Indistinctness between Man and Beasts (Ecc 3: 18-22)

INDISTINCTNESS BETWEEN MAN AND BEASTS (Ecc 3: 18-22):

The author affirms that God will judge everyone on everything according to every deed. The author would have probably thought of the people who don’t believe in God and his judgment, and that could be the possible reason for his comparison of man with beasts using similar things they undergo. The author writes that he said in his heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are beasts. God made and makes everything in the world, since the beginning of time. God made man in his own image, which is the uniqueness of human beings, but there are also certain similarities in comparison with the beasts of the land in some characteristics. The author perceives that what happens to the children of man does happen also to the beasts, especially the author quotes that as beasts die, children of man also dies. The author also says that both man and the beast have the same breath of life when looked at physically and man has no advantage over the beasts which makes the life of human beings with no special meaning and purpose.

After death, the body of the beasts, as well as the body of human beings, go to the same place that is the ground and all will be decayed. God created the man through the mud of ground and as it is from the dust, all will return to the dust of ground after decay. After pointing out the major similarities at an agnostic or atheistic point of view, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes points out the major difference between man and beast through a thought-provoking question, who knows whether the spirit of the man, goes upward and the spirit of the beast, goes down into the earth. The author himself is uncertain about what happens to whom or what is the purpose of the existence of the things around without the factor of God in life.

The author concludes all that he had thought, perceived, and reflected by saying that he saw nothing better than a man to rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Everything happens in God’s time as the Lord had established. God’s task is unchanging as he endures forever, whereas man is very finite and feeble. Man cannot change anything that God is determined to do and He judges everyone at His time. So, the author says that there is nothing better for a man to rejoice and be glad in what he does, for that’s the gift from God. Rejoicing and being glad in toils is possible only with the right values, right attitude, and right actions. The author also knew the limitation of mankind that there is an end for everyone, even the conqueror of the whole world and he ends his thoughts with the question, who can bring him to see what will be after him.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.    About whom does the author say in his heart?

2.    What does the author say about the children of man? Why?

3.    What do you mean by ‘God is testing’?

4.    How the author compare man and beasts?

5.    Why does the author compare man and beasts?

6.    How does all go to one place and return to dust?

7.    What is the question that the author has about Spirit? Why?

8.    What is the better thing according to the author? Why?

9.    How could you differentiate yourself from beasts as you relate with God?

10.    What could be done when there are uncertainty and no meaning about certain things around?

11.    How you can rejoice in your work?