Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 15
Bin There Done That
1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace. 9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 15 That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.
The experiments of Professor Solomon are now over, yet he continues to think about all his research. As he reflects on his study he recognizes that various things occur repetitively, each in its own time. They come and they go but they are only temporary. He notices how everyone is involved in the same action and then counter actions such as being born - then you die.
1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.
In these verses Solomon points out that man cannot control the events and circumstances of his life.
Solomon consolidates 28 activities that occur in our lives. The list is made up of 14 contrasting phrases and then gives the opposite action that our Holy God causes from these events.
You might say to yourselves, ‘Hey, I can think of more major actions that occur in one’s lifetime.’ Well, good for you. This means you are into God’s Word, and it is causing you also to ponder His Truth.
In Scripture the number 14 is intended to convey the idea of divine perfection. Numbers are significant. For example, the number 4 refers to worldly things created by God [ie. North, South, East, and West]. The number 5 refers to our Lord Grace. The number 6 is assigned to mankind [ie. 666]. The number 7 is perfection [7 days in creation] When you double a number it is designed to confirm the original statement. We read in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 19, “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”
We need to learn from this lesson that our Holy God Is Love. He has a reason and purpose for everything that happens in our lives.
Have you ever said this to God, ‘Why did You do that Lord?’ or ‘ Why me?’ We need to recognize that God Is in total control of everything. He says to us in the book of Romans chapter 8 that “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
He begins with the two principal, areas on which everyone experiences that being birth and death. Solomon then goes on to expand into broader areas looking at the good and bad sides.
Killing, breaking down, weeping, mourning, and casting stones makes things useless. The contrast in life is healing, building up, laughing, dancing, and the clearing of stones makes things worth while.
I believe people miss the point of verse number 5 which reads; “5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;”
This verse depicts the actions involved in a war. When an enemy came against another country they would try to destroy the land. They would cut down the trees and cast stones into the fields to make them useless for farming. We see today during a peace treaty the parties ‘shake hands’. In the times of Solomon, leaders would hug or embrace.
In verses 6 through 8 Solomon gives three examples of man’s interpersonal relationships with each other. and that is keeping silence as compared to speaking, loving compared to hating, and war compared to peace.
6 A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.
You might say to yourselves, ‘Hey, didn’t Solomon already cover the part about war in verse 5. In verse 5 we have discussed interactions regarding nations while in verse 8 we see this war in relationships. If you did marriage counseling you would very easily know what Solomon is referring to.
So, what can we take away from these verses? For one thing we have to fix it in our minds and hearts that our Righteous Holy God Is in control of everything. This idea theologically is referred to as ‘the Providence of God’. Look at these verses
Psalm 115, “3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.”
Psalm 135: “5 For I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. 7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
Psalm 139: “ 1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”
Please remember this – Our Holy Father does not have to give an answer to us for what He does. He Is the Supreme Magnificent Holy One, and we are just created beings who He has decided to extend His Love and Grace towards.
Look again at verse number 1 and you will see the thing our Precious Holy Spirit wants to teach us.
1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
The lesson is that our Holy Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High has a specific purpose behind everything that happens.
I believe that our Might King enjoys us when we take the time to think about Him and all that He does for us. If you ever have the time, take a look at the word ‘remember’ throughout its use in the Scriptures. For example, the 4 Commandment is 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Our Blessed El Shadai wants us to reflect on the truth that He Is the Creator and Sustainer of all life.
If you just take a few moments to think about what He is presently doing throughout the world and especially in your life, you have to be amazed. What an Awesome God we have.
Someone might be thinking right now, ‘Well Pastor, you don’t know how rotten God Is making my life.’ Well, if that is happening to you, please let me say that I am sorry for those things. I would say though that you might want to do your own inventory. Is there anything you know that you are doing that He Is not pleased about? You need to purge these things from your life. Do this and then see what will happen.
Let me give you a few examples of God’s direct intervention in human affairs;
Genesis 50, “15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Esther 4, “1 When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.4 So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. 7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. 9 So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” 12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words. 13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” 17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.”
Some people here have a problem. They have concerns about the ‘Freedom of Choice’ versus God’s Sovernity. I personally do not have a problem and have personally experienced the difference.
I had worked for the US Postal Service during the pursuit of my college bachelor’s degree. After graduation I was promoted and thus I wound up making my career in this occupation or so I thought. In Worldly matters I was successful. I was the youngest Postmaster of a million dollar office. I was selected by the ‘in crowd’ as a young up and comer and went to Washington DC to work directly for the Postmaster General. I and another guy created a new service for the USPS called ISAL or International Surface Air Lift. This program in the first year of operation alone brought in over 250 million dollars for the Post Office. So here I was doing great in the world but being totally empty inside. This is when my Blessed Lord and Savior Adoni Yeshua – My Lord Jesus Christ came into my life. From that point on my career went south. I wasn’t the favorite anymore. My job was eliminated ans so I chose another Postmaster’s position. My hearts motivation was to serve my Holy God for the rest of my life full time.
So, why am I sharing all of this. We were talking about Freedom of Choice versus God’s Sovereignty. This is what I am trying to explain. I had the freedom to make any choice I wanted yet my Precious Lord just made a counter move by making other things happen. My career ended with the government for I chose the Government of the Holy Righteous Lord God.
In addition to our Mighty God’s Providence we learn about His Power. The bottom line is that our Supreme Ruler can cause things to happen whenever He wants. Look at these verses.
Genesis 18: “13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Job 42: “ 2 “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.”
Isaiah 40: 25 “ To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: “ My way is hidden from the LORD, and my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Now Solomon reflects upon his conclusion regarding the issues of life. He asks, ‘If god Is in control of everything then what’s the use in anything. Why not just give up.”
It is not bad that our Holy Righteous Master Is in control over everything. Actually, it is a relief. He Is our Great Love. Everything He does is for our good. So, this is goo news. We gain victory in accepting and resting in this fact. If we do this it will greatly affect our evaluations of all things that occur in our lives. We need to see things from God’s perspective not our own ignorant and blind findings. When you look at how our Magnificent Creator looked at things He made what was His perspective – ‘It is Good’ and It is very good. ‘
Our expectations become in line with His and our lives begin to shine again. He puts eternity in our hearts to help us realize that we are only being formed for the here after. Thank you Lord God.
Solomon used these studies to show us how we can honestly look at life’s problems and still keep the faith and trust in Him This life is not the end. Our God Is preparing us for Heaven.
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 15 That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.
Solomon stresses here that we need to recognize that there are everlasting qualities in all that we do here. We must appreciate our time He has given us. I tell people in counseling sessions that the way we should think is in three ways – Past, Present, and the Future. The past is gone so why try to live there. You cannot change anything. You can learn from mistakes though. Our Lord says in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” All you have is today so make the best of it. The future belongs to God.
In addition, we must realize that we must answer to God for the time He has given us. DO you not realize that everything we say and do will have to give an account for. Our Lord Jesus says in the book of Romans chapter 14, “12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God
Having formulated his observation, Solomon is now going to reflect on several apparent contradictions toward God’s Control of everything going on in the world. He recognizes six problems which are listed from verse 16 of chapter 3 through the end of chapter 4. So, we will look at al these as one in our next study.
