Ecclesiasties 9:11

During my fourth semester of Hebrew, we were required to complete 5 devotionals in which we would translate a verse of the Old Testament and give the context and application of the verse. Below is my work on Ecclesiastes 9:11.

I turned to see under the sun that the race is not to the swift ones, nor is the battle to the mighty. Also, bread is not to the wise and also riches are not to the discerning ones. Also favor is not to the skilled, but time and chance will befall all of them.

 

Biblical Context:

            This verse touches on a main theme in the book of Ecclesiastes, that life is absurd and often doesn’t make sense. There is no guarantee of immediate success. Of course, often times the fastest runner will win the race, and the intelligent and discerning will acquire favor and food and riches, but this is not always the case because there are millions with unrecognized abilities. Furthermore, skill, strength, wisdom and knowledge cannot alter the onset of trouble, hard times, or calamity.

Life application:

            Christians sometimes have an unrealistic optimism in their faith. If they do everything right everything will be ok – nothing bad will happen. There is the tendency to reduce faith and what it means to be faithful to a formula. Therefore, when something bad does happen, their faith is shaken. God makes no such promises in the Old Testament, or the New. We need to be realistic about our human limitations, and what faith in Christ means. We cannot control others, only ourselves especially when dealing with the ideals of a secular world. We will encounter those who do not wish us well, but rather seek to harm us. We will encounter illness, financial troubles, and death. We will not always win while walking this earth, but rather we should turn our eyes heavenward and wait for the day when all our deeds, skills and abilities, good and bad, will be acknowledged before our Creator. We cannot trust in this world, but in the one who created it.

            Matthew 10:22 picks up on this theme. Jesus has come to save the world, and is sending his commissioned ambassadors to spread the good news of what He has done. They should be warmly received right? Wrong. "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to to the end who will be saved." Matthew explains that to be a Christian is to place yourself in the hands of the Creator in an unsafe and tumultuous world. We are called to be representatives of Christ, in all places, to all peoples. We have the good news about the bread of life! But we may still starve. We travel to reveal the known God to the world, and we will still suffer and be killed. While we live on this earth, we are subject to time and chance. We may not finish the race first, but as long as we finish, great things await us.