Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Craig Hills 25 Nov Bible 2000 (6) Dr. James W. Lewis, Instructor

Transcription

1 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Craig Hills 25 Nov 2003 Bible 2000 (6) Dr. James W. Lewis, Instructor

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3 Hills 1 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 New Living Translation 1 There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. New Revised Standard Version 1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silence and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace

4 The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the most skeptical books in the bible. It is written in a different style than most of the other books in the Bible. The traditional claim is that it was written by Solomon; however, most scholars believe that it was written well after the time of Solomon, by someone writing under the name of Qoheleth, which was a title, meaning teacher. Ecclesiastes was written to the wise. The culminating v. 8, which raises the human experiences of love and hate, war and peace, reverses the order in the final clause, putting peace in the position of a punch line. Thus do peace and birth (v.2a) bracket the entire list. By this simple device, their antitheses, death and war, are demoted to realities that, though both profound and universal, have neither the first nor the last word (Interpreter s 306). This passage is poetry. The poem is set up as a series of antitheses. From v. 2-8 the lines are in pairs, for example, birth-death and plant-harvest. The pairs are closely tied together in meaning. The key theological ideas are that there is a correct time for everything, and that we need to wait for that time, even though we are not always sure when the correct time is. Also this passage shows that the Deuteronomy theology is not always correct. Common experience proves that everyone suffers and this passage explains why this is necessary. Verse one, There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven, is an introduction for the poem. It states that everything has a specific time in which it is the correct action. The Poem concerns life under heaven. It is not so much a theological statement as an observation on human life in the human world (Garrett 298).

5 Verse two, A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. The author starts by mentioning birth and death, the boundaries of our lives (Gaebelein 1160). Verse three, A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. There are many theories about this verse, since it says that there is a time to kill. This seems to conflict with Exodus 20:13, Do not murder (NLT). However, the Hebrew word for kill used is different than the word used in the sixth commandment (Gaebelein 1161). Verse four, A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. This line shows that there is a progression of intensity from line a to line b. Both sorrow and joy are part of life; without one the other in unrecognizable (Garrett 298). Verse five, A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. The second is commonly assumed to be in the context of sexual relations. The first line is hotly debated between scholars. There are many possible meanings, such as scattering the stones of an old building and gathering stones for a new one (Barton 100). It could also refer to the use of stones as a way to count the number of sheep in a flock (Garrett 298). However, it may be a metaphor for sexual relations (Interpreter s 305). This is the most likely meaning because it connects with the second line. Verse six, A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. This line shows that nothing in this world is ours forever (Garrett 298). This passage also suggests that both prudence and providence are genuine human virtues (Interpreter s 305).

6 Verse seven, A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. This is generally accepted to be speaking of funerals, and mourning. The practice at the time was to tear your clothes to show that you were in mourning, and this shows that after mourning it is necessary put thing back together and move on. Verse eight, A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. This tells us that love and hate are both needed, provided we love and hate the proper things (Gaebelein 1161). This passage was originally meant an explanation of why strictly following the law was not enough to spare someone from suffering. The modern meaning is that everything on this earth has its own God-appointed time and that it is necessary to wait for that time, instead of acting on our own time. I see this passage as a reminder that there will always be suffering, death, and violence and that without these things there could not be joy, peace, and healing.

7 Works Cited Barton, George Aaron. The International Critical Commentary. New York: Charles Scribner s Sons, Gaebelein, Frank E. The Expositor s Bible Commentary. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Garrett, Duane A. The New American Commentary. Vol. 14. Nashville: Broadman, The New Interpreter s Bible. Vol. 5. Nashville: Abingdon, 199