- Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. -
The last several weeks we’ve spent in chapter 3 can be broken down into two sections: the time for this and that section and the God works things through eternity section.
Both of these feel as if they depart, minutely, from the structure we had come to expect from Ecclesiastes.
Today, we return to something a bit more familiar.
Justice is necessary. Without a system of laws and punishments, we are forced to act as our own security, judge, and executioners.
When the populace takes this action unto themselves, what occurs? History is our guide here. Blood feuds, revenge killing, and even organized crime.
Having a government step in to adjudicate wrongs in the population is necessary because it allows us all to submit to an authority that claims to be free of bias.
Let’s explain this with a story. Pretend I steal your food. Your probably incensed and rightly so. You ask me to return it, but I refuse.
If you come into my house and try to take it by force, well you might get hurt or you might have to hurt me. If either of us die, how will our families see that?
Of course, they’ll take our side and demand the other family pay for the wrong in some way. This system is untenable and has no release valve.
But, if you have the ability to call the cops, they can act as a third party to see if I need to be restrained or placed in jail.
There not angry and don’t take my actions personally. They are essentially a non-person entity performing an action on behalf of the state.
Then a judge, another third party, can examine what I’ve done and pronounce further judgement, if required.
This is excellent! Because it allows justice to be served without making you the arbiter. Society itself becomes judge.
But what if it’s corrupt?
Like you, I can feel the tension in the room rising when the words “justice” are said today. It makes me sad that such a noble word, something our society depends on, is used to divide us.
Here’s the message of Ecclesiastes, “Expect it to be corrupt.”
You’re going to hear that to your own particular bias, and I would beg you not to.
I would rather beg you in every effort struggle to remove corruption wherever you see it and ensure it’s there before you start throwing stones.
The cost of wild rebuke is dangerous, especially if you want a society filled with people who wish to preserve it.
Now, where is the place of righteousness? Is it not supposed to be where God is? Is that not the temple? Is it then most assuredly the priests?
Today, that’s our churches. Have you ever been a part of a church that had wickedness within it? Did it ever surprise you?
When I was a kid, I had a youth pastor, whom our family adored, get caught taking pornographic pictures of children in public restrooms.
I had no idea. That, sadly, is not an unfamiliar story.
What does Ecclesiastes tell us? Expect it; there is wickedness there too.
How can we respond?
We must remove it from our own lives, pray for the faith of others, and call out sin when we see it.
And, when it does inevitably come, not allow the sinful nature of man to destroy our own faith in Christ.