“Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.”
Ecclesiastes 7:29 29
God created man in his own image (Genesis 1. 26) and He made him to stand upright. Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, was a great king, the son of David and he truly had a handle on what man is really like. In the first chapter of his writings it says “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1.14). When God created mankind on the sixth day, he was to have dominion over the rest of creation. (Genesis 1. 26). He was to care for God’s creation.
How we have failed. The first man sinned and all of us have been corrupted by that sin. We are creatures of many schemes. What is a scheme? Solomon seems to be writing of the many ways we have sought to defend ourselves or to attack others. The word is translated “inventions” in the KJV, and other translations. The word is only used twice in the Old Testament. In 2Chronicles 26.15, the other use of the word, it has to do with military readiness.
Self-preservation is high on the list of the natural man’s activities. This in itself is not totally bad but when it leads to attack on others, to elevate ourselves it becomes sinful. Our schemes can be very subtle. Gossip, and talking behind someone’s back can be part of a scheme to make ourselves look better. Falsely accusing someone else can be part of a scheme to hurt another. We are not to “invent” ways to hurt anyone.
The rulers of Israel at the time of Christ falsely accused the Lord Jesus, leading to His crucifixion. There were many schemes laid against Him throughout His time on this earth. There were schemes against the apostles Paul, Peter, and others who were attempting to spread the Good News, the Gospel.
We are not to be schemers. The Lord Jesus gave us a command. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). There is no place for scheming if we are obedient to this command.
“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” – 1 John 3:11
True love will defeat any idea of scheming. Just a thought for the morning
Carl
