Beloved Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

At the beginning of this worship service we have sung with the words of Psalm 133, "Behold, how good, how pleasant is the union, when brothers live together in communion." How wonderful, indeed! Yet at the same time we also know that this union is not always there, at least it is not always there, as it ought to be. There is much imperfection, also in the church. And this is saddening.

However, this imperfection should not ruin our joy in faith, which sometimes so easily can happen. After all, in this life, even in the church, we will never reach the complete state of perfection. No, I don't say this, as if we should no longer worry about what is crooked. But I like to put things in perspective.

In the last book of the Bible we read about glory, which the believers will inherit in the New Jerusalem. About this city we read that once it will shine in all directions as a city of pearls and diamonds and with its streets of gold. Yes, the church members as living stones, united by the Holy Spirit in the unity of the true faith, shall once like jewels reflect the glory of God in a perfect way.

A wonderful promise, of which today already we may receive a foretaste when God looks at us in Jesus Christ. Today already Christ's perfect righteousness and holiness covers our guilt and pollution so completely that in God's eyes we may go through this life as if we had never had nor committed any sin, LD 23. Yes, beloved, how great it is to be Christ's, to know that we are washed in His blood and have been renewed by His Spirit. A wonderful a gospel, indeed. Yes, who doesn't stand in awe here?

At the same time, at present all this is still overshadowed by the power of sin, even in the church. To the extent that one can become disappointed by it, or worse the joy of faith is ruined by it. I think of instances when we are confronted, sometimes also within the church community, with things we can't understand, e.g. injustice or condoning what is crooked. But then the LORD says leave it to Me. Trust and obey. Trust that God in His time will make straight what appears to be crooked in this life.

The text chosen for this morning's sermon deals with this issue, teaching us scriptural wisdom, in particular where it concerns how to deal with the power of sin. I preach you the Word of God under the following heading,

He says

1. don't try to take matters into your own hand
2. at the same time don't permit yourself to do evil
3. but trust that God in His time will restore life to perfect lustre

I At first reading, the passage of Scripture we will deal with this morning, Br. & Sr., may raise some questions. For what does it mean when the Preacher warns us neither to be overly righteous nor to be overly wise? Or even stranger: not to be overly wicked, as if a little bit of wickedness does not matter. How are we to interpret these warnings?

First of all, what does the Preacher mean when he says, vs. 16, "Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise?" One may ask, is that possible to be overly righteous or to be overly wise? Does the Bible not teach us, almost on every page, to be righteous and to do our utmost to increase in wisdom? How then can a person ever be overly righteous or overly wise? Does this perhaps mean that one can also make too heavy a burden of God's commandments and that those who do not allow any deviation are still wrong? Is perhaps God Himself more merciful than those who always plead for a precise keeping of God's commandments? Are they in their zeal for the LORD perhaps overly righteous?

See there, beloved, just some of the questions which can come to our mind when reading our text. Yet for a proper understanding of these words first of all, as we always ought to do, we should read these words in their context. And then I would like to start with vs. 15, where the Preacher says, "…" The Preacher struggles here with the same problem as Asaph, the author of Psalm 73. Asaph too could not understand why so often children of the LORD, who love the LORD dearly, have to endure hardship, whilst godless people seem to receive prosperity upon prosperity: Psalm 73,5, "For they (the wicked) are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other man." Vs. 4 of this same Psalm, "…there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm." As I said, the Preacher struggles with this very same problem.

We do not know exactly during which time the Preacher lived. Even though in Ch. 1,1 he calls himself the son of David, for a number of reasons it is difficult to accept that the author of this book was King Solomon. I think, for example, of what we read in Ch. 2,9, where he says, "I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem." It is difficult to ascribe an expression like this to King Solomon, who had only one predecessor to whom he could refer. Moreover, the name of Solomon is nowhere to be found in this book. Also the situations described in this book make us think of a much later period in history, e.g. Ch. 5,8, where we read about the oppression of the poor and a violent perversion of justice and righteousness.

