Shabbat Shalom! God bless you, dear brothers and sisters. Let's open our Bibles to the book of Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, chapter 7. And we are going to deal with today, with the Lord's help, the second half of Ecclesiastes, that is Kohelet, chapter 7, verses 15 to 29. So we read in verse 15: "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity. There is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. Be not righteous over much, neither make thyself over wise, neither make thyself over wise, why should thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish, why should thou die before thy time?

It is good that thou should take hold of this. Yea also from this withdraw not thine hand, for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. Wisdom strengthen the wise, more than ten mighty men which are in the city. For there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good, and sinneth not. Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. For often time also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hath cursed others. All this have I proved by wisdom. I said I will be wise, but it was far from me.

That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. And I found more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is snares, and nets, and her hands as bands, whoso pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her. Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one to find out the account, which yet my soul seeketh, but I found not. One man among thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

Lord, this only have I found, that God has made men upright, but they have sought out many inventions. And I'm stopping here with verse 29 of Ecclesiastes chapter 7. As we study this book of Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, we must bear in mind all the time, beloved brothers and sisters, that Shlomo ben David, Melech b'Yerushalayim, Solomon, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem, wrote to our people, Israel, about 3000 years ago, about how life is to be lived under the sun, Tachat Hashemesh. And in spite of the fact that there is vanity and vain and problems here in this world, there is a possibility for the one who follow God to bring good under the sun out of all the evil that exists here in this world.

Imagine Shlomo, the king of Israel, is instructing Israel some 3000 years ago in seeking to help them along in their life here under the sun. He was an experienced man by the time he wrote the book of Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes. He failed much in his life. He is now coming and admitting the situation in his very own life. And he is instructing the Kehillah, the congregation, the assembly in Israel, as how to live life here under the sun. We don't have to tell you, and you don't have to tell me. You just look around, listen to the news, open the television, read the newspapers, and open the internet, and you see the mess that is existing in this world under the sun.

The evil that exists, the mistreatment that people receive, the unfairness that exists here in this world. And seemingly, God is allowing this to continue on already now for such a long time. He is awaiting the day when he is going to send the Mashiach of Israel and the Savior of this world to rule in righteousness over this sad and sin-sick world. One day the Messiah will come, and he will establish a kingdom in which he will reign and rule in righteousness. But Shlomo, as the king of Israel, is now at his later part of his life giving counsel to the people of Israel and saying to them, listen, I have experienced this in my life.

Now as I'm getting up in age, I repented of my sins. And I want to share with you, Israel, to remember your Creator in the day of thy youth before you are going to be too old to live your life for the God of our fathers. And so how do we need to apply this to our own life? Whatever age we are, wherever we find ourselves in this world, whatever position and place and situation in life that we find ourselves in, it is essential for us to take heed to the words of Shlomo, the king of Israel. So in the first portion of chapter 7, he really began a new section.

Because chapter 1 to chapter 6, as I mentioned previously in our ministry meeting in the first 6 chapters, Shlomo actually shared the meaning of life and the many lessons that he himself had experienced. But now in these 7, all the way to the 12th chapter, he gave Israel a counsel through Proverbs and through various stories as to how to live their life here under the sun. And so now in the first 14 verses of chapter 7, he gave the theme of how to make the best out of bad situation. And now in chapter 7 verses 15 to 29, he encourages Israel to have a balanced life. You know, balanced life for the believer, whether it is in Israel's history or whether it is in the church age, is very important.

You know, we are oftentimes very imbalanced. We are the those who says, listen, all things are going on. You know, I'm saved, I'm forgiven. My sins have been dealt with and I can live as I please. Paul said in Romans chapter 6, Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, even though we are saved and forgiven, we cannot live like we lived before we turn our hearts to the Lord. But on the other hand, there are others who are self-righteous. They are the legal ones. They are the ones, the religious people. They are so religious in their lifestyle that everybody else is wrong.

