Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover or praise a man by the results of his actions.

Ecclesiastes 8

“Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.  But it will not be well for the evil man, and he will not lengthen His days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.”

                  In our world today, we determine morality by its effect on the present and whether it makes us happy now.  If an action makes us happier in the present and seems to have no negative consequences, we conclude it must be good, for happiness is our highest value.

                  As Solomon reflects on life, he comes to the conclusion that there is a paradox that challenges us in a fallen world.  The paradox is that those who embrace sin seem to find greater joy in the present than those who strive to obey God.  As he observed people's actions and lifestyles, he was perplexed by the lack of consequences for sin in the present and by how quickly people forget the moral lessons learned by previous generations.  In verse 10, he describes how quickly people forget the actions of the wicked and the consequences of their actions.  Instead of learning and being warned by the effects of their sin, we quickly forget and so repeat the same mistakes.  We do not learn from history, so we are destined to repeat it.

                  Our failure to recognize the consequences of sin is further exacerbated by the fact that evil often remains unchecked and without consequences.  Heaven seems silent and indifferent towards sin, so people conclude that it must be acceptable.  We determine morality by the pleasure and joy it gives in the moment rather than the consequences it will have in eternity.  As long as it does not harm people in the present and there is no visible judgment of God, we conclude that God approves.  As a result, people approve of sin and embrace its practice because the temporal consequences bring joy rather than judgment.  This was the same frustration experienced by the Psalmist in Psalm 73:12-13, “Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth.  Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure.”

                  However, Solomon warns that things are not as they seem and that the temporal pleasures of sin will still have eternal consequences.  The present does not reveal the true story, for we must still look at life from an eternal perspective.  No matter how long our lives, or how much we enjoy our sins in the present, there are still eternal consequences.   Whether we live 40 years or 400 years, there still comes a day when we will have to give an account before God.  Heaven’s silence in the presence should never be understood as complacency and approval of sin.  We will all stand before God and give an account of our lives, and He will judge us by our actions.  There is always a payday someday.  We are to live life, not based on the pleasure it gives us in the moment, but by the consequences it will have in eternity.  We are to enjoy the life God has given us in the present, but always with the foundation of knowing that we will give an account to God someday.  We need to recognize that we ultimately cannot determine the results of our actions (vs. 16-17); therefore, we need to trust God and live by His word, even when it does not seem to yield positive outcomes in the present.  Instead of determining right and wrong by the pleasure it gives in the moment, we need to determine right and wrong by God’s moral law, as revealed in His word, and by the consequences it has in eternity.