Summarizing, as regards the author most likely we have to think of a late student from the school of wisdom of Solomon, who himself also came from the lineage of David and who lived during the latter period of David's royal house. A time during which the oppression of foreign nations had become very common, whilst also many a king lived contrary to God's commandments. Indeed a time during which wickedness seemed to pay off, whilst the righteous ones had a hard time. Yes, again vs. 15, the righteous perishes in his righteousness, whilst the wicked prolong their life.

The Preacher, as an upright child of the LORD, has difficulty in accepting this. After all, how can this be reconciled with what God had said at the time when He established His covenant with Israel? I now think in particular of that wonderful Ch. 28 of the Book of Deuteronomy, which speaks about blessings for those who walk in the ways of the LORD, whilst disobedience would be cursed. But the Preacher in his day is confronted with the opposite: curse for the righteous and blessing for the unrighteous. And this was not just an exception, but rather a rule. Indeed, vs. 15 describes a situation, which was most common in the days of the Preacher.

Now you can well imagine, Br. & Sr. that in such a time restraint can easily be lost. In Ch. 7,9 we read about people who became angry in their spirit, and who were in danger of taking matters into their own hands to make straight what had become crooked. Well, it is against these people that the Preacher says in our text, "Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: why should you destroy yourself?"

"Do not be overly righteous." In the original Hebrew it reads more specifically, "Do not pose as overly righteous, neither as overly wise." In other words the Preacher addresses here people who are not really righteous or wise, but only show off. Of what kind of people do we have to think here? Again the context may help us.

I already pointed to vs. 9, where the Preacher speaks about people who had become angry in their spirit, people who had difficulty in accepting the crookedness they were confronted with. They could not reconcile this with the fulfilment of God's counsel. Addressing these people the Preacher says in the verses 13 & 14a, "…" In more practical terms this means: accept not only the good things from God, but also the bad things. Yes, then even bad authorities, for example, still are to be obeyed. For as the apostle Paul says in Romans 13, "there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."

It is this context that also vs. 16 receives colour. Apparently there were people who in an overly righteous way reacted to everything that was wrong. They posed as overly wise -yes even wiser than God- by saying, "This is not allowed!" Something must be done here and so they took matters in their own hands to straighten what was crooked. But then the Preacher says, "Do not be overly righteous, neither be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?" Don't try to make a heaven out of this life. You may find yourself trying to be more righteous and wiser than God who governs all things.

To put this in today's terminology, the Preacher turns here against the radicalness of the gospel, as we have seen it quite often in church history. I think of the sect of the zealots, for example, during the time that the Lord Jesus was on earth, who by taking the sword into their own hands tried to redeem themselves from the hated Roman yoke. I could also refer to the Anabaptists who during the time of the Great Reformation took the sword in their own hands to establish God's kingdom on earth. They laid down the apostolic meekness and girded themselves with the armor of David. In the eighties of this century we have seen the same radicalness with some modern theologians who tried to make the church into a power to redeem society from its established authorities. In this context I think of the theology of revolution which supported movements of liberation in Africa and Latin America. This theology made Jesus of Nazareth unto a Liberator of the poor and the oppressed who in His day did not shrink from turning against the established order. And even today there are Christians who in the same way try to make straight what is crooked. However, in all this the main question is whether these people really do justice to the gospel or only pose as overly righteous and overly wise, even wiser than God.

True, in this world daily we are confronted with hunger, oppression, and injustice. But, beloved, don't think that you can overcome all these things with your righteousness and wisdom. Don't be so consumed with righteousness and wisdom that you think that you can set everything straight in this life. Don't think that you can and must make straight what God has made crooked, vs. 13. You only destroy yourself in the process. We can't always change situations. No, this does not mean that we can't say anything when we see matters dealt with in a crooked way. But this does not give us a license to take matters into our own hands.

In this context I like to remind you of what the apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, Ch. 12, 19, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the LORD."

