How does Ecclesiastes 3:16 reveal the presence of injustice in the world? Seeing Injustice Under the Sun “And again I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there was wickedness.” What the Verse Shows • “Under the sun” pins the observation to everyday, earthly life—what anyone can see if they dare to look. • “Place of judgment” should be where wrongs are put right; instead, Solomon finds “wickedness.” • “Place of righteousness” should showcase integrity; yet it, too, is infiltrated by “wickedness.” • The repetition drives the point home: corruption isn’t occasional; it is systemic, staining even the institutions meant to uphold justice. Reality Check: Injustice After the Fall • Genesis 1 declares creation “very good,” yet Genesis 3 records humanity’s rebellion. Sin entered, and so did corruption. • Romans 3:10-12—“There is no one righteous, not even one… no one who does good, not even one.” The rot exposed in Ecclesiastes is universal. • Ecclesiastes 7:20 agrees: “Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” The problem is not only the system; it’s the hearts within it. Scripture’s Candid Honesty About Corruption • Psalm 82:2—“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?” • Isaiah 5:23—leaders “acquit the guilty for a bribe” and “deny justice to the innocent.” • Habakkuk 1:2-4—justice is “perverted.” • Micah 3:9-11—those who “build Zion with bloodshed” and sell verdicts for a price. The Bible does not gloss over evil; it names it, matching Solomon’s blunt assessment. Why God Lets Us Notice Injustice • To awaken moral outrage that points us to His own perfect standard (Deuteronomy 32:4). • To show the futility of trusting merely human systems (Psalm 146:3-4). • To stir longing for the righteous King and His kingdom (Isaiah 9:7). • To drive us to the gospel, where real justice and mercy meet at the cross (Romans 3:25-26). Looking Ahead: The Judge Will Set Things Right • Ecclesiastes 12:14—“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” • Psalm 9:7-8—He “judges the world with justice.” • Acts 17:31—God “has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed,” Jesus Christ. • Revelation 20:11-12—the final courtroom where no verdict is bought, no evidence suppressed. Takeaway Ecclesiastes 3:16 lifts the curtain on a world where even the courts can’t be trusted. Scripture records this not to foster despair but to spotlight humanity’s need for a righteous Judge—and to assure us that such a Judge exists, sees, and will decisively act. |
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