“1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. 16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment--wickedness was there, in the place of justice--wickedness was there. 17 I thought in my heart, ‘God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.’ 18 I also thought, ‘As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?’ 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?” Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 (NIV)
“Make the Word come alive to us, Father make it come alive….” There is something so much grander involved in all the activity of the human life than simply our mere existence in the here and now, Amen and Praise Jesus to that! God is always working. Even Solomon writes of this in our verses for today in verse 11B:
“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11B
The Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13:12:
“12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
Paul tells us while we live on this earth there remains a contrast between the imperfect time and sight in which we are presently living and, and the perfect time and sight awaiting the church when the partial reflection of the present will give way to the splendor of the perfect vision of Christ and paradise. And then there will most assuredly be a collective AHHHHHHH. I am confident our human terms presently lack the descriptive excellence of what we will behold. The Bible uses terms such as “joy unspeakable”, “peace passing understanding”, “love passing knowledge”, and “riches unsearchable”. Completed understanding that presently remains veiled to the human eye and mind as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:8-9:
9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:8-9 (NIV)
Paul also tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 we are to encourage each other regarding our true and final dwelling place:
“16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Heaven is our home, and earth is our inn, to accommodate us in our pilgrimage, and angels, are our guard. We truly have no idea what we have been saved from or what we have been saved for.
Then Paul would see God as God now saw Paul. Partial knowledge will then be displaced by the perfect knowledge of God. John writes in 1 John 3:2:
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (NIV)
God’s Word teaches us not to simply look upon things as only in the present – how our actions or lack of actions effect simply our here and now - our eternal state is also effected by what we do or do not do in the present. Our focus is to be on Jesus, constantly investigating our hearts and wills and ways. The heart matters – it always matters - as it will demonstrate what we truly believe. As the heart goes so goes the actions and the outcome of our actions matter when God will direct all things to His heavenly sweet end that never ends. This fuels both our joy and hope and helps lessen our feelings of monotony and meaninglessness as well as helps us to persevere when trials and tribulations abound. We are to be kingdom people – again, earth is not our home but our passage. Heaven is our home. Our lives have great purpose here. They matter. What we do or do not do, matters. To be sure, there is a plan for each one of us as we have talked about many times before and it is a plan to prosper and not harm us and to give us a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:10-14 states:
“10 This is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity.’” Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NIV)
Paul also tells us in Ephesians 2:10:
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
Indeed, we are the great losers if we chose not to walk according to His way and wisdom. Just like the Israelites did over and over and over again as Jeremiah 6:16 tells us:
16 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
There’s only one sure way to walk: Leaning wholly on the Way Himself. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. His call to all is “Follow Me”. He gives us His Word and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel and we, my sweet friends, are the ultimate losers if we neglect this high calling. It’s pride and the desire to go our own way thinking we know best that keeps us from the best. It is He that refreshes our lives with His love – His mercies and faithfulness are new every morning. What do we really want from this life we’ve been given? It’s only when you live in the presence of God, that you get the present of actually living. We can set our hope that God is what He has declared Himself to be in His Word – He is the Rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him – the Fountain of all true happiness and peace.
We do not want to be like Solomon who walked according to his own ways. It was not because of ignorance that Solomon walked as he walked, it was pure disobedience. He knew what he was supposed to do and not do, yet he chose to go his own way over God’s – disregarding His law - and he reaped the consequences which inevitably falls from that. Trust me, disobedience to God never turns out pretty. To will what He wills brings peace, Amen?
