A Time For Everything Under the Sun
Comments for Study 3

Memory Verse: 11

Questions

Outline

I. A Time To... (3:1-8)

>1. How does Solomon open this section of his book? (1)

* Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

* "a time" -"Time" is "et" in the original Hebrew (a transliteration). It is a noun that can also be translated as season.

* "There is a time for everything" -Uncertainty, predictable, and almost hysterical and inconstant life outside of heaven where God rules. Extremes and opposites can happen given the right circumstances.

* "a season" -"Season" is "zeman" in the original Hebrew (a transliteration). It is a noun that can also be translated as time. It comes from "zaman" meaning an appointed occasion. This is meaning more so by God than by mankind.

* "for every activity under heaven" -"Under heaven" is the noun "shamayim" in the original Hebrew (a transliteration). It is also translated "air" though "heaven" is the most common translation into English. It is a dual of an unused singular "shameh" from an unused root meaning "to be lofty, the sky, atmosphere, astro, and heaven".

* The Teacher shows that we are subject to times and changes over which we have little or no control, and contrasts this state with God's eternity and sovereignty. God sovereignty predetermines all of life's activities. (NIV Study Bible)

* See 8:6.

* The author started the book in the third person. From 1:12 thru 12:8 he writes in the first person. Then in the final five verses of the book, 12:9-14 he writes in the third person again.

* This section starts with a poem.

* The poem that states facts concerning human life after the fall of Adam and Eve, a life with sin in self and sin in others, a life apart from a loving relationship with God.

* See a drawing found in a book titled "Emblemes" by Quarles, Francis (1592-1644). A skeleton, here the personification of death, is shown about to snuff out the light from the candlestick. Behind him is an angel holding an hourglass and guiding the skeleton's arm down in order to snuff out the light. The vertical tower is a sundial. The Latin motto at the bottom of the image translates to, "In time." Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>What is true about all physical life on earth? (2)

* Ecclesiastes 3:2 "a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,"

* "a time to be born and a time to die"

* "a time to plant and a time to uproot,"

* This is the first of fourteen opposites till verse 8.

*

>2. What reason do people find to do that which is mentioned in verse 3?

* Ecclesiastes 3:3 "a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,"

* "a time to kill and a time to heal"

* "a time to tear down and a time to build,"

*

*

>Do all people experience the extremes of verse 4?

* Ecclesiastes 3:4 "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,"

* "a time to weep and a time to laugh"

* "a time to mourn and a time to dance,"

*

*

>What does it mean to scatter and gather stones? (5)

* Ecclesiastes 3:5 "a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,"

* "a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them"

* "a time to embrace and a time to refrain,"

*

*

>3. Did you ever want to obtain something and then later find it undesirable?

* Ecclesiastes 3:6 "a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,"

* "a time to search and a time to give up"

* "a time to keep and a time to throw away,"

*

*

>When is is good to be silent and to speak? (7)

* Ecclesiastes 3:7 "a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,"

* "a time to tear and a time to mend"

* "a time to be silent and a time to speak,"

*

*

>What is worthy of hate and is war ever acceptable?

* Ecclesiastes 3:8 "a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

* "a time to love and a time to hate"

* "a time for war and a time for peace."

*

*

>How does this show the paradox of the world ruled by mankind?

* Everybody's life is an enigma existence. A moment's choice for me now is later a contradiction of ethics, morality, and reason by a new choice made under the same situation. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" (1). My reason for doing something now will be the reason I do the opposite tomorrow.

Though time is mentioned 15 times in these verses it is not the subject. Time is the device I use to explain, reason, and justify conflicting decisions and actions. Thus everyone is capable of every righteous and evil act ever implemented by those before in the time we have been allotted to live under heaven.

The person who lives "under heaven", that is apart from God and his ways makes their own moral anchors. They give themselves ethical guidelines to help themselves in decision-making.

One person's ethical mantra will be to acquire wealth while another's will be to do everything for family and/or children. The first person will plant only if the profit justifies the risk, whereas the second will plant if the family and children are hungry (1).

One person's ethical mantra will be to stay sober while another's will be to receive the acclaim and adoration of everyone. The first person may kill if someone continually manipulates them back into their addiction, whereas the second will kill if somone is about to reveal a dark secret that will bring disgrace and public shame (3).

The principle here can be applied to all fourteen conflicting life events listed in these verses.

Here then are two enigmas of human existence; a decision and action complimented today will need to be self-justified when repeated later, and moral rules made "under heaven" will find a reason to do anything given the right circumstances.

Quoting Elijah, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21) And quoting Joshua, "Chose for yourself who you will serve this day... As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) Make your own life rules or follow the Holy Spirit.

