A wise person obeys the law. That, in a nutshell, is the message of Ecclesiastes 8:1–9.[1] Like so much else in Ecclesiastes, the message is obvious and common sensical, but it also raises difficult questions for those who live under difficult governments. The Preacher begins with two questions and two observations. The questions are rhetorical. Wisdom makes a person incomparably valuable because he understands God, the world, and himself. The observations relate to the effects of wisdom, which makes a person happy (shining face) and ready to change bad habits (unhardened face). Now, according to the Preacher, a wise person … Continue reading Wisdom and Government (Ecclesiastes 8:1–9)