[Linux4christians] Thursday - Ecclesiastes 7:15 - 8

Wed Jun 15 23:40:48 EDT 2011

    Thursday

      Ecclesiastes 7:15 - 8

Exceptions to the Law of Retribution

7:15 During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these 
things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his 
righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his 
evil deeds.

7:16 So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise 
you might be disappointed.

7:17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you 
might die before your time.

7:18 It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the 
other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.

Wisdom Needed Because No One is Truly Righteous

7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city.

7:20 For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who 
continually does good and never sins.

7:21 Also, do not pay attention to everything that people say; 
otherwise, you might even hear your servant cursing you.

7:22 For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others 
many times.

Human Wisdom is Limited

7:23 I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, "I am determined to 
comprehend this" -- but it was beyond my grasp.

7:24 Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far 
deeper than anyone can fathom.

True Righteousness and Wisdom are Virtually Nonexistent

7:25 I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom 
in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness 
and the insanity of folly.

7:26 I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who 
is like a hunter's snare; her heart is like a hunter's net and her hands 
are like prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the 
sinner is captured by her.

7:27 The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the 
scheme of things, item by item.

7:28 What I have continually sought, I have not found; I have found only 
one upright man among a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman 
among all of them.

7:29 This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright, but they 
have sought many evil schemes.

Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom

8:1 Who is a wise person? Who knows the solution to a problem?

A person's wisdom brightens his appearance, and softens his harsh 
countenance.

8:2 Obey the king's command, because you took an oath before God to be 
loyal to him.

8:3 Do not rush out of the king's presence in haste -- do not delay when 
the matter is unpleasant, for he can do whatever he pleases.

8:4 Surely the king's authority is absolute; no one can say to him, 
"What are you doing?"

8:5 Whoever obeys his command will not experience harm, and a wise 
person knows the proper time and procedure.

8:6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, for the 
oppression of the king is severe upon his victim.

8:7 Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person 
what will happen.

8:8 Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, so no one has 
power over the day of his death. Just as no one can be discharged during 
the battle, so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked.

8:9 While applying my mind to everything that happens in this world, I 
have seen all this: Sometimes one person dominates other people to their 
harm.

Contradictions to the Law of Retribution

8:10 Not only that, but I have seen the wicked approaching and entering 
the temple, and as they left the holy temple, they boasted in the city 
that they had done so. This also is an enigma.

8:11 When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human 
heart is encouraged to do evil.

8:12 Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a 
long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people -- 
for they stand in fear before him.

8:13 But it will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong 
their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.

8:14 Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are 
righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there 
are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said, "This also 
is an enigma."

Enjoy Life In Spite of Its Injustices

8:15 So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better 
on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy 
will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God 
gives him on earth.

Limitations of Human Wisdom

8:16 When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth -- 
even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night --

8:17 then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends 
what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one 
can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he 
would not really comprehend it.

      Prayer

Lord, You see endless details that we fail to notice, let alone 
understand. May I simply trust You and not try to understand everything 
about You with my limited human capacity.

      Commentary

Solomon warned that attempting, in the flesh, to be at an extreme of 
righteousness or unrighteousness would likely have a bad outcome; in the 
first case a lack of joy and a disappointing ending, in the second 
foolishness that could lead to an early demise after a pointless and 
destructive existence.

He observed that none go without sinning therefore wisdom is necessary 
to restore them to right-thinking and acting. He also warned that the 
compliments of other people might lead one to a distorted self-image.

Solomon confessed that he tried to understand the dilemma of 
too-righteous versus too-unrighteous, having declared "I am determined 
to comprehend this", only to discover "... it was beyond my grasp. 
Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper 
than anyone can fathom ... This alone have I discovered: God made 
humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes."

He taught that one way to discern a "wise person" who may know "the 
solution to a problem" one might observe that a "... person's wisdom 
brightens his appearance, and softens his harsh countenance."

He further instructed "Obey the king's command, because you took an oath 
before God to be loyal to him." with the qualifier that while the king 
did no know the future, he had power over your immediate future -- so 
obey and stay out of trouble with him -- disobey and risk great trouble.

In the context of kings [and others with authority] Solomon shared the 
warning "Sometimes one person dominates other people to their harm."

He struggled with what he called "the law of retribution", which he 
believed to mean that evil was always punished "... I have seen the 
wicked approaching and entering the temple, and as they left the holy 
temple, they boasted in the city that they had done so. This also is an 
enigma."

Solomon warned "When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, 
the human heart is encouraged to do evil."

He recognized the power of forgiveness as part of the Lord God's grace 
toward those who surrender to Him "Even though a sinner might commit a 
hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go 
well with God-fearing people -- for they stand in fear before him."

He also recognized that the unrepentant would face an angry God "But it 
will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like 
a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God."

Solomon was puzzled because he could not see as the Lord God sees and 
thus it appeared to him that "Sometimes there are righteous people who 
get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who 
get what the righteous deserve."

He taught "So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing 
better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. 
So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which 
God gives him on earth."

Solomon concluded that trying "... to gain wisdom and to observe the 
activity on earth ... would prevent one "... from sleeping day or 
night", because "... all that God has done" is beyond "... all human 
efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person 
claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend it."

      Interaction

Consider

One has to stuff the Lord God into a man-sized box in order to 
comprehend Him, and all that He has done -- and why -- and He simply 
does not fit.

        Discuss

Where might Solomon have come up with the notion of "the law of 
retribution"?

        Reflect

If Solomon, with the gift of extraordinary wisdom, could not comprehend 
all of the Lord God how could any other person imagine they could do so 
better?

        Share

When have you experienced or observed the forgiveness and grace of the 
Lord God that overcame a long history of sin?

      Faith in Action

Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you may not be 
enjoying the gifts of the Lord God fully because you are too troubled 
with attempting to understand all of the details.

        Action:

Today I will pause to enjoy the gifts of the Lord God and I will give 
thanks.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Friday's text will be:

      Ecclesiastes 9 - 10

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! Startpage.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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