ECCLESIASTES 9.11-12

11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong [strongest warrior], neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time [opportunity] and chance [event, incident, occurrence] fall on all men.

12. For man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

The phrase I returned marks the beginning of a new topic.

In Proverbs and in the previous section of Ecclesiastes, Solomon also expounded important principles of personal success, but here he apparently sees the world with a more cautious realism – observing that, for those who strive for fame and fortune, the race is not to the swift, necessarily, nor the battle to the strongest warrior.

Such is the scheme of things that the wisest and most capable businessmen may not become the richest, nor the most accomplished performers the most acclaimed. Life is not quite as simple as the inspirational writers of self-help books would have us believe.

One reason for such disappointment, he explains, is that time and chance fall on all men. The word time can be rendered as opportunity, meaning that we can be in the right place at the right time, so that things go unexpectedly well -- or conversely that we can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so that the best-laid plans are frustrated.

The word chance can be rendered as incident or occurrence, implying that unforeseen events, such as personal illness or that of a family member, may also frustrate our plans. Such is the nature of the world in which we live – and such is life for all men.

Perhaps Jesus has the words of Solomon from this particular section in mind when he says of some people killed in an accident, Quote: “Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you no!” (Luke 13:4). Time and chance fall on all men – good and bad alike.

It is interesting that Solomon’s introductory parable in this section of Ecclesiastes concerns a race, a warrior in personal battle and a deliberate focus on individual effort – where wise, skilled and ambitious, men, like Solomon the youthful and talented Koheleth, strive to achieve personal success and glory.

Such individual success cannot, however, be guaranteed, despite the most arduous training and painstaking preparation – and the main message of this first parable may well be that true success may lie in a totally different direction, in a creative reversal of our efforts, not only in giving rather than getting, but in working in a team rather than alone, in cooperation with other people for a common good, as demonstrated by modern business corporations which have made amazing prosperity available to the masses in many parts of the world. Such organizations require wise and well-educated leaders and managers with a vision of excellence for all and a mission to unleash the creative intelligence of every individual.