[Ecc 3:1-14] A Time for Everything(Lim)

John C Lim

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

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.

 

We have always been intrigued with the concept of time.  Man’s fascination with time has been undeniable throughout history.  Popular science fiction novels have entertained time travel via time machine and some have even resulted in very popular science fiction movies which we are familiar with.  With this in mind, Solomon observes in verse 1.

                       There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

 

               Solomon’s comment regarding time is that it is a finite commodity that is not without an end.  In what Solomon says, we can sense a hint of sadness associated with this finiteness of time.  He begins this chapter by first reminding us that there is a time for everything.  Time is not something we should take for granted.  Sooner we realize the finiteness of time, wiser we will be as we go on living in this world.  We often forget or refuse to think about this simple truth and delude ourselves as if we have all the time in the world.  Solomon who enjoyed gift of wisdom that God gave is quick to point this out in this chapter on how we ought to view time.  As we give some thought on this simple topic of time, we will come to conclude that indeed time is a precious commodity unlike anything else in this world which we must coddle with care and thoughtfulness. 

 

                Solomon reminds us that there is a season for every activity under heaven.  Once again in this brief sentence, we can also sense Solomon’s profound sadness that comes through.  The fact that he mentions that there is a season for every activity implies there is an end for that activity.  Solomon goes on to explain what he means in the next several verses from verses 2-8. 

           

            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.

            In verse 2, we see Solomon starting off with the fundamental observation of time to be born and a time to die.  That is perhaps the most basic truth about life.  There is a time to be born and a time to die.  No one lives forever and no one can avoid death.  It is an immutable law of nature that all living beings will eventually die.  Although this truth is something we would rather avoid thinking about or talking about, sooner we come to grips with it, the more free we become to enjoy the gift of life God has given us in the allotted time here on earth. 

 

                Solomon in this verse 2 goes on to juxtapose time to plant and time to uproot with being born and dying.  There is a correlation between planting and uprooting.  As we’ve planted flowers and trees, we can relate to this as well.  We plant and eventually we uproot depending on what we are trying to accomplish.  From the time we plant something to time to uproot what we’ve planted, there is a season of time.  We don’t know how long that season of time is but we know that there is a finite time. 

 

                There is a beginning and an end in all things.  No matter how good or how bad things are, we can be certain that there is an end ultimately.  Plant may think that once it has been planted, it will go on forever but that is not the case.  There comes a time when it will be uprooted by the one who planted it.  In the same sense, we who have been brought into this world by the grace of God through our parents will also come to that point when we must depart from this world.  We may have achieved the greatest happiness or zenith of success but that is not forever.  No one can avoid this timeless truth of the beginning and an end.

 

                From verses 3 to 8, Solomon continues to offer situations where two opposing endeavors are justified at different times.  It is foolish to believe that only one kind of endeavors is to be pursued at all times without considering the opposite endeavors.  Throughout our lives here on earth, we can attest to Solomon’s keen observations.  Indeed there is time for various activities under the sun.  Man’s history is full of wars and conflicts where people have fought and died.  Our history is fraught with vicious massacres and genocides.  And at the same time, we have seen how many wars have been averted because of diplomacies as well.  War and peace seems to coexist throughout our history. 

 

                And then we think about times of happiness and time of sadness or sorrow.  We have experienced those moments of great happiness and delight.  We are human beings with full sense of emotions.  We are not mechanical beings but made of flesh and blood.  We have feelings and therefore are vulnerable to various events in life.  That is what makes us human and not machines.  We rejoice with births of our children and derive much happiness from seeing our beloved children grow up.  We take great pleasure in seeing our children grow up and get married someday and start their own families.  Then there is a time to be saddened by deaths of our loved ones such as our parents and our own children prematurely.  Who can possibly understand our deepest sorrows when such events take place in our lives?  We weep, we laugh, we mourn, and we dance.

 

                Even with our own various possessions, we can relate to how there is a time and season for all activities.  No one can take with them all the material possessions they have accumulated.  Ancient Egyptians have done this by placing their prized possessions in pyramids including gold, silver and jewelries but only to be looted by gravediggers who would sell the ancient artifacts so they can provide for their own families.  Who can deny such meaningless activities of the ones who gather and who scatter? 