Unlike us, God is never taken by surprise. He is totally Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent – He knows all, He is everywhere, He is all-powerful. God states in Isaiah 46:8-11:
8 “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Isaiah 46:8-11 (NIV)
Again, God states in Isaiah 40:13-14
13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? 14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? Isaiah 40:13-14 (NIV)
And again in Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)
God also tells Habakkuk in his confusion over God’s actions in Habakkuk 1:2-5:
2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. The Lord’s Answer 5 “Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. Habakkuk 1:2-5 (NIV)
Trust me, we are clueless over many of God’s ways. I just want to know what I can know – what God has shown me through His revealed will and that is His precious Word. He has given us ALL we need to know and we are the losers if we do not study it and take it to heart. I am reminded of the encounter Job had with God. In a brief period of time Job became our Patriarch of Suffering (a title none of us would seek). He was left with nothing but boils on his body, and both a wife and friends giving him bad advice – not a very comforting, sweet picture, Amen? Yet throughout the 42 Chapters, Job did not lose his integrity. His “Why” turned in to a “Who”. Midway through the ordeal, the reader gets a glimmer of how this Patriarch was able to continue on. We see in Job 23:8-13:
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 11 My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. 13 But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases.” Job 23:8-13 (NIV)
His terror was not due to his sinful nature rather it was because of the Lord’s Awesome Nature. He knew his destiny was secure. We see in Job 19:25-27:
25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 (NIV)
So certain was Job of his seeing God that he repeated this point. The Hebrew word for see is the same in verses 26 and 27A. Also Job twice emphasized the word I in verses 25 and 27 — literally, “I, even I, know,” and “I, even I, will see” Him. This gazing on God for all eternity will be with his own eyes (either the eyes of his resurrected body, or figuratively the eyes of his soul). Job would no longer be like a stranger to God, for God would be on his side.
This thought so overwhelmed Job that he exclaimed, My heart yearns literally “my kidneys,” which were considered the seat of the emotions, “waste away” within me! He was emotionally drained by the very thought of meeting God and having Him once and for all vindicate rather than make his cause without effect.
We know the “Why” in Job’s story while Job did not – but what Job did know was the “Who”. And to be sure, He is Who He is all the time and we are all to know this as well. At the end of the book God gives Job no answers only questions to get him to see how totally other He is. Indeed, the “I AM” is so far above us that even if He were to answer all of our questions, we still would not be able to understand it. Job responds in Job 42:1-5 with:
1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6 (NIV)
Craig Troxel writes: “Godly character comes by trials and persecutions. These difficulties train us and reveal whether our knowledge of Jesus has sunk down into our spiritual bones. They test our faith to show whether our cognition has become our conviction, our firm resolve. Obedience to Him in adversity proves whether we are committed to Christ as Lord. Sincere faith enables us to face mounting adversity, to repel temptation, and to endure long seasons of painful trial. A Christian perseveres through suffering by looking away from his or her weakness and looking to Christ and His strength. That is what faith is. In faith we surrender our self-sufficiency and place our trust in Christ.” Craig Troxel
“Every Christian undergoes an extended low time when all the sweetness of Christ’s presence seems distant and His support seems absent. Such seasons asses our heart to see if we will, as C.S. Lewis expresses it, ‘carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish.’ Will we obey even though we do not feel like it? God is teaching us how to walk, and so, from time to time, He withdraws His hand to see what we will do (even though He already knows). In times like that, we become unusually useful to the King (and dangerous to the enemy) – because we are obeying whether we feel incentives or not, we are praying even though the petitions feel dry, and we are seeking the good of others when it is of no advantage to us. This is true commitment. It is a mark of sterling obedience from the heart’s will.” Craig Troxel
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:12:
“12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (NIV)
Jesus tells us in John 15:18-21:
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. John 15:18-21 (NIV)
Puritan writer David Clarkson writes:
“The love of Christ daily loads us with benefits. He gives us nothing but what is good. All His ways prove good to us. This is a great privilege of those whom Christ loves; nothing shall befall them, but what shall prove good for them. They may conclude, in whatever condition they are in, it is the best for them, and if it had not been so, they would have never been brought into it; and whenever it shall cease to be so, they shall be removed out of it. This is the sweetest privilege, yet the most difficult to believe at all times, since there is often great opposition to it by our sense and reason, yet it is most true. Christ’s love gives us whatever is good.” David Clarkson
Scripture proves this to be true as well. God’s overriding purpose is to conform us into the image of His Son. Romans 8:28-30 states:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)
The Psalmist writes in Psalms 84:11:
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalms 84:11 (NIV)
Lastly, King David writes in Psalms 34:8-10:
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalms 34:8-10 (NIV)
Kristen Clark writes:
“God knows the waiting is hard for us as humans. He knows it’s challenging for us. Ultimately, though, He knows it’s good for us. The waiting causes us to come face-to-face with our own inability to do anything about it. The waiting forces us to look in the mirror and acknowledge that we’re not in control.” Kristen Clark
“God knows that our greatest need isn’t to get what we want out of life but to get more God into our life. And if we’re totally honest with ourselves, one of the best ways for us to see our need for Him is through the lens of our unfulfilled longings.” Kristen Clark
Our lives are valuable and God does not want us to waste them - to say the least! He sent His Son to die for each and every one of them. We are important! Indeed, we are all part of His-story. Created in His image, we are to be bearers of His glory to our spheres of influence.
