● Overview.
○ Chapter 3 deals with the first of
Solomon’s 4 arguments: The Monotony of Life from Chapter 1:4-11. Solomon discovers 4 things that must be
considered before you can say that life is monotonous and meaningless.
■ He saw a GOD who is control and above
man, a GOD who balances lives experiences which will be shown in verse 1
through 8.
■ He saw that man’s heart was eternal and
within, something that linked man to GOD, which will be shown in verses 9
through 14.
■ He also saw something ahead of man - the
certainty of death which will be shown in verses 15 through 22.
■ He found that man was surrounded by the
problems and burdens of life which we shall look at in Ecclesiastes 4: 1
through Ecclesiastes 5:9.
● Verses.
○ Verses 3: 1 - 8 GOD Orders Time - Look up.
■ We know that the seasons are a part of
life, regardless of where we live. This
displays the dependability of GOD’s ordained “Natural Laws”.
● Life would be chaotic without GOD’s
Natural Laws, if not impossible, without GOD accomplishing his purposes even
though we do not understand his purposes.
● GOD has an overruling providence in our
lives.
■ Solomon makes 4 statements showing that
GOD is at work in everyone’s lives by trying to accomplish GOD’s will within
us. These events come from GOD and they
come to us in GOD’s time. If we
cooperate with GOD, life will not be meaningless. As Solomon says “Everything will be beautiful
in time”, even during the difficult experiences in life.
■ Birth and Death (Verse 2).
● Birth and death are not human incidents,
since GOD is in control, they are divine appointments (Genesis 29:30 - 30:24,
Joshua 24:3, I Samuel 1:9-20, Psalm 113:9, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Luke 1:5-25,
Galatians 1:15, Galatians 4:4, Psalm 139:13-16, Ephesians 2:10)
● Man tries to control life through
abortion, mercy killings, and surrogate parenthood.
● We can foolishly hasten our death, but we
cannot prevent it when our time comes unless GOD wills it. (Psalm 139:16)
■ Planting and Plucking (Verse 2)
● The Jewish people were an agricultural
nation who appreciated the seasons. The
religious celebrations were based upon the seasons. A good and successful farmer knows that
nature only works for him if he works with nature. This principle can be applied to our lives as
well. (Psalm 65:9-13)
● Plucking refers to reaping or pulling up
an unproductive plant.
■ Killing and Healing (Verse 3)
● This verse most likely refers to the
results of sickness and plagues in the Land.
(I Samuel 2:6) GOD permits some
to die and some to be healed. GOD can
use both of these means to accomplish his purposes.
■ Casting Away Stones and Gathering Stones
(Verse 5)
● Israel was a rocky land and farmers
needed to clear their fields before they could plow and plant. If you wanted to hurt your enemy, you would
fill his fields with your stones. (2
Kings 3:19-25) People also gathered up
stones for building walls and houses.
Stones are not bad or good, it depends upon how they are used.
○ If an enemy fills your fields with
stones, gather them and use them for something useful.
■ Embracing and Refraining from Embracing
(Verse 5)
● In the Near East, it is a tradition to
show your affections when meeting or parting with people, with a hug and a
kiss.
○ There is a time to say ‘Hello’ and a time
to say ‘Goodbye’.
● This could also refer to the relationship
of a husband and wife. (Revelation
15:19-31, I Corinthians 7:5).
■ Getting and Losing Life (Verse 6)
● This could also be translated to ‘A time
to search and a time give it up for lost”.
A time to keep and a time to clean house.
■ Tearing and Mending (Verse 7)
● This most likely refers to the Jewish
tradition of a person tearing his clothes during times of repentance or
grief. (2 Samuel 13:3, Ezra 9:5)
● GOD expects us to have sorrow during
bereavement, but not like unbelievers.
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
● There is a time in our lives when we need
to get out the needle and thread and start sewing things up (bringing closure).
■ Loving and Hating (Verse 8)
● GOD does allow Christians to hate for a
reason (2 Chronicles 19;2, Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 6;16-19, Revelation 2:6-15).
● GOD is in control and he has a time and a
purpose for everything (Romans 8:28).
● GOD has not given us this providence to
rob us of our freedom or responsibility, but to make everything work to GOD’s
good.
○ Looking Within: Everything is in Your
Heart (verses 3:9-14)
■ Here Solomon begins to look at life by
bringing GOD into the picture. Solomon
is no longer looking at life as ‘under the sun’. Solomon gives 3 answers to his statements in
verse 1:3 - ‘Is all this labor really worth it’.
● (1) Man’s life is a gift from GOD (verse
10)
○ Even though life may seem strange at
times, it is still a gift from GOD. We
may not always succeed in our endeavors, but if we treat life as a gift from
above, we can now have a better attitude about our burdens. Outlooks determine our outcome. If we grudgingly accept life as a burden, we
may be missing the gifts that come our way.