 

                We can relate to the meaningless activity of collecting various items for personal enjoyment.  From stamps to stuffed toys, we collect and gather those which mean so much to us but as time goes, we realize how trivial those activities are and one day, we no longer value those items that we’ve collected over the years.  Perhaps we are still in the collecting mode but we can see one day, all those things that we have collected will no longer bring us a sense of satisfaction but rather emptiness.  All those material things will not mean a whole lot when we near the end of our own life someday.  All those things that brought so much joy and happiness will only leave behind void and emptiness in our heart. 

 

                Solomon offers us various situations where opposing activities are appropriate.  We can certainly agree with Solomon that indeed there is time for all activities.  This is what life is all about.  Nothing ever stays the same and things are constantly changing.  Life is a balancing act as well.  As Solomon takes opposing activities as appropriate on different situations we can learn the importance of balance. 

 

                Words such as kill, hate, and war may sound horrible and should be avoided at all time, such is not the case with Solomon.  There are certain situations where these words have their place.  We ought not stigmatize these words as inherently evil but understand that there is time and place for these as well.  Not all wars have been without righteous justification.  Had the Revolutionary War not taken place, there would not be the United States of America today.  Without the World War II, who knows how many more millions of Jews and others may have perished under Hitler? 

 

                We must always acknowledge and understand that because of our sinful nature, we harvest what we plant.  And there have been those in our history who have sown evil and reaped the rightful consequences from those activities.  In those cases, justice has been served properly. 

 

                One thing we can take away from what Solomon observes in life is the need to be resilient.  Being resilient means we are not inflexible or rigid but can overcome changes and obstacles in life.  Resiliency in life is valuable stance in dealing with variety of challenges.  As we encounter countless waves of life’s assault, resiliency helps us to cope with them.  Especially in this troubling time in our world today, we have to be prepared to encounter and overcome different challenges.  Perhaps we can apply Solomon’s wisdom in maneuvering through life’s various challenges by being resilient at all times.

 

And Solomon then draws some interesting conclusion from his observation of life’s seeming incongruent activities.  Look at verses 9-14. 

             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.

                What does the worker gain from his toil?  Solomon sees us as workers who labor in life from birth to death.  From the time we were born to time we depart from this world, we labor.  Indeed God has laid the burden on us.  We cannot survive without going out and working.  Such is what God has ordained for mankind.  We are to go out and earn our living through work that which God has called us to.  There are always those who do not have to work because of their circumstances but on the whole, majority of us fall into this category of having to earn our living. 

                But God has also given us the privilege of contemplating eternity in our hearts. We are different from the beasts in the field in that we have noble awareness of eternity.  God has set eternity in the hearts of men.  Yet we cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

                No matter how successful we become in this world, there is always that thirst for something nobler than quenching our thirst for physical needs.  This is not physical or emotional but spiritual.  With wealth, we can attain great physical pleasures. And with family and friends, we can derive emotional pleasures.  But because God has placed eternity in our hearts, we cannot find satisfaction for our spiritual needs unless we come to find God.  Nothing in this life is eternal.  Wealth and pleasures are all fading facets of life here on earth.  Something that is lasting and eternal can only come through Jesus Christ, God’s provision for us.  Our longing for something eternal cannot be found in anything other than in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 

                Our life here on earth has meaning if and when we have answered the thirst for eternity.  Until we find the answer to this perplexing issue of eternity, we are no better than animals in the wild.  Solomon does offer an encouraging remark regarding man’s life here on earth in verses 12-13.         

                        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.

                God has given all men this gift to live in this world and attain satisfaction in all his work.  This is a wonderful assurance from God that based on our work here on earth we are indeed capable of enjoying a measure of happiness.  If we are going to live in this world, we might as well be happy and do good while we live.  Pursuit of happiness is a legitimate goal for all who are living in this world.  And it is far better for us to do good while we live than pursue evil.  As long as we live in this world, we ought to engage in activities that will bring good to people and not harm. 

