Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
You don’t have to be around for very long before you hear someone refer to the cosmos as a time-space continuum. It sounds daunting, but what they mean is that our present existence can be summed up in terms of time and space. That which is, must be at some place, in order to exist. And the thing that is somewhere, must also be there at some time. So if someone exists outside of time they are also outside of space.
Ecclesiastes 3 is all about time and space. It is about God’s order for things “under the sun”, and for these there is a time and place for everything. Solomon’s premise appears to be – that God has ordained that certain things should take place.
It may be useful for us to picture a big circle. That circle represents all of the things that God assigns to our human experience, many of which only God controls. But inside of that circle is a smaller one which represents those things over which God grants us some measure of control. The test for all who live inside of God’s big circle, is to order the things in our smaller one, so that they comply with the nature and the purposes of God.
In our first article from Ecclesiastes, we found Solomon searching for and grappling with the meaning of life. The conclusion(s) that we drew, become the starting point for this article.
In Eccl. 2:24 Solomon finally looked beyond the things of earth and appealed to God for an answer. He said in effect, that we have to learn to trust God and can do so for good and sufficient reasons. For as God has made us with physical needs which he satisfies, he has also created us with spiritual ones. And one of these is felt as a craving for meaning and purpose.
He has made us to rebel against the notion that life has no meaning. It is hard-wired into us, to demand that our lives should count for something. So Solomon concludes, that surely God has not failed us. As food satisfies hunger and water quenches thirst – in just that way, the very existence of God provides meaning for life – in a place that not ‘under the sun’.
Chapter 3 begins then with the premise that all things on earth are of God, who has made them as they are for a very specific purpose. And that is true, whether or not we ever know what that purpose is. This includes things that appear mundane and repetitious, but actually serve some higher purpose. And though we are caught up in certain routines and boxed in by life ‘under the sun’, there is a message in the fact that we can know that we are in that box.
Perhaps God has put us here so that we will seek and find the one on the outside. Time and space do not exhaust the realms of existence. There is life beyond time and outside of space, and knowing that makes all the difference.
Now we have mentioned a thing called progressive revelation. What we mean by it, is that God has revealed himself to us over a long period of time. God’s self-disclosure was completed through Jesus Christ and his apostles.
But Solomon did not have the advantage of knowing what we do. He asked questions that God intended to answer in the future. He was a man ahead of his time, who did the best, with the information that he had. There is no doubt that God granted him valuable insight into life and especially our participation in it.
And one of those insights was, that God grants to each one, the power to enjoy the fruit of his labour. We can purpose to do a thing, do it, and then look back upon it with satisfaction and enjoyment. It may be a fine meal, a new home or a family raised to fear and honour God. Whatever it is, God gives us the power to enjoy it.
This brings us to our text in Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 which speaks of times and seasons. “Life under the sun” is structured, organized into times and seasons ordainedby God.
Now, there are two ways for us to respond to these boundaries. We can accept them for what they are, understanding that God has designed human life as a finite thing. And we can use wisdom from God to live life as he wants us to.
Or… we can fight tooth and nail against God’s order. We can try to shake loose of the hold that life under the sun has upon us. We can turn against life itself as a horrid thing and accuse the God of incompetence and evil. But raising a hand against God has no effect upon times or seasons. It will not prolong our days upon God’s earth, but only serve to try God’s patience.
Chapter 2 ends with two thoughts.
- The righteous life is full of reward, both pleasant and blessed by God.
- But a life of rebellion is life without joy or satisfaction. It is hemmed in by God who frustrates it’s purposes.
It is against this background that we ask the question: “What is this discussion of times and seasons, all about?” What are they and what difference should they make to us?
Circa 1965, a group called ‘The Byrds’ had a hit single entitled “Turn, Turn Turn” that put these verses to music. It was written in the 1950’s by Peter Seeger but not released until the sixties. It had a catchy tune – but as a protest song against war, it may to some degree have missed the point that Solomon was making.
Solomon seems to be saying, that the providence of God disposes and arranges the details of a man’s life1. The inference then is, that we ought not fight them, but live through them in a godly way.
Before we get into the passage, we might ask: “what is the difference between times and seasons? Seasons appear to be a ‘fixed or definite portion of time’, whereas times look very much like the beginning of a period.
To each of these, Solomon says, that there is a ‘delight’ or a ‘purpose’. There is meaning hidden in each and perhaps also a blessing. Divine providence arranges a moment when everything should happen and assigns the duration of each event.
So, while a person may work and sweat, it is up to God whether or not something positive or lasting, comes of it. When you get right down to it, God is the one who distributes his blessings. And for that reason, blessings should be enjoyed as a gift from God.
Now Solomon illustrates his point in a series of 14 contrasting statements. Some of these are things external to us while others are internal. We have control over some, but not over others.
So it is, that there is a time to give birth and a time to die.
Despite the fact that in 2007, a 67-year old Spanish woman gave birth to twins, there is still a time to give birth and a time to die. Even those who give life must one day pass from this life. As the writer of Hebrews says: “It is appointed for men once to die”. It is an appointment that we will all keep.
There is a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
What is true for man is true for all life. Birth and death are a part of the nature of things, made so by God. One generation plants a tree and another cuts it down.
There is a time to kill and a time to heal.
Solomon may have had capital punishment in mind. The apostle Paul explained that government, “does not bear the sword in vain”. Our writer may also be thinking of justifiable homicide…the taking of life in self-defense or in defense of others. Such times do come as do times of healing. Taking a life and saving a life are things that may be forced upon us, and Solomon says – there is a time for each.
