Been There, Done That, Now What? Ecclesiastes Study Session #3 Chapter 3:1-13

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1 Been There, Done That, Now What? Ecclesiastes Study Session #3 Chapter 3:1-13 Introduction: Time is. Time is the great of mankind. (Ephesians 5:15-16) "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, {16} Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." A Key to Life: Know what time it is and fully engaging in the appropriate activity. Review: Solomon has gathered Israel to himself and is counseling them as to his discoveries concerning life without God (life under the sun). He has lived on a treadmill for forty years flying past every life event trying to get to the next one. He has lived for tomorrow and missed out on today. Now that his life is coming to an end, he reflects on the pace of life that has robbed him of the experience of life. Chapter 3 Verse 1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: What time is it? (Not what chronos but kairos) Turn, Turn, Turn turn into the season, embrace the opportunity, life is frustrated when you refuse to turn into the season of life. Solomon gives us a study in. Fourteen couplets of contrast addressing the seasons/opportunities of life are presented. Verse 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, Contrast #1 a time to be born and a time to die, Birthdays and death days are events in the life of each individual. These are the bookends of life.

2 2 (Job 14:5) "Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." (Psalms 139:16) "your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 31:15, Galatians 4:4-5, Hebrews 10:27 We cannot do anything to increase the of our lives, only the. So celebrate the life given and prepare for the future inevitable. Contrast #2 a time to plant and a time to uproot, Most things in life have a life-cycle that needs to be accepted. It s been said, If your horse is dead,. Verse 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, Couplet #3 a time to kill and a time to heal, War, capital punishment, self-defense are all times when killing is justifiable. Couplet #4 a time to tear down and a time to build, Destruction often must precede. Verse 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, Couplets #5, 6 The person who refuses to cry and the person who refuses to laugh their own lives. Verse 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, Couplet #7 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, There are times when hindering progress is appropriate and times when facilitating progress is appropriate.

3 3 Sometimes it is appropriate to help someone and sometimes it is appropriate to hinder them. Couplet #8 a time to embrace and a time to refrain, This surely covers public display of affection but means for more. There are times to enter a relationship and times to to enter a relationship. Galatians 2:1-9 speaks of extending the right hand of Christian fellowship. Matthew 18:15-18, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 1 Timothy 5:19-20, Titus 3:10-11 all speak of refusing fellowship. You have heard it said, We hire too fast and fire too slow. Verse 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, Couplet #9 a time to search and a time to give up, Things of value are not soon forfeited but when the value exceeds the investment, it s time to move on. Couplet #10 a time to keep and a time to throw away, Notice he says, throw away not rent a storage unit. Learning to travel light is the key to traveling pleasure. The more you have, the more that has you. Evaluate what you have to ensure that it is worthy of the cost of keeping or whether it would be better to liquidate, to give away or be trashed. Verse 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, Couplet #11 a time to tear and a time to mend, Grief is not to be denied, but not either. Couplet #12 a time to be silent and a time to speak,

4 4 Notice, silence comes before speaking. (Proverbs 17:28) "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." (Proverbs 10:19) "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." (Proverbs 12:18) "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." There is raw power in silence. (Matthew 27:11-14) If you have already said it and they have heard it, then your silence will speak louder than your words. However, the silent majority needs to find its. Silence is golden but sometimes it s just plain. We must know,, and to speak. Colossians 4:6 Verse 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Couplet #13 a time to love and a time to hate, Hatred is not considered a virtue in most Christian circles, but it should be. We should cultivate a holy hatred for and God hates. (Proverbs 6:16-19) "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: {17} haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, {18} a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, {19} a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." Does God hate some people? Psalm 5:6, 11:5, 139:21-22 Couplet #14 a time for war and a time for peace. There is a time for war on a national and individual level and there is a time do the work of the peacemaker. Balanced living is the point of Solomon s couplets. We should not deny contrasting times of life, run from their reality or their needed process. Verse 9,10 What does the worker gain from his toil? {10} I have seen the burden God has laid on men.

5 5 Verse 11 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. The contrasting couplets of life are essential to the of life. Whatever is ugly in your life now God has plans to make beautiful. Your job is to respond and wait. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Man always wants to read the final page, but God says to take life one page at a time. Our finite minds can t comprehend God s infinite plans for our lives. We simply must trust Him. Verse I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. {13} That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. Solomon s conclusion: Enjoy life, do good, and find pleasure in the little things of life. Closing Thoughts: 1. Don t get stuck in the past and don t fixate on the future. Live in the moment. 2. Every life event, whether good or bad, pleasant or painful has value to be gleaned. Look for the beauty in every season of life. 3. Timing is everything. It must be the right thing, at the right time or the right reason to be right. Don t hurry, don t delay, live deliberate. 4. Live now regardless of what time it is. 5. Don t get stuck in time. 6. You will always have enough time to accomplish everything God wants you to accomplish. Our stress comes from trying to do everything He desires, we desire and others desire. God is never frustrated by time. He is never in a hurry. Are you?