Ecclesiastes 9:11-1811I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. 13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. (Ecclesiastes 9:11‑18).
While a wise king was watching the things, which happened in his land, he saw that the swiftest runner did not always win the race; nor the strongest army always will the battle; they might have trouble and fail. He said,
“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither bread to the wise, not yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
The king had also seen that trouble might come very suddenly, “as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. Ecc, 9:12.
Since no one knows what trouble may come or when, it is best to ask the Lord to guide our ways, and to trust His will every day, then He can help us, even in our troubles.
The king told of one great army which did not conquer a small city, he said,
“There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
“Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.” Ecc. 9:14,15.
We are not told how the poor man saved the city, but he made some wise plan, so the great army could not take the city.
Yet was it not strange that the man who saved the city from the enemy was not rewarded or remembered? The king also said,
“Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless, the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”
Perhaps that story may now remind us that the world is like that little city. A great enemy, Sin, would bring lasting death to all people, but the Lord Jesus came as a poor man, and made a way that all who trust Him might be saved.
The people of the little city had to believe the poor wise man, and take his plan to save them; so now, we must believe the Lord Jesus: His way to save us was by His own death. Do we remember and thank Him?
What is better than weapons of war? (Ecc. 9:18).
How many times are the words, “under the sun” in Ecc. 8:9.