WISDOM AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 / Keywords 7:29

This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.

 

7:15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,

    and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

16 Do not be overrighteous,

    neither be overwise—

    why destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overwicked,

    and do not be a fool—

    why die before your time?

18 It is good to grasp the one

    and not let go of the other.

    Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.[a]

19 Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful

    than ten rulers in a city.

20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,

    no one who does what is right and never sins.

21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,

    or you may hear your servant cursing you—

22 for you know in your heart

    that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

“I am determined to be wise”—

    but this was beyond me.

24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound—

    who can discover it?

25 So I turned my mind to understand,

    to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness

    and the madness of folly.

26 I find more bitter than death

    the woman who is a snare,

whose heart is a trap

    and whose hands are chains.

The man who pleases God will escape her,

    but the sinner she will ensnare.

27 “Look,” says the Teacher,[b] “this is what I have discovered:

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

28     while I was still searching

    but not finding—

I found one upright man among a thousand,

    but not one upright woman among them all.

29 This only have I found:

    God created mankind upright,

    but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

Footnotes

a. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Or will follow them both

b. Ecclesiastes 7:27 Or the leader of the assembly

1. The wise teacher reminds us that the righteous and the evil do not always meet their fair end in the fallen world. Trying to be righteous is not only an unachievable goal (20, Mark 10:18), but one may also burn himself out in the process (16). One who fears the Lord will understand that he always needs the grace of the Lord and to be humble instead of relying on his own strength.

 

2. Wisdom has great value. One who has wisdom is more influential than one with great political power. One who has wisdom can avoid unnecessary emotional waste. Then should we spend our lives seeking wisdom?

 

3. Well, the teacher gives his own experience as a man. His search for wisdom had been hindered by a woman who ruined his heart and left him bitter (26). Ultimately, he realizes God already created mankind upright, and a man seeking wisdom on his own in a world full of schemes may end up deviating from righteousness.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for giving us the simple truth of your love and righteousness. Thank you for the truth that gives us salvation that no wisdom can provide. Help us, Father, to come to you knowing that your wisdom is greater than our thoughts and find our peace in you.

One Word Righteousness and Wisdom in the Lord