II. Eternity in Our Hearts and Yet... (3:9-15)

* The engraving from a book; "Jezus en de ziel : Een geestelyke spiegel voor 't gemoed : Bestaaende in veertig aangenaame en stichtelyke zinnebeelden : Nevens Het Eeuwige Vaderland en deszelfs vreugde / [Jan Luiken]; in three parts" by Luiken, Jan (1649-1712) now in public domain is titled "The words of the highest Wisdom; and about the vanity of all external things [from Part III]". The Soul and Vanity watch four little boys at play. The Soul is portrayed as a young woman with a long dress, Vanity as a woman with a fancy dress and hat holding bags of money in one hand and a crown and scepter in the other. The Dutch artist and poet, Jan Luiken (1649-1712) was responsible for drawing and etching this emblem and composing the poem that accompanies it. The Dutch artist and poet Jan Luiken (1649-1712) was responsible for drawing this emblem and composed the poem that accompanies it. The etching was executed by Jan Luiken or his son Casper Luiken (1672-1708) who adapted this image from one used in an earlier work. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

The motto is "The Soul likens all earthly actions to child's play". The accompanying poem is:

>4. How does Solomon begin this section of his book? (9)

* Ecclesiastes 3:9 "What does the worker gain from his toil?"

*

*

>What is the first burden on men?

* Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 "I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 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."

* "God has laid on men"

* "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

*

>What is the second?

* "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men"

* "they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end"

* Living under the sun (existing in the belief God does not exist) is so meaningless that it is absurdly and irritatingly frustrating. The atheists' and agnostics' illusions cannot avoid a nagging deploy that God has placed in our hearts (10). God has set eternity in our hearts, and yet we are unable to fathom what God has done from beginning to end (11). We cannot discover it. We cannot understand it. We cannot grasp it. We know there is a reason, but the human mind is incapable of processing all the information. We cannot come to a reasonable and true answer. How frustrating this is!

We ask, "Why? What is the meaning of life? What do I gain from all this toil? (9)" Being godless and still having eternity set in the heart leaves a person neither satisfied with what they are nor with their answers that try to understand God's purpose in all this. The material rationalist cannot rationally answer the questions of life. This is a great source of frustration!

The person that capitulates to the lovingly unrelenting God discovers the solution, and in that finds peace. The frustration goes away, vanishing like steam in the air and rain soaking in the earth. The believer in Jesus learns that "there is nothing better than to rejoice and be happy and do good while they live. They learn God's gift is also that we find satisfaction and joy in all the good that comes from our toil. We accept God's gifts. (12,13)" The answers to life's whys are no longer relevant to those who love and fear God.

C.S. Lewis in all his education and wisdom eventually capitulated after a long frustrating search for the why's. He listened to and slowly accepted the words of his friends J. R. R. Tolkien, Nevill Coghill, Lord David Cecil, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and his brother Warren Lewis. He began calling himself "The Most Reluctant Convert". I suggest watching the recent movie "C.S. Lewis, the Most Reluctant Convert."

>Why has God laid these burdens on men? (Genesis 3:17-19)

* Genesis 3:17-19 "To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

*

*

>5. In this fallen world what is the best we can do? (12)

* Ecclesiastes 3:12 "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live."

* "be happy and do good while they live."

*

>Where does even this come from? (13)

* Ecclesiastes 3:13 "That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God."

* "That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil"

* "this is the gift of God."

*

>How then should we set our priorities? (Matt. 22:35-40)

* Matthew 22:35-40 "One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

*

*

>6. Why did God set up everything the way it is? (14)

* Ecclesiastes 3:14 "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."

* "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 is sure whether we revere God or not? (15)

* Ecclesiastes 3:15 "Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account."

*

* 3:15 is similar to 1:9.

1:9 "What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun."

3:15 "Whatever is has already been,

and what will be has been before;

and God will call the past to account."

God is in charge. There is so much we cannot control. I cannot stop the sun from rising and setting in the sky. I cannot stop the moon and stars in their course in the sky. I cannot stop the four seasons coming and going in their cycle. Verses 1 thru 8 speak of the cycles of activity under heaven. They come and go and I cannot stop them. Generation after generation experiences them all.

Something else I cannot resist, stop, nor avoid. God will call the decisions I make into account (15). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Some believe that those who have put their faith in Christ will not stand before Jesus. If that were so then why did Jesus tell his disciples, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words before men, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:28, Luke 9:26) This can only apply to someone who had already put their faith in Jesus.

I need to be prepared every morning. I do not know what trials I may be subject to today. I need to review my thoughts, emotions, and actions. I will need to confess my errors and work on the soul imperfections that God was working on during the day. I would be devastated if Jesus was ashamed of me at the Bema seat. I cannot be self-confident. I need to be Spirit confident.

>Who will judge us? (Matthew 7:1-2; John 5:22-23; Acts 10:39-43)

* Matthew 7:1-2 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

* John 5:22-23 "Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him."

* Acts 10:39-43 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

*

III. From Dust and Return to Dust (3:16-22)

>7. What has always plagued man's court systems? (16)

* Ecclesiastes 3:16 "And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment--wickedness was there, in the place of justice--wickedness was there."

