ECCLESIASTES 3.16-17

16 Moreover I saw under the sun: Even in the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And even in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there.

17 I said in my heart, "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time for every purpose and for every deed."

Solomon now adds another brush stroke to the big picture of the scheme of things, explaining that, as part of God’s work, and for a purpose, he allows wickedness to exist in the world -- so let us not be surprised when we encounter or observe it. This reality, this temporary toleration of evil, may well be the message of Jesus’ parable of the worthless tares or weeds that were allowed to grow up amongst the wheat until the time of harvest when they were separated and burned (Matthew 13:24-30, 39-43).

Like Solomon, Jesus also saw that even many supposedly righteous religious leaders were actually hypocrites – from a Greek word meaning actor or pretender – so that in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. Nevertheless, even today, people expect the Christian Church to be composed of perfect or near-perfect individuals, forgetting that one of the original twelve members, that is 8% of the whole, was a thief and possessed by the Devil – and that Jesus over and over foretold of false teachers coming in his name and deceiving not a few, but many (Matthew 24:11, 24).

How shocked lay people must have been to hear Jesus confront the dignified Pharisees and the erudite Sadducees with the words, Quote: “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). A viper injects poison into it victims, and false religious leaders impart serious error into the minds of the gullible.

However, says Solomon, God is neither blind to the deeds, nor deaf to the words of any person, evil or good – and a work of judgment is taking place. Solomon appears to deduce this fact from his earlier observation that God has set a time to consider every single thing and every individual person – and, in particular, every purpose and every deed – apparently implying every motive and every action.

With regard to every deed, or act, Jesus likewise warns that even minute details of our lives will be taken into account in the judgment, saying, Quote: “I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36).

With regard to every purpose, which may well imply motive or thought, Jesus says, Quote: “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery [a deed], but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully [a purpose] has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28)