God’s Times and Seasons In My Life: Ecclesiastes 3:1-16

 

God’s Times and Seasons In My Life

Ecclesiastes 3:1-16

 

Introduction: Irish Blessings

May the road rise to meet you.
 May the wind be always at your back.
 May the sun shine warm upon your face.
 And rains fall soft upon your fields.
 And until we meet again,
 May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

May you live as long as you want,
 And never want as long as you live.

May those who love us love us.
 And those that don't love us,
 May God turn their hearts.
 And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
 May he turn their ankles,
 So we'll know them by their limping.

And finally, an Irish Blessing about time: Take Time

 Take time to work. It is the price of success.
 Take time to be friendly. It is the road to happiness.
 Take time to think. It is the source of power.
 Take time to love and be loved. It is the gift of God.
 Take time to play. It is the secret of staying young.
 Take time to share. It is the key to fulfillment.
 Take time to read. It is the door to wisdom.
 Take time to laugh. It is the music of the soul.

Background

Our scripture today in Ecclesiastes is also about time. The Book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon in his later years. It is the  Old Testament wisdom and poetry section. In it Solomon calls himself the preacher, the one who calls an assembly in order to impart wisdom. (Now you know what we’re supposed to be doing here every Sunday.) The purpose of Ecclesiastes is to show the one great lesson learned from a very wise man over the course of his lifetime. A life filled with blessing and wisdom, but also with sin and punishment. It is a very open and personal revelation of a man who says, “Learn from what I have seen, tried and done. Learn from my mistakes and learn the greatest lesson of life as life winds down.”

In the opening chapters of the book Solomon tells us the journey he has been on; a journey which has taken him away from the love of his God and the wisdom of his father to the depths of despair, debauchery and destruction.

 

His Discontented Soul - Eccl 1:12-18

12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.13  And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

 

His Destructive Search Eccl 2: 1-5, 9-16

1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4  I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5  I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:  9  So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.10  And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.11  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.13  Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.14  The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.15  Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.16  For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

 

His Despairing Spirit Eccl 2:17-23

17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. 20  Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.21  For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.22  For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?23  For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

This is a man who has grown weary of everything both good and bad, foolish and wise, hopeful and heartbroken. I've never gone to these depths nor risen to these heights but somewhere around the middle, I can understand these feelings. In those times when everything seems empty, when nothing I have done seems to matter, all I've worked for, planned for even prayed for seems to have no real value. The things I thought were worthwhile fell apart and the friends that I thought would be more faithful than time itself turn into strangers.

It's at times like this that I can understand the feelings Solomon was expressing. We all do. This is the power of God’s books of wisdom. So, where do we go from here? You may think at this point that Solomon has written himself into an inescapable corner of despair at this point, but amazingly he finds a way out and it begins in chapter 3 with probably the most well know passage in the book of Ecclesiastes.

God's Plan (Times and Seasons) Ecclesiastes 3:1-10

 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.  What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Overwhelmed by Times and Seasons

Solomon says, “3v1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”  

He is speaking from the despair and destruction that his own wisdom had brought him to and he begins with a simple undeniable statement that none can dispute. “Everything is subject to time and all things come in their season.” This relentless power of time and unstoppable flow of the seasons affects every event and ever plan under heaven.

In the next 8 verses Solomon will use the word time twenty-eight times and fourteen pairs of opposites to cover every experience of man under the sun.

He begins with that which we understand implicitly.

There is a time to be born and a time to die. These things that take place in our lives can't be denied or altered. They can only be acknowledged and experienced.

Then he says there is a time to plant and a time to puck up. We know this, you can't plant in the winter and you'd be a fool to pluck up the vines before the fruit has ripened because these events have seasons, and those season must be observed.

Then Solomon moves on to other times and seasons in which we only  play a small part, we don’t fully control these times and often they can overwhelm us.

He says there is, a time to kill and a time to heal. This is the killing of war or of capital punishment. No matter how the Bible misquoters try to twist the Bible into babel, it speaks plainly saying that there are times when war is necessary and when a life is forfeited as Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.