We know of life cycles as in flowers and insects but humans have histories. A bee is pretty much like another bee, right? But human beings are unique – no two stories are the same. Indeed no fingerprint is the same. If individuals are not unique then we are unimportant; and if we are unimportant, then life has no meaning. And if life has no meaning, life isn’t worth living. We might as well subscribe to the Epicurean philosophy of “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we will die.” With no history, there is no heritage. And with no heritage from the past there is no legacy for the future.
Solomon who was out to prove that life was monotonous and meaningless and was nothing more than grasping soap bubbles and chasing after the wind. Yet, he was too smart to leave his suppositions unchallenged and in Ecclesiastes Chapters 3 – 10 he reexamined each of them carefully. His first argument was the monotony of life in Ecclesiastes 1:4-11, and he examined it in Ecclesiastes 3:1-5:9. He discovered four factors that must be considered before you can say that life is monotonous and meaningless.
First, he saw something above man, a God Who was in control of time and Who balanced life’s experiences in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Here he describes the seasons of life yet he does not prescribe what we should do. He merely describes the full scale of life’s activities on earth by moving through fourteen pairs of opposites. These are meant to paint a complete picture of reality and life on earth. The point of the poem is the inevitable sameness and monotony of life under the sun in this cursed world apart from God. Then he saw something within man that linked him to God – eternity in his heart in Ecclesiastes 3:9-14. Thirdly, Solomon saw something ahead of man – the certainty of death in Ecclesiastes 3:15-22. Lastly, he saw something around man – the problems and burdens of life in Ecclesiastes 4:1-5:9.
Solomon asked his listeners to look up, to look within, to look ahead, and to look around, and to take into consideration time, eternity, death and suffering. These are the four factors God uses to keep our lives from becoming monotonous and meaningless. We will consider the first three of these factors today.
We are to look up – God orders time. We do not have to be a rocket scientist or great philosopher to know that times and seasons are a regular part of life, no matter where you live. Were it not for the dependability of God-ordained “natural laws”, both science and daily life would be chaotic if not impossible. But our God is a God of order not chaos. Chaos and confusion is of the evil one. Not only are there times and seasons in this world, but there is also an overruling providence in our lives. From before our birth to the moment of our death, God is accomplishing His divine purposes, even though we don’t always understand what He is doing.
In fourteen statements, Solomon affirmed that God is at work in our individual lives, seeking to accomplish His will. All these events come from God, and they are good in their time. The inference is plain: If we cooperate with God’s timing, life will not be meaningless. Everything will be “beautiful in His time” (verse 11), even the most difficult experiences of life. The problem is we so often kick against what is God’s best for our lives – not embracing what He allows with joy. Remember, if it is not for our best interest it would not be allowed. Also, God is amazing at making beauty from our ashes.
Most of these statements are easy to understand and so we will only examine those that need special examination.
Birth and death (verse 2): Birth and death are not human accidents; they are divine appointments, for God is in control. It is God Who gives life and it is God who takes away life as well. Scripture is replete with verses regarding this: Genesis 29:31-30:24; 33:5; Joshua 24:3; 1 Samuel 1:9-20; Psalms 113:9; Psalms 127; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Luke 1:5-25; Galatians 1:15; 4:4 and we could keep going. Psalms 139:13-16 states that God so wove us together in the womb that our genetic structure is perfect for the work He has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). David writes in verse 16: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”.
Plant and Uproot (verse 2): The Jews could appreciate the seasons being an agricultural people. Men may plow and sow but only God gives the increase. David writes in Psalms 65:9-13:
“9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. 10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 12 The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. 13 The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” Psalms 65:9-13 (NIV)
A successful farmer knows that nature works for him only if he works with nature. This is also the secret of a successful life: learn God’s principles and cooperate with them.
