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The Scriptorium

The Death of the Wicked

The wicked might be living it up now, but... Ecclesiastes 8.10-13

Ecclesiastes 8 (5)

Pray Psalm 116.3, 4.
The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

Read Ecclesiastes 8.10-13.

Prepare.
1. Two causes of proliferating evil are mentioned here. What are they?

2. With whom will “it be well” in the end?

Meditate.
Wicked people die, but – Solomon seems to muse – not soon enough. Everyone knows they’re wicked; they do their evil right out in public, even managing a veneer of piety while they prosecute their wicked deeds (v. 10). This is vanity, to be sure.

Wicked lives continue, without being checked by speedy justice. This only encourages others to follow in wicked ways. Thus, wickedness proliferates among men (v. 11). Yet even though wicked people proliferate wicked works out of evil hearts, and seem to get away with their wickedness (v. 11), it is better to fear God always.

Judgment against the wicked will come soon enough; but those who fear the Lord need not fear death. God will make sure that all “will be well” with them (v. 12). “Think about the day of your death, my son,” Solomon seems to say. “You may be getting away with a lot of foolishness now in your rebellion against God, but it won’t last.” Augustine wrote that there is no such thing as a bad death for those who have lived a good life. The opposite is doubtless true: there is no good death for those who persist in living wicked lives. The truly good life is life “under heaven” in the fear of God.

Solomon is keeping the pressure on his son. Fearing God, or not, is a life and death matter. One of the reasons so many unbelievers in our day are not troubled by the thought of going to hell is that the Church has failed to impress on them the eternal consequences of resisting the grace of God. “People don’t want to hear about hell,” the contemporary preacher complains. Well, of course not! But that doesn’t mean we should reduce our preaching to telling stories, focusing on things that feel good, and promising God’s love without responsibility.

Perhaps if more believers actually feared the Lord, this might make their witness to the lost world more urgent and complete.

Reflect.
1. Is the threat of judgment and hell part of the Good News of the Gospel? Explain.

2. Do you think the system of justice in our country encourages or discourages wickedness? Explain.   

3. What does Solomon mean by “fearing” God? As we shall see, this is the most important lesson he learned from his time of prodigality. Do we need to relearn this lesson in our day?

Let them rest assured that punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked, and rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous, by him who deals with everyone as each deserves, and who will proportion his rewards to the good that each has done, and to the account of himself that he is able to give. Origen (185-254), Against Celsus 8.52

Lord, do not let me be a source of the continuing evil of our days, but help me instead to…

Pray Psalm 116.4-9.
Thank God, both that He preserves you now and will continue to preserve you forever. Rest in Him, repent of any wickedness, and give all your afflictions to Him, for He cares for you.

Sing Psalm 116.4-9.
Psalm 116.4-9 (Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God Who Reigns Above)
I called to God, “O Lord, I pray, my soul redeem with favor!”
The Lord is gracious in His way, and righteous is our Savior.
His mercy to the simple flies; He lifted me up to the skies –
I rest in Him forever!

Full well the Lord has dealt with me; my soul from death He delivered.
My weeping eyes, my stumbling feet, He has redeemed forever.
Forever I before His face shall walk with those who know His grace,
And dwell with them forever.

T. M. Moore 

What is the Christian’s duty toward civil government? Our book, The King’s Heart, explains how you can fulfill your calling to help government officials fulfill theirs. Order your copy by clicking here.

You can download all the studies in this series on Ecclesiastes by clicking here. If you value Scriptorium as a free resource for your walk with the Lord, please consider supporting our work with your gifts and offerings. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button  at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from
The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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