Solomon goes on to building and tearing down, weeping, laughing, mourning, dancing all these occurring in the times and seasons of life.

These events might seem to enter our lives haphazardly, randomly. We can’t control them, we can only recognize when they happen. It may make us feel helpless and at the mercy of the fates, or the phrase used to today, “the universe must hate me.”

We’ve heard people says, “I didn’t ask to be born” or when a loved one dies, “Why did they have to die?” This sense of helplessness is what Solomon was feeling. From his present viewpoint, it’s all meaningless, its all emptiness because nothing we do can make a bit of difference.

This is the end result of a person who has left God out of life’s equation. The final result of someone who has forgotten that God made the times and seasons and that He all things have a purpose under His heaven.

God’s Times and Seasons

Some can't or won’t accept the sovereignty of God over this world and its times.  They would rather rail at the wind and shake their fists at the thunder. At the graveside, they curse the God they don’t believe in. They can’t see the way He works in and through every circumstance and event of life because they can’t accept Him as their God.

But if we will turn from our own wisdom to the wisdom of God’s word, we can see that things aren’t chaotic, random or haphazard, but that God has actually determined the times and seasons.  

Seasons of Earth Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 

Seasons of Harvest Acts 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Seasons of kingdoms Daniel 12:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

Seasons of the Gospel John 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest

To understand how life makes any sense, I must see the times and seasons that God has determined. He has made those plans, therefore…

In everything I do I must acknowledge the purpose, place and plan of God

James 4: 13-16 Ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Acknowledge God in all things means I will see that God is working in the seasons of my life and then submit myself and live according to His will.

The farmer lives his life by the season. He plows in the late winter, plants in the spring, weeds and fertilizes in the summer and harvests in the fall. The more he understands the seasons and the weather they bring, the better his life as a farmer.

We should see that God has seasons that we live our life in, seasons of growing and harvesting, seasons of war and peace, of gathering and losing. The more I understand God's Word, the more I will understand those times and seasons and the better I will be able plant in faith and harvest in blessings.

Next Solomon answers the question he asked in Ecclesiastes 3:9 “What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he labors?” What difference does my effort, my life make?

God's Purpose - Ecclesiastes 3:10-13

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 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.  I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Solomon Now Sees God's Purpose

His answer to vs. 9 is the next verse. “I have seen the travail which God has given.” This word travail means labor, work, task or we could understand it as purpose. And in vs. 11 Look at what burned out Solomon says is God’s purpose.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart. What?!? He has made everything beautiful in his time?

Is this the same guy who told us everything is worthless in the first 2 chapters. Here is the turning point for Solomon as he moves back toward God and away from world’s debauchery, anti-widsom and apathy. He isn’t fully there yet, but he is on his way.

He begins to see that in God’s times and seasons there is a beautiful harmony. When he acknowledges that God is in charge, then times and seasons begin to make sense, things begin to work out and there is a plan and a purpose to everything under heaven.

He adds that God has set the world in their heart. The idea here is that God has put in every person’s heart the sense of eternity, of something beyond our world and beyond our time in this world. We can glimpse God and sense eternity, but we can’t ever fully comprehend it in its entirety without His revelation of Himself.

He remarks in vs. 11 that, “no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” We can’t ever fully understand the eternity of God or even fully the times and season of God, but

Solomon says this, "I know" in vs. 12.  So, what in all this plan and purpose of God and in the glimpsing of eternity can Solomon possibly know?

He states, there is no good in man or his labors. If we stopped here, we’d be right back to where we started but he doesn’t stop, he goes on, no good in man except this, “for a man to rejoice and to do good in and with his life. Eat, drink live your life and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.

Now this sounds a little like the path Solomon began to walk in chapter 2 or the foolish man who in Luke 12:19  "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." What is the difference?

In chapter 2 it was Solomon doing all those things without acknowledging God, just like the rich fool in Luke 12, the difference in Chapter 3, is in acknowledging God in all things. All these things, wisdom, knowledge, labor and living only make sense through and by knowing God and accepting from His hand the gift of the working through the times and seasons of life. These things are the gift of God through His plan and purpose.

