Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3— A Season and a Time for Everything (Under the Sun)

"‘To every thing there is a season’— an appointed hour— ‘a time.’ "Some render this: ‘short space of time’ emphasizing the transitoriness of the incidents relating to the human experience. Because the day of opportunity is short, man must make the best possible use of it while he can." (R. Krygger) In God's season (i.e. litergical calendar) and time (when He draws us to the task), all things may be "done with propriety and success.” (Adam Clarke)

"There is a time to be born (yalad)," from Genesis, where the LORD told Eve after she sinned "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you ‘shall bring forth (yalad) children (ben)’; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (Gen 3:16) Paul taught that, in marriage, the woman was to be submissive to the man as the head of house. But, carnal man, you are to love the woman as Christ loves the church, "For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." (1 Timothy 2:13-14) Adam, as a tyoe of Christ, left his first estate for love of his bride. "Nevertheless she," as a type of the church, "will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control." (1 Timothy 2:15) I think that this make most sense in not only natural but spiritual child bearing. The first born, as firstfruits, took the task of preserving the faith. — “‘and a time to die.’ ‘Dying you will surely die.’ (Gen 2:17) Paul affirms to the Christians in Rome: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom 6:23a) And to the Hebrew Christians: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment; so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Heb 9:27-28) Jesus died for the ungodly. So, rather than die, we can submit to Him and die to self. And, the fulness of time, He (the Seed of the woman) will come again to crush the head of the serpent.

"And she (the virgin Mary) will bring forth a Son,

and you shall call His name Jesus (lit. Jehovah is Savior),

for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

“‘A time to plant,’ There is a need to plant the Gospel seed in soil.” (R. Krygger) — “’and a time to pluck what is planted.’— “The reference is to an unfruitful, barren plant, rooted out and destroyed. That which was originally planted is this judged unfit for existence, and is thus removed: a Divine judgment on useless works. Jeremiah stood in the place of God (Jer. 1:10) and judged Israel unworthy of Divine protection (Jer. 12:2-17; Psa. 80:8-16), and this was later confirmed by Jesus (Matt 15:13)." (R. Krygger) Jerusalem and the temple were soon detroyed. Jesus told the disciples to to let the wheat and tares abide together until the end-time harvest.

"'A time to kill'— "to smite with deadly intent." (Strong’s)—“’For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven’ (Rom 1:18) It was revealed… by such examples of punishment as those of the Deluge and the destruction of the Cities of the Plain by fire from heaven…” (Robert Haldane) Unredeemed sinners will likewise be destroyed at the Judgment — “a time to heal.' for the righteous- "7495 rapha'; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure;" (Strong's) In contrast, at the resurrection, they will be given bodies that are glorious and incorruptible. There is a tree whose leaves are "for the healing of the nations." (Rev 22:2)

"'A time to break down'- literally "to break out." “This occurred literally in the history of God’s vineyard, Israel. Because it failed to respond to Yahweh’s careful and loving ministrations to bring forth the fruits of righteousness in their seasons, He ‘broke down’ her walls, and scattered the nations abroad. His Divine protection was removed, allowing the wild Gentile beasts of the forest to invade the area, trample down the nation, and drag the prey away. (Isa. 5:1-7; Psa. 89:39-41.” (R. Krygger) It also occurred at Babel; “So the LORD scattered (parats) them abroad from there over the face of all the earth..” (Gen 11:9a)— “’a time to build up.’- "to build (literally and figuratively);" (Strong's) “As there was a time to tear down the walls of Jerusalem, in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, so there was a time to build up them again, in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. In the Last Days especially, there is a set time for the restoration of literal Jerusalem and spiritual Israel (Psa 102:13,14; 51:18; Isa 58:12; 61:4; Jer 24:6,7; 33:6,7; Amo 9:11; Eph 2:20-22).” (Christadelphian Books on Ecclesiastes)

"'A time to weep"— “occasioned through misfortune to oneself or one’s friends (i.e Israelites for Paul). It is evidence that the mind of the one who weeps is filled ‘to overflowing’ with thoughts of the cause of distress… Israel shall weep continually and abundantly, in bitterness and grief of remorse when confronted with the Messiah… (Zech. 12:10-14; Isa. 61:3)…” (R. Krygger)— “‘a time to laugh.'-- "to laugh (in pleasure or detraction)." (Strong's) “Not that provoked by the world’s crude and vulgar humor, but that which has its source in spiritual joy. ” (R. Krygger) "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." (Luke 6:21)

“’A time to mourn.’— properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts.— 'a time to dance.'— properly, to stamp, i.e. to spring about (wildly or for joy)." (Strong's) "David danced for joy as he brought the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obededom to the city of David, doubtless anticipating the glorious day when the saints will conduct Jesus, the King, to His throne of righteousness and glory in the Temple of Yahweh in the Kingdom age.” (R. Krygger)

"'A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones.' Beware that some stone are "impediments to the fertility of land.” (Albert Barnes)— Cast away or gather—"for building; figuratively, the Gentiles, once castaway stones, were in due time made parts of the spiritual building (Eph 2:19, 20), and children of Abraham (Mt 3:9)." (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) They are built on the foundation of (the faith of) prophets and the aposltes, even Jesus.