Only they are right. And oftentimes they look down upon others and are proud and arrogant. And this is a danger. In fact, beloved brothers and sisters, someone had said that one of the most sad conditions, whether it is in Israel history or whether it is in the church age, is self-righteousness and pride and arrogance to assume that one is so holy that everybody else is just wrong. Only he or only she are above all others. And this is exactly what Shlomo is teaching us here in this section. He's teaching us of the importance of being balanced, not loose and not legal. Not one that carry on in his own or her own life as he pleases and not another one that is so legal like a Pharisee, like a parush that he or she is assuming that they are superior than everyone else.

And so how he began this section? In chapter 7, in verse 15, Shlomo is pointing Israel to the things that he himself have seen in the days of his vanity. In Hebrew we say, be mei heavily. You know the word for vanity is hevel in Hebrew. Vanity of vanities he began the book with and vanity of vanities he will end the book with. And he's saying, notice in verse 15 of chapter 7, all things have I seen in the days of my vanity. There is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, but also there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in his wickedness. Now it is very interesting.

Shlomo is saying, you know what I've experienced for my life, he's saying to Israel? I've experienced that things are not always fair in this world. You know, sometimes, I don't know about you, but sometimes when things happen to me in my life and I don't think that they are fair, I ask the question, God, why me? Why it happened to me? And it seems to be that things are just not fair here in this world. You see what he's saying in verse 15? The just man is dying, perishing, in his righteousness. He's living godly, he's living for God, he's seeking to do righteous things, and he dies.

And then on the other hand, the wicked man, who live wickedly, it seems to be that his life is being prolonged. Everything seems to be going good for him or for her. And it seems to be unjust. You see, in Shlomo, he's saying to Israel, listen, I have seen it. I have experienced. In Hebrew, the word I have seen is ra'iti. I have seen it by experience. I live this out. I see a righteous man or righteous woman living for God, and then early, not in due time, they seem to die and perish. Die and go out of this world. But then on the other hand, I see the wicked people who dishonor God, who do evil around, and carry on in their own ways, and dishonor the Lord, and don't give him the credit and the glory that he deserves.

And it seems to be that their life is prolonged. And they carry on in their own way, and it doesn't seem to have any problem. Something seems to be here in this world that is not right. It seems to be unjust. I have seen this in the days of my vanity. You know, if you just turn back with me for a moment to Psalm 73, there is another Jewish man by the name of Asaph. This man had the very same problem. In Psalm 73, Asaph said in verse 1, Truly, God is good to Israel, even to such that are of a clean heart. But as for me, he said, My feet were almost gone.

My steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men. Neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore, pride compasses them about as a chain. Violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than their heart could wish. They are corrupt. They speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore, his people return hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

And they say, How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, Asaph is saying in verse 12, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches. Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain and I washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued and I have been chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. And notice what he says, Asaph in verse 17, Until I went to the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end.

You see, he was the kind of a man and he was puzzled. He says, I don't understand God. These wicked men in this world carry on with their life and I washed my hands for naught. I sought to live a godly life for naught because, look, they are prospering and the righteous seems to suffer. Something seems to be unfair. And indeed, beloved brothers and sisters, in this world, which is filled with sin because we have all have sinned, it is an unjust world. In this world, the people of God, whether our own nation Israel or whether the body of Messiah, the body of Christ, we cannot expect to have just treatment here in this world.

Sin brought about judgment and sin brought about unfairness. Sin brought about distance from God and sins brought about all that of which we read in the word of God. And so he declared Shlomo. And he says in verse 15, The just man seemed to perish in his righteousness, but the wicked man is prolonging his life and he continued to do wickedness and he seems to have never end. You know, Habakkuk, the prophet of Israel, also was puzzled when you read the book of Habakkuk. Why is it that the unrighteous treat bad the righteous one? And then the Lord had to teach him that eventually God will have to deal with every man until I have entered into the sanctuary of God.