                In our recent days, we have seen greedy people who have swindled billions of dollars from other people who thought they would profit from investing in these greedy people’s investment strategies only to find out it was nothing but an elaborate scheme.  And as a result of such schemes, many who have lost their reputation and wealth committed suicides.  We look at such tragedies and wonder if all the endeavors to gain material possessions and then losing them would be worth living and dying for.  Excessive drive for wealth can sometimes lead people astray and to their own destruction. 

                I think to be happy and to do good while we live don’t necessarily mean we have to be wealthy.  Solomon tells us that the gift of God is that everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his work.  He never says the gift of God is to be wealthy.  Being able to eat and drink does not take much in this life.  Solomon is talking about simple pleasures in life through eating and drinking.  Any person can bite into a sandwich with a great pleasure and gulp down a can of soda.  We find contentment when our hunger is satisfied with a simple meal of common food.  The wealthy may eat more exotic food than the commoner but that does not mean that the wealthy are necessarily happier.  A piece of bread with some butter and jam doesn’t cost a whole lot but can bring a great satisfaction when hungry and eaten with gratitude.

                 At the end of the day, when we come home from our hard day’s work, we can sit around the table and eat as a family while talking about the day’s events brings tremendous happiness.  This is simple happiness that can be had by everyone.  Or we can partake of the most elaborate dinner surrounded by people with discontentment and ingratitude.  Between the two, I would rather eat a simple meal with happiness and gratitude any day. 

                As Christians, we want to be able to enjoy every minute God has given us in this life.  Time is precious and is passing quickly before we realize.  Time with our family and loved ones is precious and fleeting.  These days will go by fast and when we get old, we’ll be reminiscing about what a wonderful time that was when we sat around the table and laughed together as a family. 

                Although we may not be wealthy in worldly sense, if we have our daily bread, should we not thank God for His provision?  Even in this day, there are people in this world, who do not have clean water to drink or adequate food to eat.  They starve and must resort to eating cookies made out of clay to make their stomach feel full.  They thirst and have no choice but to drink cloudy water tainted with animal excrement and bacteria.  As we find ourselves enjoying all the conveniences of modern life, we are grateful to God for His provision for us.  Solomon concludes in verse 14 that we cannot but revere God for all He has done.         

                        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.

                As we ponder about what life is all about and how we fit into God’s plan, we can conclude that He is infinitely wiser than we can possibly imagine and that His ways are beyond our scope of understanding.  Such is the reason that He is God and we are mere mortals whose existence is solely dependent on Him.  What God has done and will do endure forever.  We are merely traveling in the world He has created as visitors and when our time here on earth end, we humbly depart from this world that belongs to God. 

                From the time of creation until now, the earth as we know it has not changed in essence.  Whatever that was on the earth is exactly what is on the earth today.  We have altered the face of the earth with skyscrapers, man-made landscape alterations, and other structures but the fact remains that we built all that we have from what was already here on earth that God has placed in the first place.

                It is somewhat like the toddlers playing in the sandbox building castles and other structures.  After they are busy making tunnels and castles, there is a call from the teacher telling them to come back to the class room.  And as the toddlers get up and leave the sandbox, such is the picture of our life here on earth.  Someday, our God will call us home and we will leave behind all that we’ve built in this sandbox called earth.

                 What God has done will endure forever.  Here on earth, we did not bring anything from other planets and we will not be able to take anything from here to another world.  No matter how much we work to put our mark on earth, with one word, God can erase everything as if nothing ever existed.  When we contemplate God’s mighty work, we can only revere Him for what He is able to do.  Although our work is transient, His work endures forever. 

                As we continue to live in our world today, we realize that our existence is totally dependent on God and that God is the one who enables us to enjoy the work of our hand and to enjoy happiness.  As long as we understand who we are in relation to God, and acknowledge God’s rightful place in our lives, we can continue to find meaning in life through the gift of God He has given us called time.  As we enjoy the fruit of our work in the time God has allotted to us, we pursue that which is good while making the most of all that He has given us.  In our life here on earth, we’ve come to ponder how without God, we can ever find true satisfaction that quenches our spiritual thirst as we are created in His image unlike the animals.  God has set eternity in our hearts and until we find eternity through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, we will be searching to find that answer in this life.  We are grateful that we did indeed find Jesus Christ who is the Lord and Savior in our life.