To Everything There Is A Season...
This week, I'd like for us to take a look at the opening verses of Ecclesiastes chapter 3, as Solomon compares and contrasts different aspects of the seasons of life. This is a much quoted section of Scripture, but beyond the obvious, literal meanings there are many figurative and indirect interpretations. So, we'll read verses 1-8, and then take a closer look at them...
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."
Verse 1 gives us a general overview, as we read..."To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Our world is in an ever changing state, and has been since the beginning, although, by contrast, Solomon tells us earlier in Ecclesiastes 1:9..."The thing which hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." It seems that the only constant is change itself. One season leads into the next, and all things proceed according to the plan of God. He has appointed a time for every purpose, every change that we are to undergo. If we will learn to rely on His provision and mercy, we can find great contentment in the knowledge that He already has all things planned out. In Romans 8:28, Paul tells us..."And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
With verse 2, Solomon continues this thought..."A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." It is interesting to note here that while Solomon acknowledges the fact that there is a time to be born, and a time to die, he makes no mention of a time to live. Our lives here are of such a brief nature, and not to be relied upon, as we read in Job 14:1..."Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Perhaps Solomon, in his wisdom, felt it not worthy of mentioning a time to live, considering the fact that as soon as we are born, we begin to die. Just as there is a time to plant crops, or flowers, and a time to pluck them up, sometimes God will plant us in a particular place or situation, for His purpose, and He may pluck us out of these situations just as easily, in His own timing. We must come to the realization that God is in control, and then allow this knowledge to filter our perceptions.
With verse 3, Solomon speaks of life, death, and healing..."A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up." Criminals were often killed in Solomon's day, just as we have the death penalty today, although it is rarely utilized. Just as there is a time to kill, there is a time for God to heal, as we read in Hosea 6:1..."Come, and let us return to the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." There are times when things must be broken down, relationships come to an end, partnerships dissolve, estates or kingdoms are divided. Great sadness can accompany these types of changes, but again, we must rely on God and know that He is in control, and just as surely, there will once again come a time of building up, of strengthening and renewal. We read in Isaiah 40:31..."But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Verse 4 tells us that there is "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." God intends for us to serve Him with gladness of heart, however, we must come to a place of repentance and humility before we can be pleasing to Him. We read in James 4:8-10..."Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." God also intends for us to have empathy and compassion for other people. Romans 12:15 tells us..."Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." We also read in Galatians 6:2..."Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
In verse 5, we read that there is "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." The scribes and Pharisees cast away their stones, when their consciences convicted them, as they were about to stone a woman caught in adultery. Jesus forced them to look at their own sin, as He told them in John 8:7..."...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." In contrast, a more figurative interpretation would be that the Gentiles were like stones cast away, and then gathered together, under the common bond of Christ, as we read in Ephesians 2:19-20..."Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." God has His time for embracing His people, and also His time for rejecting them, the nation of Israel being the prime example. As they turned away from God, and turned to idols, they were rejected by God, but when they repented, God was willing to gather them to Himself once more. It is the same with us, today, as it was with the nation of Israel thousands of years ago. We read in 2 Peter 3:9..."The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Solomon tells us in verse 6 that there is "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away." One interpretation of "a time to get" would be that of a man earning a living for his family, as we read in Ephesians 4:28..."Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." The petitioning of God for wisdom, which Solomon himself did, is another interpretation. Proverbs 4:7 tells us..."Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding." Just as there is a time to get, there is also a time to lose. We will all face loss at some point in our life, and when it is God's will for us to lose something or someone, we must learn to rely on Him for strength. We read in Hebrews 13:5..."Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." And this needs to be enough for us. God wants us to have a good life, to enjoy the fruits of our labor, but He would not have us to be controlled by them. There is a time to keep those things which we love and enjoy, but if these things become a hindrance, or a point of separation from God, they must be relinquished. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:37-38..."He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Even the bond between a parent and a child is not to be closer or more valued than the relationship that we have with God.
With verse 7, we are told that there is "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak." Garments were rent in mourning, or in times of distress, and even the veil of the temple was rent, at the time of Jesus' death, as we read in Matthew 27:50-51..."Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." There is a time for us to keep silence, when our testimony would only be ridiculed, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:6..."Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." However, we must strive to keep ourselves in tune with the Spirit of God, that we would be led to speak at the appropriate times, so as not to miss out on an opportunity to spread the gospel, as God told Paul in Acts 18:9..."Then spake the Lord to Paul by night in a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace."