Then I understood their end. In other words, under the sun, things are not going to be right. But one day, God is going to deal with every individual in his own way. God is not unjust. He is surely going to deal with every individual. And so now, as he continues on, in Kohelet, Ecclesiastes chapter 7, in verses 16, 17, and 18, he warns Israel, and he's actually warning us, to be careful from being extremist. In every side, to be an extremist is very dangerous. In other words, live a balanced life. Don't be extremist in one way or in another. And so notice how he's presenting this very beautifully here to Israel.

He says in verse 16, Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise, why should you destroy thyself? Then in verse 17, he continues, Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish, why should thou die before thy time? Now just pause with me for a moment. You know, many people like these two verses because they say, don't be too righteous and don't be too evil. A little bit of both is fine. You can be a little righteous, a little evil, carry on whatever you want and this is fine. But you see, he doesn't mean that in this way, he doesn't take it in this way. What really Shlomo is saying, he knows the word thyself is mentioned here more than once.

It says in verse 16, Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overly wise. Why should thou destroy thyself? You see, apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, one of the greatest problem that we don't often look at in relationship to the things of God is when someone is assuming himself to be righteous and just above all the others. The word thyself in this text is mentioned more than once. Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise, for why should thou destroy thyself? He is really speaking about a person that is self-righteous. self-righteous. He or she may think that their life is so perfect and they do not need anyone else.

They are self-righteous and there is a danger in that especially among the people of God. You know, the greatest problem that Yeshua, the Messiah, had when he came to our own nation, Israel, in order to offer himself for our nation, the greatest problem he didn't have with the ordinary Israeli or the Galilean or the Judean who live in Galilee in the Galilee or in Judea. The greatest problem he had is with the Prushim and Tzedukim, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. like we Israel had Pharisees and Sadducees in our history, in the body of Christ, in the body of Messiah, we have Pharisees and Sadducees in the present day age as well.

And it's such a danger thing, beloved brothers and sisters, to be self-righteous. Let me show you a man that was really self-righteous in Luke chapter 18. There was this interesting story that Yeshua was trying to teach the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the people of Israel in those days. You notice what he said in verse 9, and he spake a parable unto certain which trusted in themselves, that they were righteous and they despised others. And notice he's telling that story, the parable, he said, two men went up into the temple to pray. The one was a Pharisee, parush in Hebrew, and the other one was a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus within himself and he said, listen, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortionist, unjust, adulterous, or even as this publican. I fast twice in a week and I give tithe of all that I possess. You see, he was a righteous man. You see, he was not like this other man because he, thank God, he said, I'm not like other men, I'm not extortionist, I'm not unjust, I'm not an adulterer, and then I'm not even like this publican, this sinner here. Because, you see, I fast twice in a week and I give my tithe of all that I possess.

That's who I am. God, I'm so thankful that I'm not like this other man. There was a self-righteous man who thought that he was more righteous than everyone else. Then, on the other hand, the publican standing afar off, he was that sinner, that one that was considered by our people, the publican, the one who took taxes from the people who worked for the Romans and helped the Romans to take the taxes from the rest of the nation of Israel. He stood afar off. And you notice what he said? He was not even lifting up his eyes unto heaven. And he smote his breast and he said, God be merciful unto me as sinner.

I am a sinner. God have mercy on me. I am a sinner. And yet the self-righteous man was standing there and praying to God. You know, brothers and sisters, religion, self-righteousness in religious system is just as evil as being loose and liberal. Both of them are wrong. Again, in the Gospel of Luke, you often find out these parables that Yeshua has spoken. you remember the two children of the father, their so-called prodigal son. The young son took everything that his father gave him, went to a faraway country, while the elder brother remained in the home close to his father. But the story ends with a repented younger brother who had gone astray, and yet the elder brother who sat there all along and was there in his father's house, did not even enter in to enjoy the celebration of his returned sinful brother.

