The sum of these verses is, “The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.” Moderation was a common life practice of past generations. Solomon and I witnessed that some righteous and some wicked go to extremes to their ruin (15-17). He and I also witnessed that some wise people become so book-headed that they are useless and empty, just as some fools become so much so that they live in utter poverty or the insane institution.
How does fear of God help a person to live a balanced lifestyle? These verses guarantee that if I fear God I will not be legalistic religious and not evil; both of which destroy self. What is fear of God? Fearing God is similar to loving God. In fact, one cannot truly exist without the other. These two are part of a life of moderation; fear God and love God.
Fearing God is deeply understanding that he can control everything; God is in charge. Fearing God means I know he knows the motivation of my actions. (2 Cor. 5:11) God knows my inner thoughts and feelings. Fearing God has the knowledge and belief that he judges every action, feeling, and thought.
Thus, the person who fears God will avoid all extremes.
