. He had lost his confidence and was withdrawinhg from the battle against evil. He thought there was no hope for the next generation of God's people. It took God's intervention to refresh Elijah while God sustanined him for some forty days. During times of evil, it takes God to refresh us and remind us that he has not deserted us.
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