The pride that he had. You have never made for me this kind of party before. You have not treated me the way that you have treated your son that came back. And the Lord is teaching us lessons. And actually, Shlomo, the king of Israel, Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, who gathered the congregation, he taught our people, of all the people of Israel, the importance of not to have a self-righteous attitude. And how careful we all need to be because we have this inclination. And that's why Shlomo is saying here in Ecclesiastes 7, and verse 16, do not be over much as it says here, righteous or claiming that you are righteous.

And then he says, why? Why should you destroy yourself? You see, to be self-righteous, assuming that one is more righteous than the other, than God, I'm greater and superior than others, is a danger thing which will ultimately bring to spiritual destruction. like the elder brother in Luke chapter 15, he never could enter in to the enjoyment of the heart of the father. He never could enter in because he had self-righteousness. But then on the other hand, in verse 17 of Ecclesiastes chapter 7, he's speaking to the other side. He says, be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish. why should thou die before thy time? Now, what he's really saying?

You see, God does not give men, or he doesn't give us the privilege of being so liberal and carry on in evil ways. And that's why Shlomo is saying, be not overmuch wicked, the Hebrew word for wicked is rasha, evil, neither be thou foolish. In other words, it's unwise because if you're going to carry on in liberal life, and everything goes, I can do what I please because after all I'm saved, hallelujah, I belong to the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah paid for my sins, and I can carry on with my life. And you see, what the Lord is teaching through Shlomo, the nation of Israel, because liberalism and looseness will ultimately catch up with us.

in Israel's history, he says, be sure your sin will find you out. Sooner or later, when we carry on in our own way, it catches up with us, and we end up at the end losing out. It's really being foolish. It's being foolish. And so you remember what I've already mentioned in Romans chapter 6, some people came to the Apostle Paul, and they said to him, well, if you said that Yeshua died and paid for the price of our sins, and it is by grace that we are forgiven and saved, therefore, I can continue to live a life loosely in an evil way, and God is good.

You see, he will anyway forgive my sins. And so Shaul Paul says, shall we continue a lifestyle of sin? Shall we continue in sin that God's grace will be abound? God will show us more grace, we're going to live in sin and God will show us more grace? Paul says, God forbid. This is not the reason that God had saved us. This is not the reason that Yeshua the Messiah died for us. And Solomon is saying, no, don't be overmatch wicked, because it is foolish to live a life that is far away from God. Ultimately, why should you die before thy time? And here this expression before thy time suggests to us that sometimes God removes someone out of this scene before his or her time.

1 John 5 tells us, there is a sin unto death. And I tell you that you will not pray for this person. John said to whom he wrote in 1 John chapter 5. This is physical death. God at time may remove someone out of this world because of sin that he was dealing with that person and he removed that person out of this world. We know it in the time of Hanania and Shafira in Acts chapter 5. We know it from 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Some of you are weak, some of you are sick, and some of you have fallen asleep. We know that from scripture, from history, Israel's history, the church history, that at the time the Lord come in judgment and he deal with his own people.

So, be not righteous in yourself, have no self-righteousness because that will ultimately will destroy you spiritually. But on the other hand, be not overly wicked, don't carry your life without judging yourself and repenting before the Lord because sometimes the Lord may remove you out of this world, out of this sin. Why should thou die before thy time? God is judge. He knows his own people and he will deal with them according to his wisdom. So, in verse 18, beloved brothers and sisters, the king of Israel directing Israel to have a balanced fear of God. And I'm reading verse 18, it is good that thou shouldest take hold of this.

Yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand, for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. In other words, what Shimon is saying, he said, it is good for you that you should take hold of this. This is the first thing, self-righteousness. Be careful from self-righteousness. Then he continued, and also from this, the second thing, meaning that you be careful from being simply wicked and living your life carelessly. But if you will have the fear of God, God is able to help you to come forth of them all. God is able to help us to have a spiritual balance. And really, beloved brothers and sisters, this whole theme here of Ecclesiastes 7, verses 15 to 29 is to seek to find out how to live a balanced life under the sun.