"‘A time to embrace’- to widen." (Strong's) — ’a time to refrain from embracing.’ “There is a time when we need to embrace others, to show our support for them. But there is a time when we ought to refuse to embrace them, when our support would be misunderstood and would be tantamount to complicity with something evil. Those times come from the hand of God.” (Ray Steadman) There is a time to take people into the Church and to put people out (1 Cor 5:5).

"'A time to gain'- "to search out by any method, specifically in worship or prayer." (Strong's) “Men seek after glory, honor, preferment, advantage, and power in this present world, but the servant of God will seek Him (Isa 55:6; Mat 6:31-33), striving after future glory (Rom 2:7), and the things that make for peace (1Pe 3:11). Their efforts will be rewarded (Luk 11:9; Heb 11:16).” (R. Krygger)— “’a time to lose.’- properly, to wander away,” (Strong’s)—to give up for lost. If not received in a house, Jesus told the disciples to shake the dust from their feet. "It belonged to a land where God’s laws of cleanliness were not observed, and was thus ‘unclean’." (Pett)

“’A time to keep,' properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard;” (Strong’s)— “a time to throw away’- 7993 shalak (shaw-lak); to throw out, down.. (the hedge)." (Strong's). This was done to the old system and, at the endtime, it will be done to the luke-warm laodean church.

"A time to tear"—"to rend, literally or figuratively." (Strong's) “Tear garments in sign of mourning…” (Albert Barnes) But the physical action will not be enough unless the heart of the mourner is affected; therefore God tells Israel to “rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13)— “‘a time to mend’- "to sew;" (Strong's) "Logically, after the period of mourning is over, that which has been torn will be mended and made new. And so Psalm 30:5 tells us that ‘weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.’.. (Christadelphian Books)

"'A time to be silent'- "to hush or keep quiet." (Strong's) “There is a prudent, holy, gracious silence to which Scripture enjoins us. If we do not learn to practice this kind of restraint, we will speak injurious words that stir up anger (Pro 15:1)... ‘The thoughtless are rarely wordless’— “’a time to speak.' "There is a solemn responsibility to preach the Truth (2Ti 4:2), to render praises unto God (Psa 30:12), and to pray (Isa 62:6,7; Col 4:2-4)."(Christadelphian Books)

"'A time to love.. to hate.' What? "When is it time to hate? Think of young Abraham Lincoln the first time he saw human beings sold on the slave blocks in New Orleans. He felt hatred rising in his heart. He resolved that if he ever got a chance to smash slavery he would do so. Lincoln's hatred of slavery was perfectly appropriate.” (Ray Steadman) —“‘a time for war’— "in the sense of fighting; a battle (i.e. the engagement);" (Strong's) When tyranny rides roughshod over the rights of men there is a time when a Christian properly makes for warfare but not according to the world.—“’a time for peace-- "7965 shalowm (shaw-lome'); from 7999; safe, also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace." (Strong's) "The Heb ‘shalom’ does not merely refer to the cessation of actual warfare, but to the establishing of unity between parties that have been divided from one another -- and specifically fellowship and union between God and man. See Isa 32:17,18; 9:6,7; Mat 5:9; Col 1:20; Heb 7:2; Jam 3:17,18.” (Christadelphian)

Eccl 3:9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor-- it is the gift of God. 14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 15 That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.

