The beaten trails don’t teach you nothin’. Ride open country with yore eyes propped apart. Yuh may never be no world beater, but if yuh learn to read the good Lord’s signs yuh won’t never be a fool.”
–Ernest Haycox (Chafee of Roaring Horse)
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
–1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
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Sometimes I get confused. I know that the ancient Jewish people enjoyed riddles, but that is what Ecclesiastes does to me. I read of wisdom, and wickedness, then wonder what in the world is Solomon telling me. Then I recall the words of Paul, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25, NKJV). When I am wise, I am really foolish in the ways of God, but then I ask, what does that make a foolish man? More than a fool? Try with me, to contemplate the words of Ecclesiastes 7:15-18.
15 — I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perished in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.
16 — Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
17 — Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?
18 — It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other, for he who fears God will escape them all. (NKJV)
What is Solomon saying to us? There is the truth that all men die whether they be righteous or wicked. Perhaps it is the timing of death, or the manner of death. Remember, in the time of Solomon all went to Sheol–the place of the dead. Now with the resurrection of Jesus the righteous, born in the Spirit and washed in His blood go into the presence of the Lord. Solomon didn’t have the privilege of knowing this.
Wisdom, we all wish we had it. Wisdom, to make those proper choices in life. Charles Swindoll defines wisdom this way, “Wisdom is the God-given ability to see life with rare objectivity and to handle life with rare stability.” I like that. The ability to see objectively, and then to handle the everyday woes and cares and storms of life with stability. We must also remember that there is a natural wisdom, one that comes with experience and the totality of life. There is also supernatural wisdom, one of the gifts given to the Church (1 Corinthians 12).
I have often wondered why the wicked seem to prosper and live the “abundant” life. We as Christians often do not have that “rare objectivity,” but see life as a person of the world does. Wisdom is practical. It is not some wild, far-off daydream. “Look with wonder, admire, and silently wait for the result of God’s work! The contrasts of life are deliberately allowed by God so that men should ultimately develop a simple trust and dependence on God. For prosperity and the goods from God’s hand, be thankful and rejoice. But in adversity and the crookedness of life, think. Reflect on the goodness of God and the comprehensiveness of His plans for men.” (Walter C. Kaiser) This wisdom is to help us view life with proper perspective. Look with kingdom eyes–what is God doing in the circumstances of your life?
One thing I have seen through the years of my life are the extremes. There is often and “out-of-balance” form of Christianity. Wisdom gives us balance. Some say “don’t be too holy” while others will say “don’t be too wicked.” Today, the thinking often among Christians is “sin to a moderate degree, enjoy the world.” In the verses above Solomon is saying that neither are right. He is warning about pseudo-religiosity and showy forms of worship. Walter C. Kaiser puts it this way:
“The danger is that men might delude themselves and others through a multiplicity of pseudoreligious acts of of sanctimoniousness; ostentatious showmanship in the art of worship; a spirit of hyper-criticism against minor deviations from one’s own cultural norms, which are equated with God’s righteousness; and a disgusting conceit and supercilious, holier-than-thou attitude veneered over the whole mess.”
In other words, keep proper balance–view everything through God’s Word. Don’t be the “holy-Joe” but don’t dabble in the things of the world. People have said that he is “so heavenly-minded that he’s no earthly good.” But I would reply, if a man is truly heavenly-minded, he will do earthly good. Be wise then–not in the ways of the world, but with the eyes of God. Try to see the situation with the perspective of the Lord. Perhaps reading these verses with the Amplified translation might be of help.
“Be not [morbidly exacting and eternally] righteous overmuch, neither strive to make yourself [pretentiously appear] overwise; why should you [get puffed up and] destroy yourself [with presumptuous self-sufficiency]? [Although all have sinned] be not wicked overmuch or willfully, neither be foolish; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withdraw not your hand; for he who reverently fears and worships God will come forth from them all.”
————————————-
Sometimes I get confused. I know that the ancient Jewish people enjoyed riddles, but that is what Ecclesiastes does to me. I read of wisdom, and wickedness, then wonder what in the world is Solomon telling me. Then I recall the words of Paul, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25, NKJV). When I am wise, I am really foolish in the ways of God, but then I ask, what does that make a foolish man? More than a fool? Try with me, to contemplate the words of Ecclesiastes 7:15-18.
15 — I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perished in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.
16 — Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
17 — Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?
18 — It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other, for he who fears God will escape them all. (NKJV)
What is Solomon saying to us? There is the truth that all men die whether they be righteous or wicked. Perhaps it is the timing of death, or the manner of death. Remember, in the time of Solomon all went to Sheol–the place of the dead. Now with the resurrection of Jesus the righteous, born in the Spirit and washed in His blood go into the presence of the Lord. Solomon didn’t have the privilege of knowing this.
Wisdom, we all wish we had it. Wisdom, to make those proper choices in life. Charles Swindoll defines wisdom this way, “Wisdom is the God-given ability to see life with rare objectivity and to handle life with rare stability.” I like that. The ability to see objectively, and then to handle the everyday woes and cares and storms of life with stability. We must also remember that there is a natural wisdom, one that comes with experience and the totality of life. There is also supernatural wisdom, one of the gifts given to the Church (1 Corinthians 12).
I have often wondered why the wicked seem to prosper and live the “abundant” life. We as Christians often do not have that “rare objectivity,” but see life as a person of the world does. Wisdom is practical. It is not some wild, far-off daydream. “Look with wonder, admire, and silently wait for the result of God’s work! The contrasts of life are deliberately allowed by God so that men should ultimately develop a simple trust and dependence on God. For prosperity and the goods from God’s hand, be thankful and rejoice. But in adversity and the crookedness of life, think. Reflect on the goodness of God and the comprehensiveness of His plans for men.” (Walter C. Kaiser) This wisdom is to help us view life with proper perspective. Look with kingdom eyes–what is God doing in the circumstances of your life?
One thing I have seen through the years of my life are the extremes. There is often and “out-of-balance” form of Christianity. Wisdom gives us balance. Some say “don’t be too holy” while others will say “don’t be too wicked.” Today, the thinking often among Christians is “sin to a moderate degree, enjoy the world.” In the verses above Solomon is saying that neither are right. He is warning about pseudo-religiosity and showy forms of worship. Walter C. Kaiser puts it this way:
“The danger is that men might delude themselves and others through a multiplicity of pseudoreligious acts of of sanctimoniousness; ostentatious showmanship in the art of worship; a spirit of hyper-criticism against minor deviations from one’s own cultural norms, which are equated with God’s righteousness; and a disgusting conceit and supercilious, holier-than-thou attitude veneered over the whole mess.”
In other words, keep proper balance–view everything through God’s Word. Don’t be the “holy-Joe” but don’t dabble in the things of the world. People have said that he is “so heavenly-minded that he’s no earthly good.” But I would reply, if a man is truly heavenly-minded, he will do earthly good. Be wise then–not in the ways of the world, but with the eyes of God. Try to see the situation with the perspective of the Lord. Perhaps reading these verses with the Amplified translation might be of help.
“Be not [morbidly exacting and eternally] righteous overmuch, neither strive to make yourself [pretentiously appear] overwise; why should you [get puffed up and] destroy yourself [with presumptuous self-sufficiency]? [Although all have sinned] be not wicked overmuch or willfully, neither be foolish; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withdraw not your hand; for he who reverently fears and worships God will come forth from them all.”