So, verse 15, Solomon points Israel to the things that he has seen under the sun in his vain life. Verses 16, 17, and 18, Solomon is saying be careful not to be extreme in either direction. Don't be self-righteous neither be living your life without accounting God and bringing him into the picture in your own life. That's what Shlomo is seeking to instruct Israel in the days when he was older, after he had experienced much in his life. so we continue on and in verses 19, 20, 21, and 22, Shlomo is saying to Israel to face reality that there is no man that is just here upon the face of this earth. There is not one single man under the sun here in this world that is really truly just of course except one man whose name is Yeshua who was the sinless one.

And so he continues and says wisdom is stronger than even ten strong men in a city. This is spiritual wisdom. And I'm reading this verse, verse 19, says wisdom strengthened the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. In other words, what he's really here saying, you want to be able to be balanced in your life as a person that belonged to the Lord? Seek for godly wisdom. Godly wisdom does help us. It helps us to be balanced. It helps us to be not turning to the right, nor to the left. And you remember Shlomo asked actually God when he was young, he asked the God of Israel, he says, please, I'm going to lead this great nation.

help me to know how to come in and how to go out and how to lead this nation of Israel whom you have entrusted to me. When he was young, he really wanted the will of the Lord and much of his life, he lived for God, but later on things have crept in to the life of Shlomo. And so he's saying if you really want to be able to be balanced, believe me, he's really saying to Israel that wisdom is going to give you strength much more than even ten mighty men which are in the city. You know, you look at ten strong men and you look at one person that has the wisdom of God, that man or that woman, godly man, godly woman, they are far more stronger in their manner, in the way they live life if they have the wisdom that come from above.

All these ten men who maybe lead a city, they are much weaker than the child of God that has the wisdom that is coming from the Lord. Then he's saying this interesting verse, you know, we often read Romans 3, and verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Where do you think the Apostle Paul took this verse from? The Apostle Paul, if you look as a Jewish man, as a man who was a Pharisee, who knew very well the Torah as well as the Nevi'im, the prophet, as well as the Ketuvim, the writing, he knew very well the word of God.

And by saying that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God writing to the Romans, he was actually quoting what his forefathers, David, and his son, Shlomo, and the prophet of Israel, Isaiah, and others have already declared in the history of the nation of Israel. For he says in verse 20, for there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not, even not you, he is saying to them, not even one upon the face of this earth that is a just man that doeth good and sinneth not. All have gone astray, all have seen Shlomo saying to Israel, and you see, when he says this verse in the context of what we have before us, it says some of you, Israel, who think that you are righteous, self-righteous, I want to tell you, you know very well your own heart.

You are not a just man upon the face of the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. You have to search your own heart. You yourself have to search your own heart because there is not even one person upon the face of this earth that sinneth not and doeth good. All have come short, all have sinned, and all have come short of the glory of God, he is saying here in this verse 20. You remember what Isaiah said? Isaiah said in the most famous chapter, it's called the forbidden chapter, Isaiah 53. Isaiah said in verse 6, the confession of Israel in the future, and he said, all we like sheep have gone astray, we have all turned to his own way, but the Lord laid upon him, namely the Mashiach of Israel, the Messiah of Israel, the iniquities of us all.

All have gone astray, beloved brothers and sisters, this is one of the greatest problem that man has, to admit that he or she are really sinners, they are not just, they are not just, and especially in the context, there are those that are the religious ones within the religious systems of this world, who claim to be self-righteous. You know, God knows our hearts. King David said in Psalm 139, Search me, O Lord, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in a way everlasting. Search me, O Lord, search me, because the Lord is the one who knows our hearts even better than ourselves.

