©Bonnie LaBelle
Chapter 9:11-18 (ESV) - Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Question to consider: If life under the sun is all there is, how can we call something good or evil?
In yesterday’s passage, Solomon concluded with what he considered the best someone could hope for if there was nothing beyond our time under the sun. I’ve actually never understood the atheist who squanders his life in an ongoing attempt to recruit others to his point of view. If someone truly believes this is all there is, good and evil become relative terms, and unless someone falls into despair from the pointlessness of life, it would seem best to enjoy everything there is to enjoy in this world for as long as we can.
By grace, the Lord allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. He has created beautiful skies and seasons, given us senses to enjoy the flavor of well-prepared meals or the smell of fresh flowers. He has created a variety of personalities and cultures to explore, and a creative mind that produces complex music scores, artwork, and literature.
We live in a time in which people can make money from a computer and sell their products to someone on the other side of the globe. We can travel by air, land, and sea. Soon, we may even have interplanetary travel.
Without the resurrection of the dead, there is no rhyme or reason to anything so we can’t expect good outcomes for those who do good and bad outcomes for those who do evil. The example of the net and the snare demonstrate that people face unexpected tragedies that disrupt our expectations.
If we put all our hope in things that can be taken away, we set ourselves up to despair. Solomon expressed that the wise man who remains in obscurity is better than the ruler who shouts at a group of fools. However, if all we have to measure good and bad is a life of vanity, these are empty words that express the opinions of a foolish ruler.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for creating beauty and giving all people a taste of Your goodness. May it give us a longing for righteousness and a way to see what Jesus has done for us. Amen.