Let’s be honest. This passage has some difficult things to understand in it. I have read different commentators talk about this passage, and many times, they are saying completely different things.
Take for example,
Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them. (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)
What does it mean, “Don’t be excessively righteous”?
And what does it mean, “Don’t be excessively wicked”?
Is Solomon saying that as long as we don’t sin too much, it’s okay to sin from time to time?
Probably not, considering that he talks about the one who “fears God” holding to both truths.
So what does Solomon mean then?
In verse 12, he talks about how wisdom is a protection for us.
But then he says this does not mean that if we are wise, nothing bad will happen to us.
God of course does bless us. But there are times when he allows us to go through trials too. There are times when good people perish. And there are times when bad people prosper. (13-15)
That said, Solomon points out in verse 20 that no one is truly righteous. All of us sin.
So there is no one that can honestly say, “Why is this happening? I’ve never done anything wrong.”
How often, for example, do we point out others’ sins while failing to see we’re guilty of the exact same things? (21-22)
What Solomon probably means then is, “Don’t see yourself as so righteous that you think you should never go through trials or suffering.”
There is no one that righteous.
On the other hand, just because you sometimes see good people suffer and evil people prosper is no reason to start sinning wildly. That will certainly lead to death. (Romans 6:23)
What does it mean not to be overly wise? Solomon probably means that we shouldn’t think we are wise enough to figure out all the reasons for evil in this world.
Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived apart from Jesus and he couldn’t figure it out.
He studied people both men and women. He never did find a woman he could completely figure out. And he didn’t have much more success with men. The only thing he ever did conclude is that we are all people tainted by sin. (23-29)
We can break our brain and potentially destroy our faith trying to figure out all the reasons for evil in the world.
Job’s friends thought they had all the answers. And all they earned for their “wisdom” was God’s rebuke.
So let us avoid both those ways of thinking. Instead, let us humble ourselves before God, trusting he is good, and continuing to follow him no matter what.
And if we do, like Job, we will find out that he is indeed good. (Job 42)
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 