He knows the hearts, and so, there is not a just man upon the face of this earth that doeth good, and sinneth not. Now, it's interesting that he said it more than once, King Shlomo, when he was praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, asking him to hear the prayer of the people of Israel when they are in trouble. Shlomo said in 1 Kings 8, in verse 45, Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. And then he says in verse 46, And if they have sinned against thee, for there is no man that sinneth not, and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to their enemies, so that they carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, far or near, and he asks the Lord, in verse 49, Then please Lord, then hear thou their prayer, because there is no man that sinneth not, because all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Brothers and sisters, think about this for us too, in a moment, think about it for us, even as believers, how many a time we dishonor the Lord as saved and forgiven people, how many a time we said things we shouldn't say, we do things we should not do, or we think of things we shouldn't think about, how many a time? And if God will deal with us according to the merit, according to what we deserve, according to our doing, where will we stand? How can we stand? Because when we came, before we came to the meeting, we've already perhaps sinned on the way, we're going to leave the meeting, we're going to sin on the way, we've all failed God in one way or another.

And it's so important to search our hearts and to say, Lord, you know my heart, you know my weakness, you know my failure, Lord, I realize that there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sin is not, that is including me. And like David of old, the father of Shlomo, we need to ask the Lord to search our hearts and to help us, to lead us in a way that is pleasing to him because otherwise we will carry on in our own way and we'll end up dishonoring the Lord. So you see how Shlomo is encouraging the people of Israel to seek for godly wisdom in order that they will be able to please the Lord and be balanced in their lives as a nation.

Many other verses that we can read in scripture, especially Psalm 14. I have to read these verses in Psalm 14 for us because those verses are the verses out of which the apostle Paul wrote Romans chapter 3. God the Lord looked down from heaven, Psalm 14 verse 2, upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. Look at the declaration that David has said. He said they are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good, no, not, one. Imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, and you see, this is exactly the reason why Jesus, Yeshua, our Lord and our Messiah had to come to this world.

Because had he not come to this world and live a life that is pleasing to God and die as a substitute, we would have no hope, no religion will save us, no family relationship will save us, no amount of money that we can give will ever save us, no good deeds that we can do will ever save us. We have been saved and forgiven on the basis of the grace of God that he provided for us through Yeshua, the Messiah. God had provided one that is indeed a perfect man, namely Yeshua the Messiah. You know, the three apostles, John, Paul and Peter said about Yeshua those words.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21, he knew no sin. Peter said in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 22, he did no sin. And John said in 1 John 3 and verse 5, in him there is no sin. There was only one single man upon the face of this earth that never sinned. He was sinless, he was harmless, he was undefiled, he was separated from sinners and he was the only one that was qualified to save mankind because there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. All of us, beloved brothers and sisters, have been those that dishonor God. And imagine how sad it is when we think of those that reject the gospel today, when they're going to have to stand before God one day upon their own merits because they have done something for God that they assume.

And there will be only one question that will be asked of them, what have you done with my beloved son, the Messiah Yeshua, whom I have sent for you? And Solomon is the one that reminded Israel that there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. and so he continued in verse 21 and in verse 22 of chapter 7 he continued and he shared with Israel the result that he had learned from these things. Notice what he says in verse 21 and verse 22, he realized the faults that existing in himself and existing in all humanity. He says, notice in verse 21, he's saying also take no heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou hear thy servant curse thee for often time also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise had cursed others.

You see, Shlomo is really saying to Israel, he says, listen, you have to make sure that you understand, take no heed, don't worry when somebody sometimes maybe curse you or say something bad against you and remember that even you yourself have cursed others as well. See what Shlomo is saying? Don't think of yourself as if you are that single person who have never done anything wrong. You know, we read in scripture in James chapter 3 how the person can bless God with the same mouth but then curse the brother in the same time. How can we do that? Because we have sinned, we are sinners. So that's exactly what Shlomo is saying.

He says, all this, he says, remember this, he said, take no heed for all the words that are spoken. Somebody might say something against you, don't be proud and say, oh, you have done this against me, she or he spoke against me, I gotta get back to them. Realize also for often time also your own heart know that thou or you yourself likewise have cursed others. Turn to James chapter 3 with me for a moment. Look at this verse, interesting verse, verse 8, but the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. And then verse 9, therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God.

