- For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? -
I know what you’re thinking. Seriously, Hunter, haven’t we discussed this like a hundred times already? How are you going to write another post on this topic again?
Hey! Calm down! There is something different this time!
Stop stalling and get on with it!
Right, Solomon has addressed this before. We cannot know what is to come in our lives, only that whatever it is will be something that has already been.
That seems like an obvious contradiction. Let’s imagine we were having a conversation about politics and foreign affairs.
We would both have opinions about many events to come. Would Christians be more persecuted in the following century? Would this country go to war with this country?
One thing would be true: none of our suggestions would be impossibilities.
You would not suggest that we would lose our mass, that we would learn to colonize black holes, or look like Snoopy characters.
What is the point? Your “predictions” would be widely inaccurate yet common to what man has experienced up to this point.
In short, all that is to come has happened before, yet nothing can be predicted.
Why? Because man will not change. His nature passes from age to age, leading to the same mistakes over and over again.
Yet, he is helpless to see it clearly. He can only know himself dimly, never witnessing the full, detailed picture.
Now, this brings us to the final part of the verse. It is a question, one that is meant to be rhetorical, but appears to have much value in our contemplation over it.
Who can tell us the future? Right, head to the Sunday School answer. God knows the future and can tell us how it will be!
Take this one step further: if God can tell us the future, why doesn’t He?
Think about all the times in your life where an insight into the future would have been extremely helpful. Why did God hide that from you?
God surely doesn’t have to tell you everything that is to come, but maybe we could get a pass or a coupon! Will so-and-so marry me if I ask?
Perhaps God should be corrected for not warning us about the tragedies in our lives. How about a heads-up big guy when the next person we love is going to die.
We have a problem. We have found God appearing to do something so immoral even our immoral selves appear capable to do what is right.
We have two options. We can either accept God’s failure or we can deny ourselves (our nature) and explore with our minds why He may act in this manner which appears cruel on the surface.
What is the answer to our conundrum? God has something to teach us through the raw experience He knows (because He indeed knows the future) we cannot learn by being told.
We must realize apparent missteps in God’s character are excellent opportunities for seeing more of His character.
We are so obsessed with being safe and protected that we would stunt our own growth and knowledge to preserve them.
We may live, but in which kingdom?
His or ours?
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