A time for everything (under the sun), Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. “From the fluctuating state of things, as they refer to men, the Preacher makes a beautiful transition in those verses, to the permanent and settled things of God, and his purposes…. Everything is beautiful in its time and order. MY, soul! learn from the solemn observations of the Preacher to enquire, whether in the times and seasons which he saith there are to every purpose under heaven, thou hast found the time of the new birth, and the time of a real death unto sin and a life unto righteousness? Hast thou known the time of the Lord's planting thee in grace, and thy reaping in mercy? Hast thou marked the season, when the Holy Ghost killed in thee the lusts of the flesh, and taught thee to crucify the affections of it by his power? Are the strong holds of sin broken down, and is the spiritual life of grace in Jesus built up? Hath the Lord given to thee holy seasons of mourning for sin, and refreshing recoveries, by the blood and righteousness of Christ, to make thine heart leap for joy? See, my soul, whether these things are in thy evidences of the new life, and thou hast truly found those changes in the times, and seasons, of a dying world, which is hastening away, and which mark not the life of the ungodly, in their purposes under heaven.” (Poor Man’s Commentary)

“‘What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?’ (9) All of the activiites of the church in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 are of God. And we must do them! They make “all the difference between his eternal destiny…” (Coffman Commentary) “The workman who labours gains nothing from his labours apart from his wages.” (Peter Pett) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23) “Nothing is to be reckoned the true profit or advantage of a man’s work but that which is permanent, and will abide with him as nothing earthly can do. Only the graces of God’s Spirit abide in the exercise of them with the saints in death, and their good works abide with them through all eternity in the gracious reward of them [Nisbet].All labour that does not increase the riches of the soul must prove profitless in the end.” (Preacher's Homiletical)

“’I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.’ (10) The work of the church is “a God given-task (consider Genesis 3:17-19), but one which apparently leads nowhere unless, of course, it is performed towards God.” (Peter Pett)

“While man has to work so hard, nevertheless ‘God has made everything beautiful in its time’ (11a) ‘God saw everything that he had made and behold it was very good.” (Gen 1:29) “‘Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.’ (11b) “‘Eternity’ to Old Testament people was not timelessness or absence of time. They knew no such realm. It was, rather, extension of time-as far back and as far forward as one could imagine-’time in its wholeness’ (JB), ’sense of time past and future’ (NEB)." [Note: Hubbard, pp. 106-7.] The idea of a timeless, ideal state is Platonic, not biblical. We cannot grasp fully all of God’s plans.” (Dr. Thomas B. Constable) “Every man does not have eternal life but, there is in every human heart a longing for eternal life.” (Coffman Commentary) “It is God who has placed within the inborn constitution of man this capability of conceiving of eternity, and his struggling after the everlasting, this longing after eternal life.” (Albert Barnes)

“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,’ (12’) To do good.’—This phrase is always used elsewhere in a moral sense: ‘to act rightly.’” (C. J. Ellicott)—

“and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor.’ etc. (13) Compare the phrase “to do good” in verse 12 which is moral, with enjoy the good (lit. “see the good”) in verse 13, which is rewards. “Men cannot totally search out God’s ways in spite of their sense of everlastingness, the best thing for them to do is to be happy and to do good as long as they live, while being aware of the everlastingness.” (Peter Pett)

“Now I know this about God. My works are going to pass away. My works are going to be forgotten.” (Charles Ward Smith) "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it.’ i.e., That his decree is unchangeable, that his ‘counsel shall stand,’ Pro 19:21.” (John Trapp) God’s torah is eternal.“‘Thou shall surely die,’ but the Seed of the woman will crush the head (death blow) of the serpent and his agents. “Nothing can be annihilated [by man]; no power but that which can create can destroy.” (Adam Clarke) — “and God hath done it, that man should fear before Him.” (14c) And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” (Matthew 10:28)

“’That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.’ (15) “Literally, God seeketh that which was crowded out.” (Preacher's Homiletical) This pertains to a correction of the injustices of this world, i.e future punishment and rewards. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) “Here is meaning and permanence indeed… The consequence of this, if only he could see it, was that God was drawing His own into something that was everlasting.” (Peter Pett)

“Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John 6:28-29) “I can't get a set of rules and start doing all these nice little things and be more righteous. Nor can you take away from that righteousness that I have, that perfect standing that I have before God in Jesus Christ. You can't add to it; you can't take from it. The work of God is complete. The work of God is eternal. And God has worked in me His righteousness by my faith in Jesus Christ.” (Charles Ward Smith)

Eccl 3:16 Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. 17 I said in my heart, "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." 18 I said in my heart, "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals." 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? 22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

“‘Moreover I saw under the sun,’ that is, on the earth- I perceived it by information from others, and by my own observation." (Matthew Poole)- "'In the place of justice' -in the place where justice is supposed to be administered, i.e. among lawyers, judges, the courts and so on. 'Crime is where law should be' (Jerus). In the place where godly, righteous and fair-minded men should be, there are liars, thieves and outright criminals. And we see the same thing today! We know that there are judges and legislators who are outright ungodly individuals, who care little for true justice, but rather are only interested in pushing an agenda which agrees with their own selfishness.

