Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
“Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other; for he who fears God will escape them all.”
Being overly righteousness is destructive, because it can produce a proud attitude of “God owes me”, due to the perception of great personal accomplishment. Pride erodes humility, before God and it can be the most destructive trait of a person. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The essence of a right relationship with God, as well as interpersonal relationships is humility.
Solomon instructs us in Ecclesiastes 7:17, “Do not be overly wicked.” It does not appear that he is suggesting we should be a “little wick”. As a human, he understood that we are all flawed in many areas of our lives. He appears to be telling us that we should never choose to sin deliberately, as that course of action will lead to death.
Often sin is compared to being a highly addictive drug. If we do not see ourselves through the “lens” of being “overly righteous”, we must admit our human condition. It is inevitable that some sin exists is within us. However, those who deliberately seek to engrain sin or show a neglectful attitude towards sin, in their character are deliberately destroying themselves and their opportunity to have a deep relationship with God.
In verse 18, Solomon provides us with the solution, when he writes, “It is good that you grasp this, and do not remove your hand from the other.” The Revised English Bible translates this more clearly: “It is good to hold on to the one thing and not lose hold on the other.” It appears that he is referring our need to firmly hold the counsel not to become super-righteous. While, he also advises us to, “… not lose hold on the other”, which appears to reference our grip on restraining ourselves from sinning.
