Fate, Predestinarianism and Free Choice ? (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

5 min readJul 28, 2024

“I returned to see under the sun that the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

Fate, Predestinarianism and Free Choice

Fate or fatalism, Predestinarianism are not Bible teachings. We are not programmed to do good or bad, but according to the “free choice”, we choose to do good or bad (Deuteronomy 30:15). This view of fate or fatalism is closely linked to the idea that many people have about the omniscience of God and his ability to know the future. We will see how God uses his omniscience and ability to know events ahead of time. We will see from the Bible, that God uses it in a selective and discretionary way or for a specific purpose, by several biblical examples.

God uses his omniscience in a discretionary and selective way

Did God know that Adam would sin? According to the context of Genesis 2 and 3, not at all. How God would have given a command that He would have known in advance that Adam would have disobeyed? This would have been contrary to His Love and everything had been done for this command not to be “burdensome” (1 John 4:8; 5:3). We will take two biblical examples that demonstrate that God uses his ability to know the future in a selective and discretionary way. But also, that He always use this ability for a specific purpose.

The first example is the one with Abraham. In Genesis 22:1–14, there is the very painful account for Abraham of God’s request to sacrifice his son Isaac. By asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, did He know in advance whether Abraham would be able to obey? Depending on the immediate context of the story, He did not know. While at the last moment God prevented Abraham from doing such an act, it is written this: “Do not harm the boy, and do not do anything at all to him, for now I do know that you are God-fearing because you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me” (Genesis 22:12). It is written “now I do know that you are God-fearing”. The sentence “now I do know”, shows that God did not know whether Abraham would fully follow through on this request.

The second example concerns the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Shortly before the destruction of these two cities, Jehovah said this to Abraham: “Then Jehovah said: “The outcry against Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah is indeed great, and their sin is very heavy. 21 I will go down to see whether they are acting according to the outcry that has reached me. And if not, I can get to know it.”” (Genesis 18:20,21). The fact that God sent two angels to verify a scandalous situation, demonstrates once again that at first, He did not have all the evidence to make a decision, and in this case, He used his ability to know or to inform himself, by means of two angels.

If we read the different prophetic biblical books, we will find that God always uses his ability to know the future for a very specific purpose (Zechariah’s prophecy; Daniel’s prophecy). Let’s take a simple biblical example. While Rebecca was pregnant with twins, the problem was which of the two children would be the ancestor of the nation chosen by God. For that, God had to use his foreknowledge to designate which of the two unborn children would be worthy of such a privilege: “Re·bekʹah became pregnant. And the sons within her began to struggle with each other, so that she said: “If this is the way it is, why should I go on living?” So she inquired of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from within you; and the one nation will be stronger than the other nation, and the older will serve the younger.”” (Genesis 25:21–26).

The eldest being Esau, ancestor of the nation of Edom, was effectively supplanted in his birthright by his younger brother Jacob, ancestor of the nation of Israel, for having sold him for a simple dish of lentils (Genesis 25:34). This demonstrated that Esau was a man devoid of spirituality, and that God used his foreknowledge to choose the best man, Jacob, to be the founder of his special nation, Israel (Hebrews 12:16,17). This does not mean that Jehovah God interfered in the free choice of Jacob and Esau, to influence them, one to be spiritual and the other fleshly. Jehovah God made a simple observation of each genetic makeup (even if it is not genetics that fully controls future behavior), and then in his foreknowledge, He made a projection in the future to know what kinds of men they were going to become: “Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; All its parts were written in your book Regarding the days when they were formed, Before any of them existed” (Psalms 139:16). Based on this foreknowledge, God made his choice (Romans 9:10–13).

To emphasize this very focused use of the foreknowledge of God, we can take a last example. After the death of the traitor Judas Iscariot, he had to be replaced by another apostle. Now the apostles had to choose between two men, Barsabbas Justus and Matthias. The apostles prayed that God would choose the man: “And they prayed and said: “You, O Jehovah, who know the hearts of all, designate which one of these two men you have chosen, to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas deviated to go to his own place.” So they cast lots over them, and the lot fell upon Mat·thiʹas; and he was reckoned along with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:24–26). “You, O Jehovah, who know the hearts of all”, shows that in some cases God uses his foreknowledge to make the best choice over the person, without interfering with the free will of the human being.

THE SPIRITUAL MAN (Existential meditation on the biblical book of Ecclesiastes):

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The Promise of God. The complete explanation of Genesis 3:15.

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