"HOLIER THAN THOU!!!"......................................................(Eccles. 7:16-18)
*Is there such a thing as "too much of a good thing"?  I believe that this king/preacher is telling us that you can have an over-obsession of religion in your MIND....and miss the HEART of the matter!
(Matt.23:23-"Woe unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise, and cummin, and HAVE OMITTED THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done...")  Simply put, they were legalistic, but not loving!--(There is no greater NUT than a RELIGIOUS NUT!!!)  Jesus in one scripture was EAT UP WITH  THEIR RELIGION, and whipped them out of the temple!
Solomon is known in the bible as a man of many experiments.  With a $400 million salary per year, and having gold and silver as stones for multitude....what could you give this man?  God has already made him the smartest man on earth; and all of the kings of the world bring him the latest inventions, spices, apparel, animals....so, he is well aware of what is too much or too little!
	We would all agree that one can be too wicked, but is there a such thing as being too righteous?  Solomon seems to think so!   Now, before I get started, I do not believe any of us here are HOLY ENOUGH!
(Matt. 5:48-"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.")---
(Lev.20:7-"Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.")

*I think what Solomon wishes to convey to us is that "a person can become so obsessed with the DO'S and DON'TS of religion that it can destroy their life!!!
NICODEMUS was so wrapped up in religion that he was LOST!
CHIAPHAS was the high preist, yet he ordered the death of the Messiah!
JUDAS was the treasurer of the disciples, and committed suicide!

*WHAT IS THE DANGER IN BEING TOO RIGHTEOUS???
(1)---YOU'LL THINK YOUR BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE!
Don't go away from here with the attitude "LET'S NOT OVER DO IT" on Godly things!
(Matt.7:3-"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the BEAM that is in thy own eye?")

(2)---YOU'LL RUIN YOUR EFFECTIVENESS IN WITNESSING!
Nobody wants to listen to someone that has a "holier than thou" attitude!   Jesus was and is the HOLIEST OF ALL; yet  people were not affriad to approach him when they needed help, because he came across as their FRIEND, not FIREBALL!!!

(3)---YOUR ENTIRE ATTITUDE WILL CHANGE
(2 Corin. 5:17-"If any man be in Christ he is a new creature....")  This is true, but there is a difference in a creature and a monster!  I know some monsters out there who do nothing else but feed on controversy!  Do you know church folks like that?  Everything is going fine until the subject of church and God comes up. (SATAN WANTS TO KEEP US ARGUEING ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS)
Solomon is not advocating a "little cussing and swearing" or a little "casual drinking and partying" to balance it out!!!  He's telling us to BE RIGHTEOUS, but don't let it turn you into a GOD OVER OTHERS!!!
Jesus warned about the LONG PRAYERS and the MUCH SPEECH of the over religious!