Solomon is anticipating an objection to the fact that God rules this world. Solomon isn't ignorant, he knows that plenty of corruption is found, even in his own administration." (Mark Dunagan) But he knows something else too: “I said in my heart, ‘God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,’ He draws the conclusion that the present injustice must be dealt with by God.” (Arno Gaebelein)— “‘for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.’ (16b) Man has his time here below, and God shall have his time above. At his throne the judged shall be rejudged, and iniquity forever close her mouth.” (Adam Clarke)

“I said in my heart, ‘Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God TESTS them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.’ (18) “The Hebrew term rendered ‘test’ (barár) has been defined as meaning ‘purge out,’ ‘sort,’ ‘separate,’ ‘select,’ or ‘prove.’… The ‘selecting,’ ‘separating,’ or ‘proving’ may have reference to what God allows humans to experience — problems, uncertainties, trials, failures, successes, and joys — in order to reveal whether they are righteous or wicked and, hence, what their judgment will be. This proving or testing also serves the divine purpose in making humans aware of their helplessness and mortality.” (Werner Bible Commentary) The word translated "tormented" (basanidzo) in apocalyptic literature might also be better rendered the test by God's Judgment. The effects of the destruction. Basanidzo is "derived from basanos, a black rock formerly used as a ‘touchstone.’ Ancient peoples were able to determine the purity of gold and silver by observing the peculiar streak left on the stone when rubbed by these metals." (Asleep in Christ by Helaine Burch)

“The Bible never suggests that the breath of life makes its possessor deathless or immortal. In not one of the 389 instances of the use of ruach–spirit in the Old Testament is there any suggestion that ruach– spirit is the intelligent entity of human nature capable of existence apart from a physical body. On the contrary, the Bible speaks of the death of those who possess the breath of life: ‘For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath [ ruach] of life; everything that is on the earth shall die [ gava– cease to breathe]’ (Gen 6:17). ‘And all flesh died that moved upon the earth . . . everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath [ruach] of life died [ gava– cease to breathe]’ (Gen 7:21-22). It is evident from texts such as these that to possess the breath or the spirit of life does not mean to have an immortal soul. The breath of life is simply the gift of life given to human beings and animals for the duration of their earthly existence. The spirit or the breath of life that returns to God at death is simply the life principle imparted by God to both human beings and animals. This point is clearly made in Ecclesiastes 3:19: ‘For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other.’” (Bacchiocchi)

“For what happens to the sons of men’— i.e hunger, thirst, heat, cold, diseases, aches, and other ill accidents— ‘also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other.’ etc.” (Trapp) “Both have a perishable body and a flickering breath.” (Whedon) they both die alike. “The Hebrew muth ‘to die’ is sometimes used, as in English, in a figurative way to denote the destruction or elimination of a nation (Is 65:15; Hos 2:3; Am 2:2), a tribe (Deut 33:6; Hos 13:1), or a city (2 Sam 20:19). None of these figurative uses supports the idea of individual survival [in another state]. On the contrary, we find that the word muth [‘to die’] is used in Deuteronomy 2:16 in in parallel with tamam, which means ‘to be consumed’ or ‘to be finished.’” (Bacchiocchi) Man has no advantage over animals, for both transient. (19)

“‘All go unto one place,’ to the realm of death; ‘all are of the dust,’ and all turn to dust’ (20) again, Genesis 3:19.” (The Popular Commentary) “Their dead bodies are dealt with in the same way.” (Peter Pett )“Here is the reverse of Gen 2:7: man was created from the dust of the ground, and given the breath of life so that he might live; when the breath of life is taken away from him, then he becomes what he once was -- mere dust!” (Christadelphian Books)

“‘Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?’ (21) The LXX., followed by a great body of interpreters, ancient and modern, translate, ‘Who knoweth whether the spirit of man goeth upward?’ etc, and this agrees better with the context of this paragraph. The sceptical thought is, ‘We see that death resolves into dust (Gen 3:19) the bodies of men and animals alike; and if it be alleged that there is a difference as to what becomes of their spirits, can this be asserted with the certainty of knowledge?’” (C. J. Ellicott) "... God makes all sensible people realize that they are as much subject to death as is the animal world.” (N. T. Wright)

“Lastly, I perceived that there is nothing better in the labour of man, than that he should receive pleasure from it; because this is his portion: for who shall bring him back to enjoy what shall be hereafter? (22) This verse contains the third corollary. Since it is not given to men to see what happens after their death, much less to enjoy it, the portion allotted to them by God Almighty can be nothing else in this world than present enjoyment. Consequently we must look to a future life for that enjoyment which is durable, which is eternal.” (Thomas Coke)

Our hope is the resurrection of the dead. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?' The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”(1 Cor 15:51-58)