Why does Ecclesiastes say “Don’t be Overly-Righteous or Overly-Wise?”
Ecclesiastes says,
“Don’t be overly-righteous or overly-wise, because you don’t want to ruin yourself. But at the same time, don’t be overly-wicked or unwise, because you don’t want to die before your time. It’s good to embrace one without letting go of the other, because God-fearing people end up with both.”
—Ecclesiastes 7:16–18
It’s kind of an unconventional Bible verse. Isn’t it GOOD to be righteous and wise? How would it ruin someone if they were TOO righteous or TOO wise?
3 Problems with Being Overly-Wise / Overly-Good
At first I thought that “overly-righteous” might mean self-righteous people like the Pharisees of Jesus’s day or of rule-sticklers who are no fun to be around. And I thought that “overly-wise” might be talking about know-it-alls.
But then I wondered, “What if it’s talking about people who actually have good character and sound judgment?” How could too much of that be a bad thing?
Then I realized some problems someone might run into if they were TOO righteous or TOO wise:
Un-Relatable: If I were super righteous, normal people might not want to be around me. They might feel awkward, or like they can’t be themselves around me. I would probably have the same problems if I were super wise and intelligent.
Resentful: If I were super righteous or super wise, I might come to resent the people around me for not being “as good as me.” I might get frustrated with people who don’t see things my way.
Godless: If I were super righteous or super wise, I might not recognize my need for God. I would think that I was moral enough and didn’t need God. I would think that I was smart enough to do everything on my own.
Just like the verse says, any of these things could ruin someone’s heart if that person were TOO righteous or TOO wise.
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