Time and Eternity Read Ecclesiastes 3:1–15 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Many people have a hard time reading the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 without humming the tune to “Turn! Turn! Turn!” popularized by The Byrds. The lyrics, taken almost word for word from Scripture, were rearranged to fit the song. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” appeared in the midst of the national turmoil over the Vietnam War. The United States was deluged by protests and a desperate longing for peace. These words, written several thousand years earlier, still could strike a resonant chord in modern hearts. Fourteen pairs of opposites begin chapter 3. They echo and illustrate the first verse of the chapter: “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity.” The fourteen pairs cover the totality of the human existence. All the moments of our lives are reflected in these contrasting pairs. We are born and die (v. 2). We mourn and dance (v. 4). The verses are not meant to give approval to these activities but to simply illustrate the great span of our human existence. The experience of humanity includes moments of great satisfaction and other times of tremendous pain and loss. Because of this, the author concluded that life is not easily explained or understood. Considering this wealth of experiences, what is “gained” from this life? If life “turns” in a cycle, how can we find meaning? Scripture points out that the life we have on this earth or “under the sun” is both beautiful and full of burden. In our human existence, we feel the real conflict between the earthly seasons of our lives and the eternal nature God has given us. We are responsible for our activities on this earth, but God has destined us for a greater purpose. The eternal nature gives meaning to our earthly existence. Consider each of the pairs in the first eight verses of chapter three, and note the times in your own life that fall under these categories. How has God worked during each of these times? When have you seen His hand of blessing? When have you needed His intervention? Give thanks that God has guided you in each of these moments “under the sun.”
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 09:11:31 +0000
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