Doctrine of Time
Genesis of Doctrine • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Definition
Definition
The period of between the beginning of creation and the great consummation; it contrast with eternity. (Erickson)
It is the pattern set by seasons as we are on a journey to the end
A doctrine of man
On the flipside a doctrine of God is timelessness (eternal nature)
The word time in mentioned 746 times in the Bible
Genesis References
Genesis References
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
creation of time
Cause and effect
Thomas Aquinas God is the First cause
Because nothing can cause itself, everything must have a cause or something that creates an effect on another thing. Without a first cause, there would be no others. Therefore, the First Cause is God.
God is not limited by time and we are going to see the implications of this as we travel through the Bible
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
First time holiness is mentioned in Bible is in relation to time
What does this tell us about the relation between time and holiness?
How do you set your time a part
Great value
Shows the importance of rest
Old Testament
Old Testament
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what 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 seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, 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 for war, and a time for peace.
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
This passage is broken into 7 stanzas
So 7 reflections on time are given here
Stages of life don’t last forever, storms pass, celebrations pass
We should find peace in storms don’t stay forever
We should find wisdom in celebrations don’t last forever
easy in the good times to let our our guards down
“a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted”
birth and planting are to give life
How well do we use our dash the time given to us between these times?
How would your funeral be today if you died?
We reap the benefits of how we use time, but it requires use to be good stewards of our time and to not be lazy
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
We are not called to twiddle our thumbs,
Idle hands are the devils hands
Think about seasons where you fell into sin, didi it start with you not being a good steward of time?
What happened to David when he mis used his time?
“a time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down, a time to build up”
the reality of death and killing occuring is a part of life
We prefer to heal but death is inevitable in a sin cursed world, which makes you ask how do you step into the chaos to bring healing
What in this world do you need to break down in order to bring something that brings peace rather than chaos?
“a time to weep, a time to laugh; A time to mourn, a time to dance”
It is ok to be sad, it is ok to cry. their are seasons of life where God intends for that to happen
Also though we are not go around always woe is me
We have the Lord in our lifes we gonna spend time raising a joyful hallelujah
Our actions will be reflective of how we use our time
The fruits of the season will mark your life
How will you use that fruit to feed others
“a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing”
their is much debate on what this pair means
One view is it refers to sexual relationships between man and woman and with this views it is tied into purity laws
this would mean that marriage is more than just sexual
Second view is throwing stones into the enemies field
this would mean there is a time for reconciliation, reconciliation should always be the goal
“a time to seek, a time to loose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away”
Nothing in tis world last forever
items are just temporary
Don’t let physical things get in the way of eternal things
“a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silence and a time to speak”
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs 7. On Time and the World (3:1–15b)
This may allude to mourning and funerals. Mourners tore their clothes, and their comforters kept silent during times of grief, but people were free to repair clothes and freely converse at other times.
people don’t always need your words, sometimes it is a simple as the ministry of presence
we are not always responsible for fixing things
People need to know they are loved and cared for, and guess what people see the evidence of your love before the storm hits
“a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace”
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs 7. On Time and the World (3:1–15b)
Perfect peace does not exist on earth. The verse is arranged chiastically: love: hate: war: peace. “Love” and “hate” represent personal feelings, while “war” and “peace” represent sociopolitical conditions
the way we spend our time bleeds into the larger context of things
The path of a nation can largely be impacted by the way its people spend their time
V. 9-15
God has given us things to be busy with
God is very involved in our lives
How do you see God in the everyday events of your life?
Despite being on the concept of time orchestrating our lives we realize there is something much more than this time controlled world, eternity
What is eternity?
the absence of time
This means God views the time line, He is outside of it, while also still involved inside it
This is why God can be involved in all our lives and listen. He is not limited by a time frame
Also with God being an eternal being means he does not have to have a beginning, He has always just been
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
New Testament
New Testament
The beauty of the New Testament is how it connects to the Old testament
The two verses we look t in the NT both pull inspiration from the OT passages we looked at
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