Killing and Healing (verse 3): This probably refers not to war (verse 8) or self-defense, but to the results of sickness and plague in the land. 1 Samuel 2:6 states:
6 “The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 1 Samuel 2:6 (NIV)
God permits some to die, while others are healed. This does not imply that we should refuse medical aid, for God can use both means and miracles to accomplish His purposes. He healed Hezekiah’s sickness and used the aid of “a poultice of figs to apply to the boil” for his healing. Isaiah 38:21.
Casting Away Stones and Gathering Stones (verse 5): Tour guides in Israel will tell you that God gave stones to an angel and told him to distribute them across the world – and he tripped right over Palestine! It is indeed a rocky land, and farmers must clear the fields before they can plow and plant. If you wanted to hurt your enemy in Biblical times you would fill up his field with stones. Yet, people also gathered stones for building walls and houses. Stones are neutral – neither good nor bad – it all depends on what you do with them. Many things in life are exactly like that – they can be used for good or evil.
Embracing and Refraining From Embracing (verse 5): There are times when you greet friends with a hug, and there is a time to sever friendships. Life moves on and you move to different places and other relationships come. These are facts of life.
A Time To Search and A Time To Give Up (verse 6): When you lose something you look hard to find it, but the time comes when you have to give up the search. There is a time to continue looking and a time to stop.
A Time To Keep and A Time to Throw Away (verse 6): Some things we keep for sentimentality reasons – but even then, we cannot keep everything! Purging lightens our loads and allows us to give to others.
Tearing and Mending (verse 7): This probably refers to the Jewish practice of tearing one’s garments during a time of grief or repentance. God expects us to sorrow during bereavement but not as those who have no hope. There is also a time when we are to mend the garment as well – that could mean literally or figuratively as King David did when he got up from mourning his son’s death, washed and put on lotions and changed his clothes and went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. Going forward after grief and not putting up a mailbox in our Valleys of Baca (tears).
A Time To Be Silent and A Time To Speak (verse 7): The phrase might refer to the practice of wisdom in discerning the right time to confront or refrain as outlined in places like Proverbs 26:45:
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:4-5 (NIV)
A Time To Love and A Time To Hate / A Time Of War and A Time Of Peace (verse 8): The author moves from personal experience to national experience. The verse does not advocate war or pacifism. It simply describes part of the human experience.
The point of the poem is the inevitable sameness and monotony of life under the sun. We all go through these actions of birth, life, work, love, and then death. Nothing really changes for humanity. In this cursed world, meaningless in life and death – apart from Christ – pervade our experience. The poem reveals the great absurdity of life because each activity cancels the other out. There are 14 pluses and 14 minuses, and that adds up to zero. Every birth ends in death, every planted crop is pulled up, every building is eventually condemned, every celebration gives way to a funeral, and every peace gives way to yet another war. Nothing is gained. Life apart from Christ is a big nonplus.
Secondly, Solomon looked within – eternity is in your heart (3:9-14). Man’s life is a gift from God and we are to thank God for it. Man’s life is linked to eternity (verse 11). Man’s life was created in the image of God and was given dominion over creation, therefore he is different from the rest of creation. He has eternity in his heart and is linked to heaven. This, of course, explains why man cannot be satisfied with his worldly endeavors and achievements or any earthly “trinkets” apart from God. Certainly, man’s life with God can be enjoyable now. The enjoyment of life is the gift of God. Solomon is encouraging not pagan hedonism, but rather the practice of enjoying God’s gifts as the fruit of one’s labor, no matter how difficult life may be.
God imposed a curse because of Adam’s rebellion and we therefore now experience burdened toil. Activity and work were not designed to be frustrating as they presently are now in this cursed world.
In verses 9-14 Solomon adjusted his sights and no longer looked at life only under the sun. He brings God into the picture giving him a new perspective and he re-asks the question he had posed in Chapter One verse 3: “Is all this labor really worth it?”