So that leaves us with a personal question…

Understanding God’s Times and Seasons In My Life?

Will I submit my understanding, my faith, my fear, my doubts and my hopes, , and my labor to God’s plan and purpose? Can I see all things in my life as beautiful in their time? Can I submit even my heartaches, pain and sorrow to God’s purpose? 

If I can then ultimately, by faith, I will see even the mundane things, and the hard things as beautiful if I know God is working His purpose through them in my life. I will never understand completely but I can know He is working in my life, even with its worst pain and suffering. He can make everything beautiful.

What did Joseph say to his brothers when they realized who he was and what they had done? Genesis 50:19-20 Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good,

Let me tell you of two men who learned the lesson of God’s Times and Seasons

Eric Liddel was world famous Olympic athlete who refused to run on Sunday during the 1924 Olympics, events that were portrayed in the movie, Chariots of Fire. Later as a missionary in China he died in a concentration camp when Japan invaded during WWII. Liddel could have left but he chose to stay behind and help those who had no hope of escape.

"Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and Gods plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. Our broken lives are not lost or useless. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out his wonderful plan of love." - Eric Liddell in Disciplines of the Christian Life. Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 9.

Dave Dravecky was a professional baseball player and top pitcher in the MLB.  A small bump on his arm was diagnosed as cancer.  After months of treatment he made it back to the mound only to have his arm break in his second major league start.  Later the arm had to be amputated to stop the cancer. “I have learned that God's silence to my questions is not a door slammed in my face. I may not have answers. But I do have Him.” - Dave Dravecky in When You Can't Come Back.  Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 12.

If these men could see God in the times and seasons of their life, if they could rejoice in that knowledge, then so should we in our own times and seasons.

Finally, Solomon after seeing God Plan and God’s Purpose come to see…

God's Power - Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

Solomon Now Understands God's Power

Now in verse 14 Solomon comes to the heart of true wisdom.

Whatever God does it shall be forever, nothing can be put to it nor anything taken from it. God does it that men should fear, honor and respect Him.

then in vs 15, God's times and seasons are once more confirmed.

That which has been is now, that which is to be has already been and God requires, commands, orders that which is past. 

All Times and Seasons, theses cycles of nature and life itself, God has set in motion and requires that we obey and acknowledge Him in and through them. The times and season of this world and the times and season of our soul are all under the hand of our sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent and loving Heavenly Father.

Well then…

The Final Understanding of Times and Seasons

If it is true that what God does is eternal, then if I want my life to count I must let the God of Eternity work in me.

Moses prayed this prayer in the 96th Psalm vs 14-17

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands

Establish the work of our hands.  He repeats that phrase twice in this prayer.

It is a plea to God, that He would make that which I do with these hands, this life count for something of real value.  Father, don't let my life be wasted, don't let it end in emptiness. Let my life count through You, Oh God. Make it count for eternity.

Paul’s Well Lived Life

Paul lived his life so that at the end he knew he had not lived in vain.

2 Timothy 4:7-8  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Paul says the reward is for, "All that love his appearing." I think you show that you love Christ’s appearing by knowing that life is a gift from God and then submitted to the purpose of God through the times and seasons of life.

Conclusion 

The Final Season

Vs. 17 gives us our conclusion. Ecclesiastes 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

When all of our times and seasons have ended, as they must end for all, when that time comes, Solomon tells us there is yet one season left, a time of judgment. The greatest King in a palace or the lowest beggar in a box, will both stand before God to be judged. We will be judged according to how we obeyed and trusted God and how we lived our lives through the times and seasons He has given us.

Solomon said, v. 17 for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. So why not make this time, this season, your time and your season. Begin now to review your life, to renew life, and repurpose life. Do this and determine to live this time, this season in the truth, power and love of God. If we choose to live this time with God then we will know as Solomon did that “He makes all thing beautiful in their time.”