Famous Wicked
In reflecting upon the way of the world, Solomon observed an injustice.
Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 8:10
He starts with their end at the beginning. Finally, the wicked were buried and all their works amounted to nothing but vanity. However, while alive he observed wicked people being praised and walking around as if godly men.
Not only that, but they are being praised in the city where they were doing their wicked things. This isn’t a second life where nobody knows about their deeds. These are men being treated as pillars of their community where their practices are known!
How’d It Get So Bad?
Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
Ecclesiastes 8:11
There are no end of studies which people claim prove that punishment for crimes do very little to affect how often crimes are committed. However, they always focus on short-term trends around a legal change. The issue with that is it doesn’t observe the longer impact such polices have on the culture over time.
Solomon has observed the longer trend and records it here. When a culture allows evil deeds to go without sentencing, it corrupts the people over time until they become fully set to do evil. Where any society will have temptations flare and people fall into sin, a people who do not execute sentencing swiftly will foster a culture where the people are fully set on evil.
Better To Fear God
Most would prefer to have righteous men as pillars of the community and a culture that restrains evil rather than encourages it. However, when a believer finds themselves in a society that seems to basically reward wickedness, it can be tempting to think perhaps there are benefits to evil. Looking around, it seems, without punishment as a part of the culture, there’s easy life in crime.
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:12-13
However, even though they may live a long life. It is like a shadow. It has no substance to it. There is no meaning or value in it. All those ill gotten gains may extend their lifespan, but it will never fill that life with real value.
Do Good, Oppose Evil
Though you may find yourself in a culture where it seems there is little social implications for doing evil, remember that wickedness has no benefit. The ability to get away with evil for a time doesn’t change the reality that a life lived for it is empty. Though a thief may never be arrested and may make a living off of their robbery, yet they fund a life without purpose.
Also, to avoid a culture without value, we cannot oppose punishment for evil. While the Christian faith is one of forgiveness in repentance, it cannot become one which endorses wickedness. Only God gives men hearts inclined to do his will, and many (we are told) ultimately desire to do evil. However, a culture fully set on evil venerates wicked people and encourages sin. So much as it depends upon us, as the salt and light in a sinful world, we should encourage a justice system which punishes evil.
To do otherwise is to be the watchmen who doesn’t call out, but instead promotes the pain and suffering of others in our apathy.
