Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart.- Ecclesiastes 3:11a
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The people of Israel, as a congregation gathered before the LORD, celebrated the LORD’s appointed festivals as an extremely important part of their worship life. Previously, we read in Leviticus 23 that in the course of the year, the Israelites had seven major feasts. Each feast centred on the worship of the LORD and expressed the essence of their lives as God’s holy people.
This morning’s devotional passage, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, presents the Preacher’s experience of what it means to set time apart for holiness in his life. It turns out that the setting apart of time for holiness is not limited to the experience of the entire covenant community throughout the year; rather, it encompasses the growth of each person throughout his or her life.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Verse 1) The Preacher tells us that there is a certain regularity and time for all things, and that every matter has its particular moment of occurrence and end. It emphasises the importance of time and the natural order in which things develop. God tells us in the Old Testament that life has meaning because of God’s comprehensive care in arranging periods and seasons. Every aspect of life has its “time”. However, God’s setting apart of the stages of life is not as fixed and regular as His establishment of the seasons of the year. Therefore, we need God’s wisdom to “discern the time”.
The preacher begins with the most important events in human life: life and death. Then, in these verses, he discusses human creativity and destructiveness; friendship and enmity; thoughts on possessions and ways of dealing with them; mourning and the end of mourning; human language; feelings; and national struggles. All of these, all following God’s timetable.
Imagine the people of Israel worshipping God wholeheartedly at each of the seven feasts of the year. Over and over again, they recalled God’s favour and protection over them. Each year, they enjoyed God’s care and providence in a God-given rhythm!
Brothers and sisters, all our lives are also in God’s care and arrangement! The times in life that the Preacher refers to in the scriptures are the very rhythms of our lives. The encounters of life are all in God’s care and arrangement, and it is in the rhythms of life that we grow closer to God, who is in charge of our lives.
Ultimately, the Preacher’s observations are no longer limited to “under the sun,” but he thinks about what God is doing (v. 10). “ For everything there is a season” (1a) is not a reason for despair, but a source of humility, joy, and security, knowing that there is a God above all. He gives the gift that transcends time, which is “eternal life” (v.11).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, who cares for the world at all times, thank You for all the experiences You have given us in our lives. Thank You that You are the Lord of our lives! Father! Help Your children to be thankful and to live joyfully in the rhythms of life that You have given us. Help us to glorify Your name always. In the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Click to read
The people of Israel, as a congregation gathered before the LORD, celebrated the LORD’s appointed festivals as an extremely important part of their worship life. Previously, we read in Leviticus 23 that in the course of the year, the Israelites had seven major feasts. Each feast centred on the worship of the LORD and expressed the essence of their lives as God’s holy people.
This morning’s devotional passage, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, presents the Preacher’s experience of what it means to set time apart for holiness in his life. It turns out that the setting apart of time for holiness is not limited to the experience of the entire covenant community throughout the year; rather, it encompasses the growth of each person throughout his or her life.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Verse 1) The Preacher tells us that there is a certain regularity and time for all things, and that every matter has its particular moment of occurrence and end. It emphasises the importance of time and the natural order in which things develop. God tells us in the Old Testament that life has meaning because of God’s comprehensive care in arranging periods and seasons. Every aspect of life has its “time”. However, God’s setting apart of the stages of life is not as fixed and regular as His establishment of the seasons of the year. Therefore, we need God’s wisdom to “discern the time”.
The preacher begins with the most important events in human life: life and death. Then, in these verses, he discusses human creativity and destructiveness; friendship and enmity; thoughts on possessions and ways of dealing with them; mourning and the end of mourning; human language; feelings; and national struggles. All of these, all following God’s timetable.
Imagine the people of Israel worshipping God wholeheartedly at each of the seven feasts of the year. Over and over again, they recalled God’s favour and protection over them. Each year, they enjoyed God’s care and providence in a God-given rhythm!
Brothers and sisters, all our lives are also in God’s care and arrangement! The times in life that the Preacher refers to in the scriptures are the very rhythms of our lives. The encounters of life are all in God’s care and arrangement, and it is in the rhythms of life that we grow closer to God, who is in charge of our lives.
Ultimately, the Preacher’s observations are no longer limited to “under the sun,” but he thinks about what God is doing (v. 10). “ For everything there is a season” (1a) is not a reason for despair, but a source of humility, joy, and security, knowing that there is a God above all. He gives the gift that transcends time, which is “eternal life” (v.11).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, who cares for the world at all times, thank You for all the experiences You have given us in our lives. Thank You that You are the Lord of our lives! Father! Help Your children to be thankful and to live joyfully in the rhythms of life that You have given us. Help us to glorify Your name always. In the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.