Ecclesiastes 3:16 Commentary and Bible Study

He now turns his thoughts in a new direction and considers justice on earth, the place of judgment under the sun – his signpost phrase for man in a state of unbelief. Is there justice to be found where God is excluded and does man have access to justice, living in a world that has rebelled against God? This is the world that he apparently wants for himself, but what sort of world is it?It is, says the preacher, a corrupt world, for where you would expect to see justice and where you would expect to see righteousness, there is something very different. Strangely, even though men have corrupt hearts and know that they have discarded integrity, they still expect justice to be there for them when they need it. They therefore look to the place of judgment and feel deeply disturbed when instead of justice, they see partiality and favouritism, judges turning a blind eye to the facts, systemic corruption, bribery and wickedness. Justice is dependent on people, and on the character of those people. Unless they have a love for truth which is higher than all personal interests and all loyalties and friendships, then justice is doomed. It is right that those in whom society invests such trust and who occupy such a crucial role should live up to the expectations of the people. Yet human nature is flawed and for many the temptation is too great. They have been given a position of power and they see the potential for personal gain. They know that there will be those who curry their favour, who are willing to reward them for perverting justice. They know that to stand firm against corruption will make enemies for them of powerful people, and they lack the moral courage to stand firm. As those who can impose judgments on others, they should be free from wickedness themselves, for they know what is expected and they know how despicable is the sin of hypocrisy. Similarly, there is a scarcity of righteousness. Of course, righteousness is expected of all, but there are those in society who are particularly expected to be examples to others and whose corruption will have a disproportionate effect on a community, a nation: kings and rulers, religious leaders and teachers, those involved in justice and law enforcement. How terrible it is when wickedness finds its way into such places. It is the betrayal of trust, the taking of advantage by deceit, the cynical manipulation of others.