Part 1 of 3
We are continuing with our study of the book of Ecclesiastes. In these next few articles, we will be looking at 9:11-10:7 under the theme, “Wisdom for Living in a Fallen World.”
Many years ago, I was talking to another Christian about the book of Ecclesiastes and I told him that it is not always an easy book to understand. There are some passages where it is even easy to misunderstand the real point of the preacher. He agreed. He then told me something very interesting. He said that in the past, he used to enjoy reading parts of the book of Ecclesiastes during those moments when he was feeling very down and depressed and when he was not in a right frame of mind. Then when he got out of that state and was feeling better and thinking more clearly, he didn’t find the book so enjoyable.
Most likely, what happened was that in those moments of despair when he read portions of the book, he failed to rightly understand and interpret them in light of the purpose of the book and the rest of scripture. He thought that that was how he ought to think about life when in fact, that was the very opposite of how he should be thinking as a Christian!
I remind us again that one of the keys to understanding Ecclesiastes is to see that the preacher presents us with two approaches to life – one that is based merely on human reasoning and observation and the other that is based on God’s revealed will.
In this passage that we are studying, the preacher, speaking from the under-the-sun perspective, makes three observations about life. First, life is uncertain or unpredictable, 9:11-12. Second, wisdom has its limitations, 9:13-10:4. And finally, life is not as it should be, 10:5-7.
Life is unpredictable (9:11-12)
Verse 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.”
This verse gives us five examples that illustrate how things do not always turn out the way we think they should.
First, the race is not to the swift, i.e. the fastest person does not always win the race. I remember back in August 2011, the world’s fastest man at that time and world record holder for the 100m, Usain Bolt, failed to win the world championships because he was disqualified in the finals for a false start. The entire athletic world was stunned by what happened. The race was not to the swift.
Second, the battle is not to the strong, i.e. the most seasoned and powerful warrior is not always the one who wins the battle or contest. Another sporting illustration might help. Back in 1989, there was a young 17-year-old Asian American tennis player named Michael Chang, who became the youngest player ever to win the French Open and indeed the youngest to win any Grand Slam event. No one gave him any chance at all. He was a young and inexperienced player. He was rather short and small sized compared to the other players.
During his 4th round match against the world number 1, Ivan Lendl, he lost the first two sets and then in the fourth set, he experienced severe leg cramps and considered giving up. But he pressed on and eventually won after a grueling four-and-a-half-hour match.
A few days later in the final, he had another epic match this time with the mighty Stefan Edberg. I remember watching that match live. Our whole family was supporting him and once again, Michael Chang pulled off a sensational victory. As an aside, he was a devout Christian and after winning the French Open, he said, “I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, because without Him, I am nothing.” Indeed, the battle is not always to the strong.
Third, the preacher says, neither yet bread to the wise, i.e. the wise man does not always have an abundance of bread or food.
Fourth, he says, nor yet riches to men of understanding. In other words, the man of understanding does not always get rich.
And fifth and finally, nor yet favour to men of skill. The skillful man is not always in favour with or accepted by other men.
Of these five examples, the first two have to do more with physical abilities while the next three have to do more with mental or intellectual abilities. You would expect the most physically able person to win competitions or battles but that doesn’t always happen. Similarly, you would expect the most mentally competent person to enjoy the best parts of life such as wealth and favour, but again, that does not always happen. People do not always get what you would expect them to get.
Why? Because, from a purely human point of view, everyone in this world is subject to the changing fortunes of life brought about by time and chance. We are all victims of time and chance and luck. We have no or little control over our luck or fortune.
Then in verse 12, the preacher says, “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.”
Here, the unpredictability of life is further illustrated by two images drawn from the animal world. The fishes may swim happily along in the river or sea and the birds may soar effortlessly through the air, but then in an unexpected moment they suddenly find themselves struggling in a trap that will lead to the end of their freedom or their life.
So too, human beings are sometimes suddenly ensnared by evil times that fall unexpectedly on them. The emphasis in this verse is on the suddenness and thus the unexpectedness of the calamity. People remain unaware that the end is upon them until the very last moment.
A few years ago, I read in the news about a 70-year-old man, who was a retired law professor at NUS. He was driving along Upper Thomson Road at 10am when a lorry from the opposite side of the road suddenly lost control and crashed through the center divider and hit his car head on. The SCDF managed to cut through the wreckage and get him to the hospital but sadly he passed away shortly after.
When I read the news, I told my wife that that could easily have been me as I sometimes drive on that road around that time too. But then again, accidents can happen at any time and especially when you least expect it. I’m quite certain that that man did not wake up that morning thinking that something like that would happen to him later that day. The thought probably didn’t even cross his mind. Life can be so unpredictable…
~Ps. Linus Chua