What is the meaning of God created mankind upright ?(Ecclesiastes 7:29)

Answer:

When God created humanity, He made us in His perfect image, without any flaws, both physically and spiritually. This truth is clearly stated in

Genesis 1:27 (NIV): “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

In this state of perfection, Adam and Eve were created to live in harmony with God, experiencing His love, peace, and the joy of His creation. They were endowed with knowledge, the ability to choose, and the fear of God, which would allow them to live in accordance with His will.

However, Genesis 3:6 (NIV) records the turning point:

Genesis 3:6 (NIV) “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”

In this moment, Adam and Eve decided to abandon their trust in God and chose to follow their own desires. Rather than continuing in the perfect state in which God had created them, they sought something else—an independence from God, thinking they could gain wisdom and power like Him. This disobedience resulted in the fall of humanity, and sin entered the world, bringing with it pain, suffering, and separation from God (see Romans 5:12).

The theological lesson here is profound: humanity was created to live in perfect relationship with God, but in seeking their own way, they sought to make their own rules, and that pursuit of independence from God’s design led to spiritual death. Romans 3:23 (NIV) affirms this, stating,

Romans 3:23 (NIV), “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Even today, we continue to see this behavior reflected in human culture. People often try to alter their appearances or even their essence, believing they can improve themselves or achieve perfection outside of God’s original design. For instance, many alter their skin tone, use makeup to change their features, or undergo surgeries to reshape their bodies. These are modern versions of the “many schemes” or “inventions” mentioned in Ecclesiastes 7:29, as people seek ways to redefine their identity according to their own desires rather than accepting the way God created them.

This desire to change oneself is a form of rejecting God’s perfect creation. In Psalm 139:14 (NIV), the psalmist declares,

Psalm 139:14 (NIV), “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

To reject how God made us is, in a sense, to reject God’s work and wisdom in creating us.

The ultimate theological truth is that God’s plan for humanity is for us to embrace who we are as His image-bearers, and to live in a relationship with Him. The more we seek to change ourselves based on worldly standards, the more we deviate from God’s perfect design. In Romans 12:2 (NIV), we are instructed:

Romans 12:2 (NIV),“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

This transformation happens when we align our lives with God’s will, accepting ourselves as He created us, and living in accordance with His purpose for us.

Rather than searching for solutions in “many schemes” or inventions, we are called to trust in God’s original design and find contentment in living according to His will. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) reminds us,