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. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 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.
Comment: Yesterday I was talking to a friend of many years. We discussed work (I’m retired and he’s getting to that age). We talked about our families and obviously our children. We are both committed Christians. Discussing one of his sons he mentioned that, now a man, one didn’t have much relationship with the church or with God these days as far as he knew. There were a number of reasons mentioned but he felt that hypocrisy in the church was one of the main reasons. Solomon also saw hypocrisy some times in Jewish worship. In this case he says that the sacrificing was a waste of time (like a ghost or a passing wind it was all ‘vanity’). Evil people often don’t seem to get judged and live to a good old age. But he says ‘yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God‘. He’s got it right there! But I love the phrase ‘neither will he prolong his days like a shadow‘. Death comes for us all. He might think that his status, like his shadow lengthens as the sun goes down, will pass into the afterlife! Status means little to avoiding judgement for evil! May be it even adds more responsibility!
Prayer: Help me to keep honest before You, my Just and Loving God.
As I read it! 