Eccles. 7:15-18
This is a difficult one. I accept that this is Solomon's under the sun viewpoint, but it sort of make my teeth set on edge. For my little mind to manage this, I see the reprobate on one side and the stereotypical Pharisee on the other. One is too wicked, a person caught in their own desires. One is too righteous, a person caught up in their own desires. While we can be wicked on our own, we cannot be righteous on our own. We can get so caught up in being righteous that we start to believe that we are in fact righteous. Or we get caught up in our failure to be righteous that we destroy ourselves and slide into to wickedness. I think the lesson is to avoid the extremes and fear God.
15 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
- What is the context of Solomon's observation here?
- Is this an under the sun observation or a spiritual observation? - What was the relationship between length of life and righteousness in Deuteronomy?
- What was supposed to happen to a wicked person? - What was the apparent reason to be righteous?
- Why would an "early" death of a righteous person have been considered futile? - What are the risks of extreme righteousness and wisdom?
- How does ruin result from extreme righteousness?
- Is this an under the sun observation or a spiritual observation? - What are the risks of extreme wickedness and foolishness?
- How does death result from extreme wickedness?
- Is this an under the sun observation or a spiritual observation? - What are the problems of extremism?
- What are the risks of focusing on your current grace-given righteousness without remembering your wicked past?
- What are the risks of focusing on your wicked past without remembering your current grace-given righteousness?
This is a difficult one. I accept that this is Solomon's under the sun viewpoint, but it sort of make my teeth set on edge. For my little mind to manage this, I see the reprobate on one side and the stereotypical Pharisee on the other. One is too wicked, a person caught in their own desires. One is too righteous, a person caught up in their own desires. While we can be wicked on our own, we cannot be righteous on our own. We can get so caught up in being righteous that we start to believe that we are in fact righteous. Or we get caught up in our failure to be righteous that we destroy ourselves and slide into to wickedness. I think the lesson is to avoid the extremes and fear God.
2 comments:
It's statements from Solomon like, "Be not overly righteous, ... " that confuse me. I'm glad to see that you sometimes have a problem understanding his writing in Eccles. and I am not alone. I have chewed on this since yesterday morning when you first posted this. The only thing I can arrive at is maybe he is talking about being self-righteous and thereby thinking we know it all.
Later this morning, I got an after-thought about what I said above. Maybe this is similar to what Christ was saying in Matthew 6:1, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people..." I'm still thinking about this.
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