11 ¶ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to
the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of
skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the
fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the
snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly
upon them.
Solomon speaks here of what we all have seen, the
uncertainty of events, and that in spite of all of our talents and preparations
things do not always go as planned. From our point of view, in this life,
randomness tends to look like it is in charge of things. However, when we study
the book of Job we see clearly that nothing, not even the minutest process of
nature, happens without God’s direct intervention. By this, the idea that your
will can produce any desired consequence without God’s permission or direction
is laughable.
Job 38:38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the
clods cleave fast together? 39 Wilt thou
hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, 40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in
the covert to lie in wait?
And Isaiah relates to us the very words of God in an
advanced understanding of what is. Some people, brainwashed by the popular
culture and a dualism from Asia, think that evil is the absence of God. But,
they are wrong. In the context of the verse following we have evil or violence
and disaster in opposition to peace, as light is in opposition to darkness, but
all by the hand of God’s permissive or directive will.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make
peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Some foolish preachers have even declared that Hell,
mankind’s natural destination without Christ, is the absence of God. However;
Psalm 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
According to the Bible, randomness is an illusion. Solomon,
looking at things strictly from our perspective, sees randomness in control,
although it appears to be part of the overall point he will make at the end.
Man and woman do not know when they will die anymore than an
animal knows when it will be caught in a net or a snare. Death and destruction
can and often do fall on human beings when they least expect it or had other
plans.
Deuteronomy 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence;
their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand,
and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
Don’t be surprised to learn that the study of history is the
study of unintended consequences. Learn that nothing can happen without God’s
permission or His direction.
13 ¶
This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14 There was a little city, and few men
within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built
great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there
was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet
no man remembered that same poor man. 16
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s
wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more
than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much
good.
Solomon remarks about how the wisdom of a poor man often
goes unnoticed. One of the striking things about our system of government is
the fable told in school that anyone can be the president. Of course, a factory
worker has no chance to be president unless he has made his way through the
ranks of politics and become tarnished by a worldly philosophy. If he is not
corrupted over time he will be marginalized as a crackpot and a loon. Common
sense, justice, and decency are not respected in the political world. Access to
powerful backers and an ability to manipulate the media are.
Solomon repeats a much used thought of his that wisdom is
better than strength. Here it is better than weapons of war. But, while wisdom
is more certain than might it is rarely heard and it only takes one idiot in
power to ruin a good work. We have the privilege of knowing what happened with
Solomon’s son who, in his stupidity and arrogance, lost a substantial part of
the kingdom his father and grandfather had made. As in verses 11 &12
Rehoboam did not realize the consequences of his foolishness. See 1Kings 12 to
see how this happened.
We, as human beings, don’t know when our end will be and
often, in spite of all of our best preparations, don’t achieve the success we
view should be ours. Some people appear very lucky and in spite of equal talent
and ability others appear to be losers. You do your best and live right before
God and pray for success and that God will use you in some way but the outcome
and what He has planned for you or what He will allow to happen to you are
beyond your control. When you get to the end of your life you might think what
a great person you are and how you’ve been the captain of your fate and the
master of your destiny as in the pagan poem, Invictus, by William Ernest Henley. But, God will laugh at your, “unconquerable
soul,” in the end. The Bible shows that God, not you, is the master of your
fate, and you would do well to consider that.
For every ten thousand ambitious, money-hungry people who
were taught and believed that the world was their oyster and they were a pearl
of great value there are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine who
finished their lives in frustration and unrealized dreams. The seemingly,
limitless opportunities of youth whether it be in sports, business,
entertainment, academia, or politics often become the bitter memories of a life
that got away.
The king who authorized the translation of this Bible wrote
a pamphlet of advice to the son he thought would reign after him. That son died
prematurely and the son who did reign was a fool who eventually was beheaded in
a revolt. For all of our best intentions we cannot know what will come after
us.
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