● (2) Man’s life is linked to eternity
(verse 11)
○ Man was created in the image of GOD and
given dominion over creation (Genesis 1:26-28). Man is different from the rest of
Creation. Man has eternity in his heart,
which is his link to heaven. Nobody can
be satisfied with their own endeavors and achievements, nor can man be able to
explain the enigmas of his life. Once
we enter into an eternal relationship with GOD, can we accomplish GOD’s
purposes in GOD’s time?
● (3) Man’s life can be enjoyable now
(verses 12 -1 4)
○ Solomon states that his enjoyment in life
came from GOD. (Ecclesiastes 2:24, Ecclesiastes 6:2, 1 Timothy 6:17)
○ Solomon states the practice of enjoying
GOD’s gifts as the fruit of one’s labor, no matter how difficult life may be.
○ Whatever GOD does is forever, so when we
live for GOD and let GOD have his way, life will be meaningful and
manageable. Instead of complaining
about what we don’t have, we should be thankful and enjoy what we do have.
■ I will never complain.
■ I will keep my home bright.
■ I will count my blessings.
■ I will try to turn the events in my life
into gain.
■ Solomon is not saying ‘Don’t worry, be
happy’. Instead he is saying faith is
as only good as the object of faith itself, the greatest object of faith is the
LORD. Only the LORD can be trusted.
■ If we have trusted in Jesus Christ, we
are a child of GOD (John 14:1-6).
■ The proper attitude for us is the fear of
the LORD. The submission of an obedient
child to a loving parent compared to a slave of a cruel master.
■ If we fear GOD, we do not need to fear
anything else as GOD is in control.
○ Looking Ahead: Death is Coming to All
(Verses 3:15-22)
■ Solomon does state the certainty of death
many times in Ecclesiastes. We cannot
ignore life’s ingredients of: life, death, time, and eternity.
■ GOD is in control of the cycles of life
(Ecclesiastes 1:9-11). The past tends to
repeat itself, but GOD can break into history as he pleases. GOD has given us a miracle in the birth of
his son, Jesus, into our human life.
Jesus then died upon a cross to conquer the ‘life-death’ cycle. By breaking this cycle, Jesus has made us a
new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
■ GOD seeks what hurries along. Life passes by swiftly in our human eyes and
life can get away from us. GOD keeps
track of it all and he will call into account what we have done with that
time. Solomon does not ponder why GOD’s
divine judgement is delayed when injustice occurs in this world.
● Solomon makes 2 assurances: (1) God has a time for everything including
judgment. (2) GOD is working out his
eternal purposes in and through the deeds of man. This includes the deeds of the wicked.
■ GOD does continue to judge as history
runs its course. GOD is also judging us
now, GOD does test (manifest) us to sift and winnow (remove the chaff) from
us. GOD is revealing what man is really
like. When man leaves GOD out of his
life, man becomes like an animal (Psalm 32:9, Proverbs 7:2, 2 Peter
2:19-20). Man lives like a beast and
also dies like a beast.
■ Solomon is not implying there is no
difference between a man and a beast.
He points out that a man and a beast have 2 things in common: they both
die and they both return to the dust of the Earth (Genesis 2:7, Genesis
3:19). God has given man an advantage
in life compared to animals. But when
death does occur, both return to the dust.
The one difference is the Christian who believes in Jesus Christ will be
resurrected to receive a glorified body for their heavenly home (I Corinthians
15:35).
■ Death occurs when the Spirit leaves the
earthly body (James 2:26, Genesis
35:18, Luke 8:55).
■ Man and animal do not have the same
experience at death, even though they both return to dust. Man’s Spirit goes to GOD, while the spirit of
the animal ceases to exist.
■ Solomon reminds us to accept life as a
gift from GOD’s hand and enjoy it while we can. No one knows what the future holds. Even if we did know, we can’t return back to
life after we die and enjoy life here on Earth again.
● Conclusion.
○ Proverbs 13:22 ‘but a sinner's wealth is stored up for
righteousness”.
■ Righteousness - acting in a morally
correct manner, correct by divine declaration
○ We believe that something greater is
involved in human life than just our existence.
■ We are different than insects and
animals.
■ We leave behind a history.
■ People are unique and no 2 stories are
the same.
● If we are not unique, we are not
important, if we are not important then life has no meaning. Is life worth living if we have no meaning?
○ Solomon is asking us to look up, to look
within, to look ahead, and to take into consideration of: the times, eternity,
death, and suffering.
■ GOD has given us these 4 factors to keep
our lives from being meaningless and monotonous.
○ We live by promises and not expectations. We can’t explain life but we can experience
it.
■ Enjoy life a day at a time, to be
satisfied with what GOD has given us.
(Philippians 4:11).
○ We
should submit to GOD since we know he is in control.
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