"Do not be overly righteous, neither be overly wise." Then at times it may indeed happen that the righteous suffers and the wicked flourishes. At times God may also let us number very hard days. But also with respect to these days applies that God has appointed them, vs. 14. Beloved, whenever you go through difficult times in your life, whenever you see things done in a crooked way and you find it hard to accept it, never think that this is not in line with God's promises. Do not become angry or bitter in your spirit, because in the process you might become so bewildered that you loose the joy of faith. You feel lost.

Instead, look on high to Him who has all things in His almighty hands and who in His time apportions to us either sadness or gladness. It all comes from God, our heavenly Father, who at times even may let us suffer injustice. The Preacher says, in times like these do not take matters into your own hands, but continue to trust in God. Live in faith and obedience convinced that God in Christ will restore life to its perfect luster.

II I now come to my second thought. For the preacher not only warns us not to be overly righteous and not to be overly wise, but in vs. 17 he also says, "Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish. Why should you die before your time?" We must read this verse against the same background as the previous verse, once again paying attention to the context in which the Preacher says this. And then I think once more of vs. 15, where the Preacher writes, "…" Well, should one not conclude from this that in the end righteousness does not profit anyway and therefore it does not make much difference whether you live a righteous or a wicked life. And if this is the case, isn't wickedness is much more pleasant for the flesh? Then one better enjoys life to the full.

Well, beloved, it is against this thought that the Preacher warns in vs. 17, saying, "Do not be overly wicked." No, this does not mean that a little bit of wickedness does not matter. The Bible clearly speaks in a different way. Never can one defend any wickedness whatsoever.

No, what's at stake here is this. At times it happens that children of God, concluding that living a righteous life doesn't help anyway, out of reaction turn their back upon God altogether, living a totally wicked life. Well, that's what is meant with that term 'overly wicked' in vs. 17. Church members who all of sudden completely identify themselves with the world. The Preacher calls this overly wicked, since for such persons it becomes very difficult to return to God. Therefore don't be foolish. Don't be foolish by saying: righteousness doesn't profit anyway, and so I just as well live a wicked life. At least then I can enjoy myself and don't run the risk of suffering injustice.

Pure foolishness this is, so the Preacher says. For why should you die before your time? Some commentaries explain these latter words in a mere spiritual way: you will be dead in your sins, before you are physically dead. Yet I wonder why this is really necessary. I think of Psalm 55,23, for example, where we read, "But Thou, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days."

In other words, so the Preacher warns here, don't be deceived by what you may see with your physical eyes > a wicked man who prolongs his life in doing evil. Don't conclude from this that God will put up with anything and everything. Don't think that in case you break God's covenant and turn you back upon the LORD, that you will escape His curse.

In the text chosen for this morning's sermon the Preacher thus warns against two dangers. First of all, in world where we daily meet with a lot of crookedness, sometimes in the church as well, don't take matters into your own hand trying to be wiser than God in straightening what He has made crooked for reasons I cannot understand. Yet, on the other hand, don't make light of sin either. But continue to call a spade a spade. In more practical terms this means, when we see things go crooked or see when injustice is done, we should not take an attitude of 'I-can't-care-less', totally indifferent. Or even worse, out of reaction to the wrongdoing sometimes going on the church as well, bitterly turn our back upon the church, and in so doing turning our back upon the Lord as well.

Beloved, never profane the blood of the covenant, by which you were sanctified, but continue to cling to the Lord. Cling to Him, when injustice is done to you, or when it seems that God has forsaken you. Don't be deceived by what you see with your eyes. Life can indeed be full of contradictions: a righteous one perishing and a wicked man who prolongs his life in doing evil. Remember: this too is from God who makes it so in order that man may live by faith and not by reason alone. Therefore trust in Him. Hold on to His promises, which remain trustworthy even though for a while it may seem to be the opposite. Live by faith, firmly convinced that God in His time will restore life in perfect lustre. This brings me to my third and last thought.

