Ecclesiastes Part 05

In the next section of Ecclesiastes (3:1–6:12), Solomon shares what he has learned from observing life. 

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven...” 

Solomon writes a beautiful poem about the different seasons of life, and that God has a time for everything! As followers of God, we learn to discern the right time for the right decisions. We realize the benefits of doing what pleases God and that He is our sovereign. 

The New American Commentary notes on these verses: “Life is composed of joy and sorrow, building and destroying, and living and dying. Each comes at the proper time. This reminds us that we are creatures of time and not yet able to partake of the joys of eternity. No one can be happy who has not come to grips with the reality that life is full of changes and sorrows as well as continuity and joy. We must accept that we are mortal and governed by time” (Garrett). 

We can ask ourselves, what is God’s revealed plan with each of the seasons that Solomon lists? For example: birth and death. Man’s earthly wisdom includes abortion, euthanasia, and extending life well past 3 scores and ten. We need to use wisdom that is defined by God and in accordance with his will and appointed time. 

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic...But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy (James 3:13–17).” 

“The scope of God’s sovereignty,” notes the Preaching the Word commentary, “is further emphasized in the poem that follows, with its parallel series of related opposites. Each pair forms a merism, a figure of speech in which two polarities make up a whole. For example, when the Bible says that God created ‘the heavens and the earth,’ it means that God created the entire universe. Similarly, each of the pairs in Ecclesiastes 3 make up a larger whole. Together, birth and death comprise the whole of human existence and weeping and laughing summarize the full range of human emotion. There is something comprehensive about each pair. There is also something comprehensive about the list as a whole. There are fourteen pairs in all, which is twice the Biblical number (seven) of perfection and completion. Not surprisingly, the pairs themselves seem to take in the whole sweep of human existence, from birth to death, from war to peace and everything in between” (Ryken, p. 80). 

In verses 9–15, Solomon proceeds to evaluate and deal with what he has just presented. That there is a dilemma in what he has laid out in his poem is clear from verse 9, which is essentially a restatement of the seemingly hopeless question in Ecclesiastes 1:3 and Ecclesiastes 2:22, asking what benefit one derives from his work in this life. Man and his work are subject to time and circumstances as part of the limitations of mortal life. And note 

“the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied” (Ecclesiastes 3:10). 

In the scheme of things as arranged by God, people have the hard task of navigating life according to changing conditions over which they have no real control—including the time of their death. 

In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon offers a bit of optimism, that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” The Hebrew word rendered “beautiful” could also be translated as “fitting,” as in 5:18 (NKJV), though “beautiful” would work there as well. Some take Ecclesiastes 3:11 to mean that each incident is appropriate at its given time. That could be. Yet the “everything” here, tying back to verse 1, would seem to indicate the whole. Solomon is likely saying that when all is said and done, God’s ordering of circumstances, even negative ones, leads to a beautiful work in the end. We find a New Testament parallel in Romans 8:28: 

“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.” 

This includes circumstances before one’s calling, and the verse here will eventually apply to the human race as a whole. Solomon tells us that if we can accept our lives as ultimately the work of God, aiming toward a meaningful and beautiful result, even the difficult parts will be bearable. 

Solomon adds a second part to verse 11, 

“Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” 

God has put within people’s hearts a desire for eternity and for comprehending all the reasons for life’s twists and turns, but we cannot figure it out. So, we cannot be content with just accepting life as it is. The New American Commentary notes on this verse: “We feel like aliens in the world of time and yearn to be part of eternity. We feel the need for ourselves and our work to be eternal and yet are grieved to be trapped in time. We also desire to understand our place in the universe against the backdrop of eternity. But we cannot find out what God has done from beginning to end. That is, we are not able to discern any plan or pattern to all of this. God’s purposes are outside our realm of control or investigation.” As Isaiah 55:–9 tells us: 

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” 

We just cannot grasp all the reasons for everything God brings about or allows to happen.  

Wisdom Literature is a course taught at ABC by Dr. Urwiller. Recordings from the 2018–2019 class year are available to listen to on the ABC website.      

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org   

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.