Solomon
once again encourages those who would serve God to adopt a philosophical
outlook, play a long game, keep things in their true perspective and
learn to accept uncertainty. No man knows the future,
says Solomon, so that even the king in the previous section to whom
we must defer actually has very limited and temporary power.
Even
the mightiest tyrant has absolutely no power over the day
of his death -- at which time the human spirit
departs the physical body. No matter how wicked and powerful any man
becomes, he cannot escape this destiny. Perhaps the word spirit is repeated
in order to assure us that there is much to man than mere atoms and
molecules – as Jesus stresses when he tells us not to fear those
who can merely kill the body, but rather to fear God who can destroy
the wicked totally (Matthew 10:28).
Although
we cannot predict the future, which might be regarded as simply an older
version or extrapolation of the past, the wise person does his best
to shape it by setting goals that he then translates into specific objectives
and practical tactics. However, life does work like clockwork and even
the most carefully planned project has to be continuously monitored
and pulled back on track – just like a rocket to the moon, which
actually zig-zags along, spending much of the journey being nudged back
on course by mission control.
Perhaps
Jesus also has these verses in mind when he asks, Quote: “Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew
6:27). Although we may nurse a comfortable feeling of immortality, especially
when things are going well, our next breath might be our last and today
the final day of our life.
Such,
in fact, was the message of Jesus’ parable about the rich fool,
which has God saying to the stereotypical Koheleth, Quote: “You
fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.
Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Jesus
then adds: “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things
for himself but is not rich towards God” (Luke 12:20-21).
Perhaps
James is making the same point as Solomon when he says to Christian
merchants who were apparently over-confident about the future and probably
overly preoccupied with their business affairs, Quote: “Now listen,
you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend
a year there, carry on business and make money -- Why, you do not even
know what will happen tomorrow!” (James 4:13-14).