In Ecclesiastes 7:19-22 the Teacher defends that, which he had just claimed in verses 15-18, was wise. The righteous are not invincible (Ecclesiastes 7:15) just because they’ve been promised long life for their righteousness (Exodus 20:12; cp. Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Ephesians 6:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:12). Neither does every wicked person die prematurely, because of his wickedness (Ecclesiastes 7:16). Therefore, the wise should take this into consideration, when they walk before the Lord in the days of their vanity (cp. Ecclesiastes 7:16-18). The Teacher had advised the wise not to exploit the promise of long life, by taking foolish risks in an effort to cause good to overcome evil, and in so doing, use the tools of the wicked to accomplish the desirable outcome (cp. Ecclesiastes 7:16-17). The end does not justify the means, and good folks like Dietrich Bonhoffer often lose their lives, when this advice isn’t heeded. Hitler was an evil man, but the Lord saw fit to prolong Hitler’s life, while at the same time removing his protective hedge from the good cleric. Indeed, Dietrich Bonhoffer is praised as a hero today, but where does God place value of his life, and how is that brought out?
We live in a fallen world, and the Lord has sentenced mankind to occupy themselves in projects and labors of their choosing, whether good or evil, but within certain boundaries laid down by their Creator (Genesis 3:14-19; Ecclesiastes 1:13; 3:1-8). In this context we are able to understand the Teacher’s statement: “Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men in the city” (Ecclesiastes 7:19). Basically, it is a proverb similar to the pen is mightier than the sword or discretion is the better part of valor. We are told that wisdom is better protection or a better defense (cp. Ecclesiastes 7:12) than the force of mighty men. In fact, a single woman through her wisdom was able to save an entire city in the days of King David, and she did this without the assistance of a single man of war (2Samuel 20:16-22).
Indeed, mankind, today, lives out their existence in a fallen world, and this is never more evident, than when we understand that no one is so righteous that he doesn’t sin. Hitler was a murderer and an unimaginably wicked man, and Dietrich Bonheoffer conspired to murder him, cutting his evil short.[1] Nevertheless, the Lord saw fit to prolong Hitler’s life, and in doing so prolonged the war (cp. Ecclesiastes 3:8). In all the good that a righteous man does, he still sins just as the unrighteous do. Of course, we are able to conclude that the gravity of Hitler’s evil deeds far outweighs the attempt made against his life by Detrich Bonhoffer and those with him. Nevertheless, the outcome shows the attempt upon his life wasn’t according to the will of God. The righteous man cannot assume the Lord will protect him, when he involves himself in dangerous and evil matters like war, secret plots, killing and destruction etc. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) no matter how lofty the purpose appears. If wisdom cannot save the righteous from enduring persecution, physical pain or injustice under normal circumstances, neither can it guarantee the safety of a righteous man who takes part in dangerous and evil pursuits, even when his heart is bent toward doing good.
More often than not, the evil we see in others is the same kind of evil that can be found in ourselves, and concerning which, we forgive ourselves or otherwise excuse our behavior in the pursuit of righteousness. Therefore, we need to refrain from taking matters in our own hands in an effort to create good out of evil works. In the end, only the Lord has power over the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). In partaking of it, man is undone, because it is more powerful than he is. Therefore, we need to recognize that our righteousness is a matter of perspective. Certainly, there are evil people in this world, but that same evil, we see in them, is in us, too, and we have no power over it, once we allow ourselves to behave as the wicked in order to accomplish the good, we desire (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22).
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[1] In all honesty, Bonheoffer languished over the idea of killing Hitler. He was aware of the proverb, the end doesn’t justify the means. Nevertheless, he did conspire to do the deed. He was hanged for his efforts, yet in his death, he is remembered as a martyr and his ideas of Christian theology are forever held in high esteem, because he was hanged and not successful in his efforts to slay Hitler. Personally, I believe his death was far more important to Christianity than his efforts to assassinate Hitler. So, even though the end doesn’t justify the means, God still works all things together for good, because even the errors or imperfections of our labors were meant to honor him. In the end, it is a matter of the heart, not the law.
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