III Living in a crooked world the Preacher warns us against two extremes. We should not be overly righteous, yet we should not be overly wicked either. The conclusion could now be, the best is to stand somewhere in between. However, this is not the conclusion, which the Preacher draws. He does not say, to escape these two extremes one should keep the golden mean. Instead in vs. 18 he writes, "…" In other words, we should take both warnings to heart. And how does one do this? The simple answer is: fear God! This means we must continue to walk in the way, which God has pointed out in His Word without turning to the right or the left. The one who does this will avoid both dangers, mentioned in the verses 16 & 17. Then we will still call sin what is sin and not be in league with any wickedness. Yet on the other hand we will not take matters in our own hand either to straighten what is crooked. But instead we remember that there is a God who lives and who executes judgment on the earth. He will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, as we read it in Ch. 3,17 of this book.

The Preacher thus appeals to us to let our life be guided by true scriptural wisdom, which according to vs. 19 makes the wise more powerful than 10 rulers of a city. Indeed wisdom is powerful and encouraging. It also redeems us from passiveness. After all, Br. & Sr., serving the Lord is not just sitting back waiting till finally justice will triumph. We are to raise our voice whenever we see things going crooked. Even though we are not allowed to take matters into our own hands, we still should point out what is wrong, calling people back to the Word of the Lord. Then as God's children we have indeed a word for the world. Let it then also be heard, beloved. Don't keep silence where you still have opportunity to raise your voice against all evil in today's society. In Rev. 11 we read that the voice of the church should be heard in the streets of the great city.

Next, we also should raise our voice in prayer, laying all our needs before the Lord, firmly assured that one day God will cause justice to triumph. How great a comfort this is. Ultimately, not we are the ones that have to rectify everything or who have to make this world better. We may leave it to God, who in Christ is our Father, and who will take action in His time.

See there your task, beloved. Your task in a crooked world. Yes, as it reads in the concluding part of this book, "The conclusion of the whole matter is: fear God and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man." Thus guided by true scriptural wisdom we are to bear witness to the truth firmly assured that despite all the crookedness we meet in this world God's work will triumph. True, then this world will do its utmost to silence the voice of the church. But in the end they will not succeed, even though for a while it may seem to be so.

In this context I like to make once more reference to what it says it Rev. 11. I spoke about the voice of the church being heard in the streets of the great city. We have a word for the world. But in Rev. 11 we also read that the world doesn't want to listen to this testimony, vss. 7-11, "…" But then it reads in the vss. 11 & 12, "…" See there how the cause of the righteous will triumph. In His time God will restore life in perfect lustre.

Yet, as I said before this should not make us passive. Instead we should seize the opportunities to raise our voice against all crookedness in this world. Yet when we do so - and that is the concluding part of our text- we should do so with a spirit of humility. After all, vs. 20, we should not forget that we ourselves are sinful as well. Therefore we should be careful how we go about addressing the crookedness we are confronted with. One can work himself up about lots of things or in an overly righteous way try to straighten everything, but be careful, so the Preacher says. Be careful that in the end things do not turn against you, vs. 22, "…" You know how it goes, we clearly see the speck in the eye of our brother, yet we forget about plank in our own eye.

No, in saying this I do not mean that we have to put up with what is wrong or are not allowed to raise our voice against what is crooked. But we should also ask the Lord for wisdom to speak at the right moment or when necessary to help us to remain silent and to give it over to the Lord. For as the Preacher has pointed out earlier on in this book, there is a time for everything, "a time to keep silence and a time to speak." Yes, a wise person will speak when the time is right for it.

See there, beloved, what it means to let your life be guide by true scriptural wisdom, to have the right attitude also towards things that are crooked. Whilst still living in a world broken by sin,  sinfulness by which also life in the church is affected we should hold on to the fact that throughout all brokenness God is building His immovable kingdom. Yes, though the darkness might be grim at times, nevertheless joy and light will dawn for the upright.

Last modified: December 01, 2002