- Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. -
One of the ways humans communicate their mastery over an idea is to give it a name. It allows a single word to communicate the entirety of a thought.
Take the word construction. Think about all the separate trades required to build a home: plumbers, electricians, drywallers, etc., yet the one word allows us to gather them all.
We even do this with historical epochs. We take ~1,000 years of history and call it the Medieval Age, and suddenly we’re talking about European knights.
Does knowing these names make us masters? No, but they allow us to interact with an idea that mankind has mastered.
Now, here is a truly interesting idea. It is known what man is.
Is it?
I mean I know what it is to be a human, but in a way, I know it like I know history, from afar off and with many of the details not filled in.
I know the knights wore armor, but I don’t when chain mail was invented. I’m not particularly sure when King Arthur was king and if he had a round table.
Here’s something I don’t know about man; how is he conscious? Perhaps the answer is, God gave him a soul, but is a soul that which is in me that is conscious?
I don’t have an answer to that question, so don’t expect one.
Crazier than that, I live with that soul-consciousness everyday! And most days, I take it for granted, as if it’s just how life is.
But, I do know somethings about man, if you wanted to talk about the creature and its limitations, which I think Solomon does.
Weak and fragile, especially depending on when you witness him. The infant and old man can do little to protect themselves from wolves.
A small man can easily be overcome by a large man. A weak man is dominated by the strong. The spineless cannot stand before the tyrant.
The bear in the woods makes a mockery of strong tyrants. Only by cunning and a host of men can she be brought down.
Now, despite man’s weaknesses, we have one story in particular that seems to contradict this verse, one that Solomon would undoubtfully be familiar with.
The man who wrestled with God and “prevailed.” The man born as a supplanter who became the leader of the nation whom God would strive with.
Jacob wrestling with God.
It’s a strange story. We don’t even exactly know why Jacob and the “man” he encounters begin their struggle.
The other “man” can win easily, even giving Jacob a lifetime, supernatural injury by merely touching his hip.
Yet at the end, the “man” blesses him and says his name will become Israel, because he has wrestled with God and man and prevailed.
What in the world is the lesson for us?
That God expects us to wrestle with him, to examine him, to try and understand the world he made and our place within it.
Be careful, there are rules to wrestling, and at any time, He can wipe you out.
But, there is a victory there. It’s not one of utter defeat, because how could you conquer God?
The victory is in knowing Him and His purposes, of seeing the truth and beauty of His creation.
That sight cannot be bought with mere acquiescence.
That sight requires triumph.
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