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Ecclesiastes, part 20, The Wisdom of Humility

Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 says,

¹⁵ I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. ¹⁶ Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? ¹⁷ Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.

This passage is often misunderstood, where Koheleth rejects moral extremes and calls for reverent, realistic wisdom rather than simplistic formulas. In verse 15 Koheleth begins with the observation that righteousness does not guarantee long life, and wickedness does not always shorten it.

This directly challenges retributive theology—the belief that righteousness is always rewarded and that wickedness is always punished. A good example is portrayed in a song in the movie, The Sound of Music, which explains the good fortune of finding love by saying, “Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” Koheleth denies that this occurs “under the sun.”

The purpose of the great White Throne judgment at the end of time is to right all the unresolved wrongs perpetrated since the beginning. Hence, injustice will end and justice will be done, but only partially “under the sun,” in the ages prior to the White Throne.

Excessive Righteousness

Verse 16 is often misread as discouraging righteousness. That is not Koheleth’s meaning. Being “excessively righteous” and “overly wise” point to self-righteousness and religious extremism, which treats righteousness as a lever to force outcomes or justify oneself. Such attitudes “ruin” people, because rigid moralism is quick to condemn sinners without understanding their experiences that have caused them to lead a life of sin. Moral extremism looks upon sinners as enemies rather than as future believers whom God intends to redeem.

A friend of mine, who had a good sense of humor, used to sing a song: “Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” I have observed some who have learned how to act humble while being quite proud of their humility. True humility is knowing oneself and his mortal nature that drives the flesh to sin.

Many years ago, when I was attending Bible College, I observed a fellow student who was “excessively righteous,” as Koheleth would say. I recall observing that “a little sin is good for the soul.” It was not that I recommended sinning but that some people ought to know themselves better than they do. Many years later I noticed that God Himself teaches us humility by allowing our mortal nature to come to the surface, forcing us to see ourselves in a more realistic light. I write from hard personal experience.

Sin is never justified. The law of God “will by no means clear the guilty” (Numbers 14:18). God does not acquit sin without justice. But God has provided the remedy in that Christ died for the sin of the world, and by faith we may appropriate His provision in regard to our own sin. This does not put away the law; it satisfies the law’s demand for justice—not to give us permission to continue in sin but to set us free from the sinful demands of our fleshly human nature.

America today is being polarized. Worldly people demand the right to sin, while many in the church react unwisely with excessive righteousness. The church has suffered from the false teaching that God’s law was put away at the cross. In so doing, most do not realize that “where there is no law, there also is no violation” (Romans 4:15). In other words, you cannot violate a law that does not exist.

Lawless Righteousness

Koheleth’s statement about those who are “excessively righteous” is actually directed against lawless “righteousness,” which is hypocritical and contradictory. Those who have put away the law presume to judge the world of sin, which is the violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). They treat the world as an enemy, instead of acting as ambassadors for Christ who are called to convey the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19, 20).

Koheleth is not saying that righteousness is bad, or that wickedness is acceptable, or even that morality is relative. He is saying that righteousness is not a guarantee of good things to come “under the sun.” He is saying that wisdom does not guarantee happiness or longevity.

This passage introduces moral humility: to accept that human nature received “death” from Adam (Romans 5:12) and that death is the weakness that causes us to sin. The last phrase of Romans 5:12 says literally, “death spread to all men, on account of which [eph ho] all sinned.”

Ecclesiastes 7:19, 20 says,

¹⁹ Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. ²⁰ Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

A wise man recognizes the limitations of all flesh and does not demand perfection from others. Instead, wisdom seeks to help others find the path of happiness and fulfillment through love, on which the entire law hangs (Matthew 22:40). God’s law—even His judgments—is an expression of His Love nature. Hence, our mandate is not to make enemies but to reconcile enemies. One truly wise person has more stabilizing power than “ten rulers” (an entire governing body) acting without wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:21, 22 says,

²¹ Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. ²² For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

Koheleth counsels deliberate restraint in how we receive speech. “Do not take seriously all words” does not mean ignore truth. It means do not consider every report to paint a complete picture or even to show the intent of the heart, especially secondhand or overheard speech. Realize that even those who are beneath us speak freely when they think they are unobserved. We cannot hope to please everyone or hold everyone’s respect. We must also allow others the right to have opinions, the right to be unwise, and the right to be wrong.

The reason for restraint is not cynicism, but humility: “You likewise have many times cursed others.” This is a call to have honest self-awareness and empathy, as well as recognizing other people’s right to have a differing opinion. I have often said that I want to have the right to be wrong, so I must allow others that same right.

Because we know our own speech has sometimes been careless, bitter, or unjust, we are freed from outrage when others do the same. These verses flow directly from the claim in verse 20 that no one is righteous and who never sins. Speech becomes the test case. Thus perfectionism collapses, and mercy becomes reasonable and wise.