Ecclesiastes Part 10

Verse 10 of Ecclesiastes 6 says that 

“whatever one is, he has been named already, for it is known that he is man [or Adam]; and he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.” 

This is not speaking of each person being named individually in advance. It refers to all being originally given the collective name of man or, specifically, Adam, a name related to Adamah, meaning red earth or soil, the ground from which the first man was formed. This phrase cuts to the very heart of the human condition. Man is of the earth, and of himself cannot truly “rise above.” In fact, his body will return to the earth (12:7), so the name “draws attention to human mortality.” Consider further the fact of being named or identified. Adam received dominion over the other creatures of the earth, which was symbolized by the fact that he named them. But Adam himself was named by God, showing God’s superiority and making it clear that the one whom man “cannot contend with, who is mightier than he” is God. God’s judgment and rule over life stands. People cannot contend with God in the sense of taking Him to court to debate His lack of fairness. Job desired to do this but withdrew his case, recognizing God’s care and righteousness and his own lowliness and sin. Contending with God might also refer to some trying to change the universe to work how they think it should, which is obviously not going to happen. The world is the way it is. Arguing against God or trying to change things only increases vanity or frustration. How are man’s circumstances better? (verse 11).

Verse 12 then asks two questions: Who knows what is good for man all through the course of frustrating and fleeting life? And who can tell a man what will happen afterward with him in this life under the sun? The rendering that some versions have of “after he is gone” seems incorrect, as that appears irrelevant to the point here. Of course, none of us can say what is always for the best and what is to follow. The answer to both questions here is God—and only God.

Looking back through the chapter, we can see how this applies. With the issue of wealth at the outset, we might think of all we want and imagine that it is "good" to be prosperous. But what do we know? It is revealed here that wealth can end up as an effective curse. In verse 2, we see that the more one has, the more one has to lose. And here it is lost. Yet is that necessarily a “bad” thing? It is a calamitous affliction, as described. Perhaps it saves the person from becoming worse like the utterly joyless person described in the verses that follow. And certainly, the lesson is beneficial to others. The fact is, only God can say whether various circumstances in life are ultimately good or bad, as only He understands their full context and impact and what will yet happen. Coming to accept this is to embrace the life of faith, trusting in God’s sovereign direction and plan even though we do not understand all the things He brings about or allows to happen in life.

The Preach the Word commentary says this about the calamitous loss at the beginning of the chapter, and it really sums up all we have seen here: “If anything good can come from this unfortunate situation, it is the recognition that our possessions or other pursuits of fulfillment can never bring us lasting joy. The gifts that God gives us and the power to enjoy those gifts come separately. This is why having more money can never guarantee that we will find any enjoyment. Without God, we will still be discontent[ed]. It is only when we keep Him at the center of our existence that we experience real joy in the gifts that God may give. The fear of the Lord is not just the beginning of knowledge; it is also the source of satisfaction” (Ryken, p. 141). Again, true happiness is not a result of directly pursuing happiness but of pursuing a right relationship with God through Christ.

Wisdom Literature is a course taught at ABC by Dr. Urwiller. Recordings from the 2018–2019 class year are available to listen to on the ABC website.

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.