In other words, we can bless God, praise God. And then we can turn around and we can curse men who was made in the image and likeness of God. Why do we do so? Because we have all sinned, we all, there is no one of us is just. And Shlomo reminding Israel, he says, listen, don't you forget for a moment in your own heart that you yourself have done so to others. So when somebody does it to you, bring that person before the Lord. Maybe pray for that person. Search your heart and you see when you behave like that, watch yourself. Be balanced. Don't be overly thinking yourself that you are righteous.

Don't be overly loose and liberal and carry on in a life of evil. Learn to live a balanced life that is godly with the help of God in your life. So now listen. In the last verses here of chapter 7 verses 23 to verse 29 he gives Israel, Shlomo that is, giving Israel warning and he using his own personal experience. He knows his failure. He knows that he failed before the Lord. Again, to remind you, he wrote Shir Hashirim, the song of songs when he was younger. Then he wrote Mishle, the book of Mishle, the book of Proverbs, sometime in the middle part of his life. But now he is writing the book of Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, when he is older, after the many experiences that he had in his own life.

And so he gives a warning to his people, Israel, from his own personal life. in verses 23 to verse 29. So he beginning in verse 23 and 24 by confessing, Solomon confessed the limitation that one may have in human and natural wisdom. And I'm reading verse 23. Notice how many times he used the word I and my in these verses. All this have I proved. By wisdom I said I will be wise. And then but it was far from me, speaking about himself, that which is far off and exceeding deep. Who can find it out? Verse 25. I applied my heart. Notice how many times he used the word I and I and I.

Why? Because he's telling the congregation of Israel, the Kehillah, Kohelet speak to the Kehillah, the preacher presents himself to the congregation of Israel. And he says, listen, I want to tell you from my own life that I was kind of wanted to know why things are happening the way they happen here in this world. So he said, at all this, at all what I just told you about, the importance of being balanced, the importance of not being overly legal and overly loose or liberal, I was searching to find out why is it happening here in this world. So he says, I approved by wisdom, I wanted to get some, my own wisdom to find out how to answer this.

I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me. I couldn't search it, I couldn't really understand why. He says, that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find out? In other words, brothers and sisters, listen, unless we have the mind of God, we will never understand why things happen the way they're happening here in this world. We need the mind and the wisdom of God, not human wisdom. You know, human wisdom might allow someone to be so brilliant that he can take us to the moon. But that's human wisdom. You can have all kind of gadgets, you can go into a rocket.

You know, I'm often fascinated when I sit in an airplane, how can that heavy, huge machine is situating itself there in the air? And you can look out the window and you can see everything is all small below, but how is it possible that this machine is there in the air with 200 people there? The great wisdom that God has allowed men to have human wisdom, but spiritual and godly wisdom can only be available as one turn his or her heart to the Creator, to the Lord. And that's why he says, I was trying to prove it with my own wisdom, and then he says, I said I will be wise, but it was so far from me.

That which is far off is exceeding deep. He said, and who can find it? You can't find it on your own. You need to turn to God. You know, that's why sometimes in our life we don't quite grasp things that happen to us in our life, but if we have a spiritual mind, and a spiritual eyes, and a spiritual heart, the Lord have allowed us to discern why things happen the way they are in our lives. The Lord is the one that is able to help his own people. He helped Moshe many years ago to lead our people Israel outside of Egypt. He helped many throughout the generation, Joshua, to lead the people to enter into the land.

This book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth, and thou shalt meditate therein day and night, then shalt thou prosper, then you shall have good success, he said to Yehoshua, to Joshua, the leader of Israel. God's word and God's wisdom help us to discern the deep things that all human wisdom cannot understand it. And that's what King Solomon has said, even though, beloved brothers and sisters, he was the wisest man on earth, as we read in 1 Kings chapter 4, yet when he departed from the Lord, this divine wisdom that he received, he did not use it, but he was using human wisdom, and he ended up turning away from the Lord, living a life that is not pleasing to the Lord.

