What happens when life isn’t fair? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
We’ve all heard it before. “Life’s not fair!” A Christian response we can sometimes give is “Thank God.” That being said, the mystery of why it is not new. The Teacher dealt with it in Ecclesiastes 8:14-15:
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
I wrote about this passage in connection with yesterday’s post that:
The next reference comes in verse 15, but the overall context needs attention since this concerns what philosophers call today “The problem of evil.” The Teacher speaks in v. 10 about the wicked buried, a statement of honor, who used to go in and out of the holy place, and that they received praise in the holy place. The Teacher considers it wicked that those who he could say act the most religious and have deep wickedness underneath receive praise in holy places. He then says in v. 11 that if people do not have sentences of judgment carried out, the hearts of the people scheme of wrongdoing, and why not? If someone can do evil and not receive punishment, what prevents anyone else from doing so? If the wicked can receive burial and receive praise in a place meant to be holy, then they escape justice. If justice does not exist, why bother doing good and not doing evil? However, the Teacher still says things will go better for those who fear God. Here, Bartholomew sees a problem the Teacher sees in his system, one with which many can empathize. The Teacher knows that the wicked do not prosper and men benefit when they fear God, but he also sees the wicked prospering and men profiting when they do not fear God. He concludes this in v. 14 with the statement that the wicked get what the righteous deserve and the righteous get what the wicked deserve. How does a great teacher resolve the dilemma? Surely, he prepares to dispense wisdom to ease the concerns of the listener. A Christopher Hitchens can speak about the evil in the society showing God does not exist and a William Lane Craig can answer to show that He does. the Teacher says nothing about the answer to the question. He sides with the good since he considers it better to fear God, but he does not bother to enter the debate. What solution does he give?
“Under the sun” occurs in v. 15 in a rare verse where the term shows up twice. The Teacher tells a person to simply enjoy his life. This could come across as the Teacher saying “It’s nonsensical to try understand how God runs His world. You just enjoy your life and leave that part to Him.” If a person does that, joy will accompany them in their life. Could this also mean that in some sense, the Teacher means that “ignorance is bliss”? On the other hand, perhaps this could also imply a lesson of humility to say that people will not understand everything in life and sometimes people should just accept that. This does not mean that the problem of evil should not receive an answer, but all should agree that regardless of one’s viewpoint, there always exist limitations to our knowledge.
I constantly get concerned about Christians who try to interpret the will of God based on if something good or bad happens. If we do this and this good thing happens, then that’s what God wanted us to do. Yes. Because God only has His servants go in the way where good things happen. Have you ever even read the Bible?
Or consider when a disaster happens. Right now, I am sure there is some idiot out there saying that the Texas floods are the result of God’s judgment. It happened with Katrina and Sandy and most any other natural disaster.
Stop trying to discern the will of God this way. Your call is to do what is right regardless.
Also in this world, sometimes you will do the right thing and you will suffer for it. What do you do? Do what James said. Count it all joy. Have joy regardless. You are commanded to live in obedience to God. You are not commanded to know what all He is doing.
In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)
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