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 7-8.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 “A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”
Rending of clothing is a sign of great mourning. The rending of the veil from the top to the bottom at the crucifixion of Jesus opened the way to the Father for all believers.
Matthew 27:51 “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
The sewing of this very curtain had been ordained of God. This curtain was sown with thread of beaten gold. No man could have rent it. It had to be Almighty God.
The following Scriptures tell of times to be silent.
Habakkuk 2:20 “But the LORD [is] in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”
We see in the following Scriptures, that there is a time to speak, also.
Luke 19:37 “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;”
The most important time of all to speak, is in the following Scriptures.
Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Hate is a word I do not like, but God says there is a time to hate. Look, with me, at the following Scripture.
Revelation 2:6 “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
Notice, He did not hate the Nicolaitans, He hated their deeds. We are to hate the sin, and love the sinner. God wants us to love everyone, even our enemies, as we read in the next verses.
Matthew 5:43-44 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.” “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Jesus gave us two commandments that cover all. They both have to do with love.
Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” “This is the first and great commandment.” “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Love is the greatest positive emotion we can have. God is Love.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The condition of the world is, and has been, the fact of wars and rumors of wars. This will not change, until Jesus the King of Peace comes and sets up His thousand year reign of peace upon the earth. God is not against war, when it is preserving the right.
One of the most interesting examples of God blessing in war is found in chapter 17 of Exodus. Joshua fought while Moses lifted his arms in praise to God. Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses, until the battle was over and Joshua defeated Amalek.
Exodus 17:12-13 “But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” “And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”
There is a day of peace coming when Jesus reigns.
We read in Micah 4:3 “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
We need to answer two questions. First, do we know the love of God, through Christ’s atoning blood on the cross? Second, if we do, are we telling anyone about it? If the answer to either question is “NO”, please contact me so we might discuss this.
Tomorrow we conclude our study of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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