There is also a time to tear down and a time to build up.
The principle remains as we move from the human realm to the material one. Things grow old and need to be replaced. Old buildings unfit for human habitation, demand attention. It is important to know when to tear down and when to build up – when to bail on a money-pit and to start over.
There is a time to weep and a time to laugh.
You never know which one is just around the corner. None of us knows what life holds for us 10 minutes from now. But we do know that there will always be a time for joy and a time for sorrow. And we should know when it is right to laugh and when we really ought to weep.
And then there is a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Solomon seems to put two occasions side by side. What do you do at a funeral? What about a wedding? Some get the two confused – crying at weddings and joking at funerals.
And maybe Solomon is saying something else that we also need to hear. It really is okay to be happy. Joy and celebration are good and proper responses to the blessings of God. God gives us permission to be happy.
Others of us also need to know that it is okay to mourn. When a loved one dies, mourning is in order – even when we believe that that person is saved . Our loss is real and we are separated permanently from the deceased in this life. So God says…go ahead and mourn. There really is a right time and place for each.
Now this next pair are a bit harder to explain. There is a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones.
When I was kid, throwing stones was a good way to get a spanking…nor did it help for me to quote this scripture. But what exactly was Solomon talking about?
Commentators offer different suggestions – none of which are all that convincing.
The fact is that there are many reasons for gathering stones. Where my dad grew up in southern Saskatchewan, clearing stones had to be done before any farming could commence. In places where other building materials are scarce, stones are put to use.
Whatever purpose Solomon has in mind, he means that when that purpose has been served, there comes a time to undo what has been done. A man’s plans come and go. His work is done and eventually undone.
There is a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
There are times when a display of affection is called for, and others when refraining from such is the right thing to do. Dad used to observe that some dating couples seemed, “joined at the hip”. He was talking about the apparent need to be in constant physical contact – regardless of when and where. I don’t think that Solomon was talking about dating – but the principle certainly applies to a wide range of relationships.
There is a time to search and a time to give up as lost.
This principle may apply both to people and to things. There is a time to pursue a business venture and also a time to get out before losing everything. There also comes a time when you’ve searched for the lost, all that you can. To continue may put more lives at risk than those that you hope to rescue. This instruction is about accepting human limitation. Sometimes the lost cannot be found. And sometimes the spiritually lost cannot be restored. This is especially true when trying to restore faith in those who are actively putting it to death.
There is a time to keep and a time to throw away.
When your ship is sinking, it may want to throw the cargo overboard. It is vital to know, when to keep and when to throw away.
There is a time to tear apart and a time to sew together.
The ‘security patches’ that my mother sewed onto the rear-end of my pants, were working long before Microsoft borrowed the term. But how old do the clothes have to be before you toss them?
It is also possible that Solomon was thinking about torn relationships. When a loved one died in ancient times, torn clothes was a sign of a torn heart. But in due season, God provides a renewal of hope and the assurance that life with Him is truly worth living. That is when you mend your clothes and get on with life.
There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.
When Job’s friends first came to share his grief, they sat in silence for 7 days. It was when they opened their mouths that things ‘went south’. Some things are beyond words. Knowing when to speak and when to be silent is a mark of wisdom. And while it is true that wisdom should be shared – real wisdom chooses the time with great care.
And then there is a time to love and a time to hate…a time for war and a time for peace.
These two saying express the same truth. The first applies to a person, the second to a nation. Each of us should love righteousness and hate evil. We should embrace goodness, kindness and mercy. But the statesman is often called to defend his country. Peace should always be the first option, but may not always be possible. There is unfortunately, a time for each…both war and peace.
Left to ourselves, we might ask the same question that our writer did: “What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?”
To which we might respond: “nothing”. There is no profit. We cannot control the times or the seasons. We don’t get to choose the circumstances of our lives, so why bother trying?
Verses 10-14 give a different answer. We go on trying because God has given us a job to do. God has so ordained things that they take place, each at the appropriate time.
And just when we tire of being the creature before the creator, we recognize that God has done one more thing. He has set eternity in your heart and in mine. He has made us yearn for something more…something beyond ‘life under the sun”.
He has created us for eternity…but has put us here in time and space. And he knows, that we will never be satisfied with life on earth. We cannot be. God has planted dissatisfaction deep in our hearts, because he wants us to seek Him
God is a God who wants to be found. He’s not the one who is lost – we are. He wants us to find Him and the ultimate satisfaction of our souls. And he has given us his word, to guide us home.
Perhaps your life is like the one that Solomon describes. Mundane. Repetitious and predictable to the point of boredom. But life can also be unpredictable and downright terrifying. By it’s very nature, life ‘under the sun’ calls us to trust in God.
Solomon didn’t have the answers that Jesus provided. He did not know much about God’s plans to share eternal life with us. But we do, and are so incredibly blessed.
Solomon was the wisest man of his time yet did not know what we do. And while God has not answered all of our questions, we can know all that we need for life and godliness.
So let us trust God – day by day as we too live ‘under the sun’. Let use the power that God has given us to enjoy his blessings, here and now. And let us do that knowing that God will also empower us to enjoy life with him in heaven.
He reserves that promise for Christians…as he calls all people to repent. God offers so much more than just intellectual answers. He offers eternal life in his presence – which is the answer, and satisfies as nothing else can.
1James Smith, The Wisdom Literature and Psalms, pg.727