And in practicality, we too, when we think that we know better than God, we will find ourselves turning away from the things of the Lord. We will find ourselves falling on our faces again and again. And Solomon is sharing this with his own nation, the people of Israel. And so notice what he says in verse 25 now. Solomon is really directing himself, or he set himself to seek wisdom, and he noticed that, he says in verse 25, I applied my heart to know and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even the foolishness and madness, is that I was trying to find out with my own wisdom how things are happening here in this world.

I wanted to know why wickedness is going on here and folly and foolishness and madness. How come it is continuing on here in this world? I was trying to understand. Shlomo is saying to Israel, but what's the results? Beloved brothers and sisters, as a result, Solomon found, and he's illustrating this from his own personal life. He's telling Israel, notice, and this is the last verses, verse 26, 27, and 28, and 29, notice what he found out, and he's sharing this with Israel, very personal, that really comes from his own personal life. And I'm reading verse 26, listen to what he says, I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hand as bends, whoso pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.

It is interesting that he's mentioned here about a woman. Now, why does he mention a woman here? Because don't forget, he had 700 wives and he had 300 concubines. he has thousands women in his life to deal with. And so he's coming from his own personal experience and you notice he even used the word 1000 here in this chapter because he's sharing with Israel his own failure and the lessons that he learned about himself, his own folly. And notice what he says now in verse 27 and 28, Solomon after his search would only find out that one man among 1000 who is upright there is but there is not one woman among 1000 that were upright in relationship to him.

Notice that and I'm reading these verses. It sounds like that he's a male chauvinist but he was not at all. Look what it says here in verse 27, Behold this have I found. What have I found? Sayeth the preacher by the way this is the number four time in the book of Ecclesiastes that the name preacher or Kohelet is mentioned. It's mentioned in chapter 1 verse 1, 2 and 12. It's mentioned in chapter 12 verses 8, 9 and 10 and right in the middle of the book he's mentioning himself again. He's saying Behold this have I found Sayeth Kohelet the preacher counting one by one to find out the account which yet my soul seeketh but I found not one man among a thousand have I found but a woman among all those have I not found.

why does he use the word thousand here? Interesting he's referring to his own life and he knew very well how he sought to find pleasure in the early days of his life. He thought perhaps he wanted to find love and so on and he found out that he ended up really later on marry this wife and then another wife and then the third wife and then the fourth wife and then the fifth wife and he ended up marrying 700 plus 300 concubines and he found himself in such a condition that his very own wives who were not from among the nation of Israel as well who led him astray to worship other gods.

Now somebody might say hey this man is really a male chauvinist you remember in the book of Proverbs he wrote who can find a virtuous woman and he wrote in Proverbs 31 much about the virtuous woman the godly woman that he knows very well are there whether it is in Israel history or these days in the church age history there are many godly women but in his own life he failed he was searching to find peace to find love and he found out that this didn't satisfy and that didn't satisfy and that didn't satisfy and he said I found none and how sad when you really look at this passage here to show us that

Solomon himself sharing his failure with Israel yet my soul seeketh but I found not and so he conclude in verse 29 Solomon eventually he found out look at his finding Lord this only have I found that God has made men upright humanity people male and female he made them upright but they have sought out many inventions in other words they have failed we have failed Solomon is saying about himself I have failed God made us upright he made men innocent in a garden you remember he placed Adam and Eve in a garden of Eden but men failed men chose to go in his own direction and then since the time of men sin all of

us have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that's why the answer is to turn our hearts to the Lord and to ask for the wisdom of the Lord and he is the one that is able to turn something sweet out of the bitterness that existing here in this world to give us a balance life to live when we don't go neither to the left nor to the right when we fail in either direction to repent to turn to the Lord and to seek the wisdom of the Lord because it is only the Lord who is able to help us he that fears God shall come forth out of them all there

is a possibility with the Lord's help to be sustained in a balanced life if we fear God and allow him to have control over our life boy how much grace we need from the Lord in order to be balanced believers these days may the Lord help us can we say amen today