Finally, with verse 8, Solomon tells us that there is "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." As Christians, we are to be predisposed to love others, as Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30-31..."And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." So, how are we to reconcile the fact that, just as there is a time to love, there is also a time to hate? David considered those who hated God to be his enemies, as he writes in Psalms 139:21-22..."Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them as mine enemies." However, along with these feelings of hatred, David sought God's guidance so that no wickedness would overcome him, as we read further, in verses 23-24..."Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." We should always be willing to allow God to search our hearts, and to reprove and rebuke any wickedness which is found within us. As long as there is evil in the world, there will be a time for war, a time for the sword to be drawn for justice and judgment, for the maintaining of rights or for the common good, and, conversely, just as there is a time for war, there is a time for peace. We read in Isaiah 54:10..."For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." We, as Christians, have a covenant of everlasting peace with God secured through the supreme sacrifice given by Jesus on the cross. We read in Hebrews 13:20-21..."Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
No matter which season of life we may find ourselves in, may we find peace and reassurance as we rest in the knowledge that our God is in control, and that He has a purpose and a plan for each of us.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Verse 1 gives us a general overview, as we read..."To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Our world is in an ever changing state, and has been since the beginning, although, by contrast, Solomon tells us earlier in Ecclesiastes 1:9..."The thing which hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." It seems that the only constant is change itself. One season leads into the next, and all things proceed according to the plan of God. He has appointed a time for every purpose, every change that we are to undergo. If we will learn to rely on His provision and mercy, we can find great contentment in the knowledge that He already has all things planned out. In Romans 8:28, Paul tells us..."And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
With verse 2, Solomon continues this thought..."A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." It is interesting to note here that while Solomon acknowledges the fact that there is a time to be born, and a time to die, he makes no mention of a time to live. Our lives here are of such a brief nature, and not to be relied upon, as we read in Job 14:1..."Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Perhaps Solomon, in his wisdom, felt it not worthy of mentioning a time to live, considering the fact that as soon as we are born, we begin to die. Just as there is a time to plant crops, or flowers, and a time to pluck them up, sometimes God will plant us in a particular place or situation, for His purpose, and He may pluck us out of these situations just as easily, in His own timing. We must come to the realization that God is in control, and then allow this knowledge to filter our perceptions.
With verse 3, Solomon speaks of life, death, and healing..."A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up." Criminals were often killed in Solomon's day, just as we have the death penalty today, although it is rarely utilized. Just as there is a time to kill, there is a time for God to heal, as we read in Hosea 6:1..."Come, and let us return to the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." There are times when things must be broken down, relationships come to an end, partnerships dissolve, estates or kingdoms are divided. Great sadness can accompany these types of changes, but again, we must rely on God and know that He is in control, and just as surely, there will once again come a time of building up, of strengthening and renewal. We read in Isaiah 40:31..."But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Verse 4 tells us that there is "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." God intends for us to serve Him with gladness of heart, however, we must come to a place of repentance and humility before we can be pleasing to Him. We read in James 4:8-10..."Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." God also intends for us to have empathy and compassion for other people. Romans 12:15 tells us..."Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." We also read in Galatians 6:2..."Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
In verse 5, we read that there is "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." The scribes and Pharisees cast away their stones, when their consciences convicted them, as they were about to stone a woman caught in adultery. Jesus forced them to look at their own sin, as He told them in John 8:7..."...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." In contrast, a more figurative interpretation would be that the Gentiles were like stones cast away, and then gathered together, under the common bond of Christ, as we read in Ephesians 2:19-20..."Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." God has His time for embracing His people, and also His time for rejecting them, the nation of Israel being the prime example. As they turned away from God, and turned to idols, they were rejected by God, but when they repented, God was willing to gather them to Himself once more. It is the same with us, today, as it was with the nation of Israel thousands of years ago. We read in 2 Peter 3:9..."The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Solomon tells us in verse 6 that there is "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away." One interpretation of "a time to get" would be that of a man earning a living for his family, as we read in Ephesians 4:28..."Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." The petitioning of God for wisdom, which Solomon himself did, is another interpretation. Proverbs 4:7 tells us..."Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding." Just as there is a time to get, there is also a time to lose. We will all face loss at some point in our life, and when it is God's will for us to lose something or someone, we must learn to rely on Him for strength. We read in Hebrews 13:5..."Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." And this needs to be enough for us. God wants us to have a good life, to enjoy the fruits of our labor, but He would not have us to be controlled by them. There is a time to keep those things which we love and enjoy, but if these things become a hindrance, or a point of separation from God, they must be relinquished. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:37-38..."He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Even the bond between a parent and a child is not to be closer or more valued than the relationship that we have with God.
With verse 7, we are told that there is "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak." Garments were rent in mourning, or in times of distress, and even the veil of the temple was rent, at the time of Jesus' death, as we read in Matthew 27:50-51..."Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." There is a time for us to keep silence, when our testimony would only be ridiculed, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:6..."Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." However, we must strive to keep ourselves in tune with the Spirit of God, that we would be led to speak at the appropriate times, so as not to miss out on an opportunity to spread the gospel, as God told Paul in Acts 18:9..."Then spake the Lord to Paul by night in a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace."
Finally, with verse 8, Solomon tells us that there is "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." As Christians, we are to be predisposed to love others, as Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30-31..."And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." So, how are we to reconcile the fact that, just as there is a time to love, there is also a time to hate? David considered those who hated God to be his enemies, as he writes in Psalms 139:21-22..."Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them as mine enemies." However, along with these feelings of hatred, David sought God's guidance so that no wickedness would overcome him, as we read further, in verses 23-24..."Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." We should always be willing to allow God to search our hearts, and to reprove and rebuke any wickedness which is found within us. As long as there is evil in the world, there will be a time for war, a time for the sword to be drawn for justice and judgment, for the maintaining of rights or for the common good, and, conversely, just as there is a time for war, there is a time for peace. We read in Isaiah 54:10..."For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." We, as Christians, have a covenant of everlasting peace with God secured through the supreme sacrifice given by Jesus on the cross. We read in Hebrews 13:20-21..."Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
No matter which season of life we may find ourselves in, may we find peace and reassurance as we rest in the knowledge that our God is in control, and that He has a purpose and a plan for each of us.
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