To Everything, There is a Season
The words of Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 10 are quite familiar to bible students. It is the content of Solomon’s words that are wise (Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 13) and should receive the attention of the student. Solomon says everything has its season (opportunity) and time (certainty) and purpose (valued delight) under heaven. Yet, these fourteen comparisons are “opposites.” How, then, can they all be of opportunity, certainty, and delight?
To answer this question, a general understanding of the book of Ecclesiastes would profit the reader. God granted Solomon wisdom that he (Solomon) would guide God’s people, Israel, wisely (1 Kings 3: 1 – 15). Throughout his life, Solomon had the joy of investigating everything he chose to investigate, and the book of Ecclesiastes is a report of his findings. Throughout the twelve chapters of his report, Solomon consistently finds “all is vanity, vexation of spirit” regarding the desires of man and the acquisition of this world’s possessions. Even in the extremes, while the opportunities, certainties, and delights exist, they are fleeting at best for this time world and they leave mankind with an emptiness that cannot be filled with temporal matters. Therefore, Solomon concludes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Thus, in our present study, there is opportunity in each of these fourteen comparisons, just as there is certainty and delight. Our problem is in accepting this truth within the negatives of these comparisons. While we realize some of these negatives are “less painful” than others, we still ponder how death, crying, mourning, hating, or war could ever be “delightful.” Again, the struggle is in our perception of opportunity, certainty, or delight. Verse eleven of this chapter answers the dilemma: “He hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” We tend to observe our surroundings from our perspective instead of God’s!
For example, consider this passage: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15) Does that eliminate the “negative” of Ecclesiastes 3:2? Does 2 Corinthians 5:17 answer verse 2? Does Colossians 3: 1 – 17 help us see opportunity, certainty, and delight throughout the rest of these comparisons? The point Solomon makes is everything has its opportunity, certainty, and delight. There is always something of value to be learned from opportunity, certainty, and delight; even if the delight is in learning the lesson “the hard way.” Solomon, even with his God-given wisdom, learned “the hard way” that obeying God in everything is of far greater value in opportunity, certainty, and delight than fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life (see 1 John 2:15-17). Solomon’s heart was turned away from God to idols that pleased his wives (1 Kings 11: 1 – 13). Therefore, God punished Solomon by taking the kingdom of Israel from him! Before he died, Solomon vividly realized the greatest of all opportunity, certainty, and delight is to “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
Mankind just doesn’t seem to get it! There isn’t anything on earth (i.e., among temporal things) that can or will grant great opportunity, certainty, or delight other than fearing God, and keeping His commandments! Read Solomon’s report on life: it is all vanity, and vexation of spirit. Why? Because it isn’t spiritual! Now read Romans 8:6 and learn the lesson: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” For some of us, we’re thankful we learned that truth some years ago, and have endeavored to comply with fearing God and keeping His commandments ever since we learned and obeyed the gospel! Have we also failed in obeying God at times? Yes! But we repented of those sins and returned to the path of righteousness, and now continue to fear God and with greater diligence in keeping His commandments (2 Peter 1:1 – 11). We’ve learned the opportunity, certainty, and delight of living is not in this flesh, but in the Lord! (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1- 17).
Yes, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. But those matters are only righteous when lived in compliance with God and His will! Don’t let material things become greater than God!!