Good morning,
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 will be our study this week. Solomon gives us a description of what he saw in his life. Chapter 3 describes the specific periods of time during our lives. Good aspects contrasted to bad aspects. Today we look at verses 1-2.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 speaks of an appointed time. Not only does God fix the standard and withhold or dispense satisfaction, 2:26, but He also appoints “times”. Earthly pursuits are good in their proper place and time, but unprofitable when pursued as the chief goal.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
This is saying that God arranges even the smallest details of our surroundings. Verse 1 is speaking of all the things collectively, that he will detail in the next few verses. God’s timetable for this earth is perfect. Certain events are ordained from the foundation of the earth.
Jesus will come back to the earth as King and reign in perfect peace for 1000 years. Things, like when we are born and when we die, are foreordained of God. The thing that is not already destined to be is what we do with Jesus. We, of our own free will, accept Him, or reject Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:2 “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;”
We see that we have no control of the day we are born. We have no control of who we are born to. We have no control over our gender. We have no control over the way we look, when we are born. All of these things are destined of God.
We have no control over whether we are born into a wealthy family, or a poverty stricken family. All of these things are determined of God. We do not have control of the time of our death either.
Isaac is a very good example of God having a precise time for us to be born.
Genesis 21:2 “For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”
Death is the same. God has set a time for each person’s death.
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
The following Scripture tells us the very best, what our life is.
James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Here is a project for us to do. Take your life and break it down into segments of time. Mine would be:
- Birth through school 5 years
- School years 12 years
- War years 3 years
- University years 4 years
- Ministry years 8 years
- Military years 27 years
- Contractor 5 years
- Ministry 1.5 years
This will help you see how your life has had different seasons. Enjoy.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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