Ecclesiastes 9:11- I 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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.(KJV)

Time and chance-A devotion from Joseph Prince is what started this series. The study below is informative and is worth your time to read it. When I looked on Bible Gateway most translations used the phrase “time and chance” even though it may not be the best choice of words. The paraphrase Bibles did a better job in rendering this phrase. It was frustrating to actually see the word luck used. I have said, “It is bad luck to be superstitious.” Deuteronomy 8:18 does clarify this- “It is God that gives the ability to gain wealth.” To live in His blessings is better than always hoping for a miracle. I am, however, glad for both.

https://www.josephprince.com/meditate-devo/time-and-chance

Under the Sun-Solomon uses this phrase twenty-seven times in Ecclesiastes according to the NIV Bible. It is a novel way to talk about everyone that is living. Ecclesiastes 8:15 and 9:13 carry an uplifting message, while most are pointing to truths about laboring, toil, and evils done by men.

Solomon-He is a classic piece of fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. His great achievement was building the First Temple. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs are attributed to him. I have no doubt that several Psalms (probably unnamed ones) were written by him; #72 and 127 bear his name. Even with all of this knowledge he chose to do evil and built temples and altars for all of the wives he should not have married. The New Testament list him in the genealogy for “Joseph” found in Matthew, refers to his splendor, and when the Queen of the South came to him, the others refer to the temple he built and the Colonnade named for him in Herod’s temple.

Could it be that Ecclesiastes 9:11 was written by Solomon to describe himself?   

Thought Question

Consider the legacy Solomon left Rehoboam, how did he treat the people of Israel?