* "under the sun"

* "In the place of judgment--wickedness was there"

* "in the place of justice--wickedness was there."

* Solomon was the king of Israel. He had complete authority. Israel had a court system. He was the supreme court of Israel. When he looked at the justices under him he saw wickedness. Where there should have been fair and righteous judgment and justice there was only wickedness (16).

Solomon must have been sad and outraged at the injustice of his time. His council was that God will bring judgment on all the injustice and wickedness (17). Yet he knew that not only the wicked would be judged. The righteous will also have their time before God's judgment (18). God will listen to the account of every deed.

Social injustice is a common outcry to this day. Every generation experiences injustice. This is nothing new under the sun.

I can sit here and think of an injustice court system. However, when I do that I become a judge. In fact, when I honestly think about it I judge others often. The New Testament points out, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." (Romans 2:1-3). And it also says, "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" (Romans 2:3).

Rather than point fingers at others, I need to point one at myself. Jesus taught, "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:4, Luke 6:42)

>Is anyone exempt from judgement? (17)

* Ecclesiastes 3:17 "I thought in my heart, "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed."

* "I thought in my heart"

* "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked,"

* "for there will be a time for every activity"

* ", a time for every deed."

*

>What did Jesus teach about the judgement to come? (Matthew 13:37-43; Romans 2:5-11)

* Matthew 13:37-43 "He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

* Romans 2:5-11 "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. here will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."

*

* See a drawing found in a book by Pietrasanta, Silvestro (1590-1647) This copper plate engraving depicts a barren field, shown by the dying tree and the birds flying away from the area. The coat of arms and engravings in this book were designed by Silvestro Pietrasanta (1590-1647). Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>8. Does God test everyone? (18)

* Ecclesiastes 3:18 "I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals."

* Genesis 22:1 "Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied."

* Exodus 15:25 "Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them."

* Proverbs 17:3 "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart."

* Proverbs 27:21 "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives."

* 2 Corinthians 13:5-7 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed."

* 1 Thessalonians 2:4 "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."

* "God tests them"

*

>Why? (Psalm 66:10; James 1:2-4, 12)

* "so that they may see that they are like the animals"

* Psalm 66:10 "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver."

* James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

* James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

*

>9. What happens to all life in this world? (19)

* Ecclesiastes 3:19 "Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless."

* "Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both"

* "All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal."

*

>Why does man return to dust? (20; Genesis 3:17-19)

* Ecclesiastes 3:20 "All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return."

* Genesis 3:17-19 "To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

* "dust"

*

>Is there life after death? (21; Matthew 22:29-32; John 11:25-26)

* Ecclesiastes 3:21 "Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?""

* Matthew 22:29-32 "Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

* John 11:25-26 "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

* "Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward"

* "if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

* God has an eternal plan with a holy destination that we do not know about other than what is told us in the Scriptures (given by the Spirit) and told to us by the one who came from the destination, the Son of God. Yet that picture is like looking from a foggy seashore to find a boat on the horizon and its destination beyond. Even when the fog thins, the ship may be found, but the image of the destination is curved below the horizon. The destination remains hidden. The eternal plan remains a mystery.

Mankind individually perceives eternity and infinite existence. And we know that absolute holiness and perfect love exists. We experience these and yet we cannot grasp their meaning or their entirety. We cannot grasp them and yet we contemplate their existence. We react similarly to the perception of God's existence. God has placed in the core of our being the awareness that He exists. Yet because we cannot grasp the entirety of his being we question his existence. God's nature remains a mystery.

Mankind's inadequacy to comprehend eternity, the infinite, absolute holiness, perfect love, and God's character was not always a part of our being. Nor does our inadequacy need to remain. To regain the ability to know (dwell in wholeness) of the mystery of God is possible. We cannot only see the destination, but we can exist in it. Until then we need to step from the foggy shore onto the boat headed to the horizon and beyond the final destiny.

Till the destination is reached God tests us (18). The tests are refinements of the soul (mind, heart, and will). The initial state of mankind when born is incapable of reaching the destination beyond the horizon. Refinements via test are needed. The result of one type of test is designed to help us accept that we are like animals. The end result of the unprepared and unchanged soul is death (19). Like animals, we come from dust, and dust our body returns (20). The reality of our mortality must be established and accepted. Fear of death and that it is orchestrated by God is the beginning of wisdom.

Then the forever-nagging reality of eternity, the infinite, absolute holiness, perfect love, and God's character leads us to the question, "Who can bring me to see what will happen after I die?" (21) "Can I experience even a little bit of the destination now?" I am here to say, "Yes. God has made a way for us to experience him for he is the all-encompassing destination that awaits."

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 14:9-11).

Jesus continued, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:16-20)

>10. In this world what is the best man can do?

* Ecclesiastes 3:22 "So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"

* "enjoy his work"

*

>Why?

* "that is his lot"

* "For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"

*