God made everything beautiful – or perhaps it is better to say “appropriate” – in its time. “Time” calls us back to the poem to show that the author is now commenting on these times. The phrase “He has made” refers to God’s initial act of creation, but it can also refer to everything He has done since creation. The word translated “beautiful” or “appropriate” means God made everything good and right, so that everything perfectly fits its own place and time. The phrase sums up the poem to show that God is the One in charge of these times and appointed activities. The overarching point seems to be that God has appointed or ordained all of these things as part of His bigger hidden plan.
God has also put eternity into people’s hearts. Eternity here contrasts with “time”, which was used 29 times in the poem. We know that life under the sun is not all there is, thus it is absurd to live as if this life is all there is. There is a desire to live forever; there is a desire for more than life under the sun, and there is knowledge of an eternity out there beyond this life.
Man cannot know or see God’s entire plan or fully grasp it, no matter how much we desperately want to, as we have discussed. The limit of man’s knowledge is a major theme in Ecclesiastes, and the purpose of exposing that reality is to drive us to faith in God. We want to know our purpose and our destiny however, we are still dependent creatures who can only know and handle a sliver of what the Creator is really doing. We are like a child in the “Why” stage at best! Yet God is to be fully trusted – he tells us “Even though you cannot know it all, you can trust Me!”. And that, my sweet friends, is what faith is and the faith that God delights to honor as Hebrews 11:1 describes it:
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Thirdly, Solomon looked ahead, death is coming. Solomon already mentioned the certainty of death, and he will bring the subject up several times before he ends his book. Life, death, time, and eternity; these are the “ingredients” that make up our brief experience in this world and they must not be ignored.
We perceive and long for better things but we cannot see the full picture from our small vantage point. We must lean on God trusting that He uses every detail to work out a grander plan. We will never be able to make sense of things by looking to pleasures, experiences, relationships and possessions – chasing these are all vanity at best. We need to understand a divine purpose and plan were set in motion at the beginning and will work out perfectly in the end. We have a Sovereign God reigning over all who not only sees all that will happen but declares all that will happen. We were made for the Divine and for His purposes so it is not surprising if we are dissatisfied apart from Him. We will never be satisfied without Him. Augustine famously stated:
“You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they can find their rest in You.” Augustine
Remember, God can break into history and do what He pleases. His many miracles are evidence that the “cycle” is a pattern and not a prison. Time goes by swiftly and gets away from us; but God keeps track of it all and will, at the end of time, call into account what we have done with His resources of time and money. All belongs to Him we are simply His stewards. God has a time for everything, including judgment and God is working out His eternal purposes in and through the deeds of men, even the deeds of the wicked. God is revealing what man is really like; He is sifting man. For when man leaves God out of his life, he becomes like an animal. He lives like a beast and dies like a beast. We must not however misinterpret the Scriptures and draw the erroneous conclusion that there is no difference between men and animals. Solomon merely pointed out that men and beasts have two things in common: they both die and their bodies return to dust. Those who are saved through faith in Jesus Christ will one day be resurrected to have glorified bodies suitable for their new heavenly home.
Faith learns to live with seeming inconsistencies and absurdities, for we live by promises and not by explanations as we discovered in Job. While we live in this cursed existence east of Eden and long for the Redeemer promised in Genesis 3:15 and hope to once again have access to the tree of life, we know something better is out there. And in this context the Bible tells us about God, that “when the time had fully come” (Galatian 4:4), God sent His Son Jesus into this cursed world to experience all of the times and seasons that we do. There was a time for Jesus to be born, a time for Him to heal the sick, a time for Him to build up, a time for Him to tear down long-held structures, a time for Him to party with sinners, a time for Him to weep at His friend’s grave, and a time for Him to die. He entered into this miserable world to take on all of its pain and suffering. He took the curse on Himself so that God could turn the evil of the cross – wicked men murdering the Son of God – into the salvation of the world. Romans Eight tells us our lives fit into this same plan, where joy and pain ultimately bring us into conformity with Jesus.
We often have self-righteous attitudes and/or sense of entitlements towards God/Jesus. Remember we bring nothing and we are deserving of nothing but death yet He blesses us with His grace. Not us. Only Jesus.
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:12:
12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV)
These are Beth’s personal notes, due to this fact sources are not often stated.
