Ecclesiastes 3
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Introduction
Introduction
[illus] One thing you’ve probably noticed at weddings, funerals, or worship services in particular is how songs and Scriptures get categorized.
There are “invitation hymns” that in the opinion of some should only be played after the sermon when people are “invited” to trust Jesus.
And if you dare play another type of hymn during the time, someone will say to you, “I like that hymn, but its not really an invitation hymn.”
Likewise, there are “wedding Scriptures” like , the love chapter.
However, no one ever wants read at their wedding...
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
Or ...
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
No one wants to think about a new husband one day soon being too harsh with his new wife.
Just the same, there are funeral Scriptures like and the end of .
But is another favorite funeral passage for many.
In fact, if you read
Why do you think this is a favorite passage for people when they are mourning the loss of a loved one?
This is a passage that likely brings comfort because it brings a sense of settled-ness and even normalcy to an experience that is very unsettling, abnormal, and painful—the experience of losing a loved one.
It reminds us that death is one of those common experiences here under heaven—just as common as being born / or planting and harvesting / or looking for your keys and then giving up on ever finding them.
Just as common as being born or planting and harvesting or looking for something and giving up on finding that thing.
Something in sharing these common experiences seems to bring us comfort and give us hope—but sharing these common experiences can only do that fully if we realize that God is at work in the ups and downs of every day life.
That’s why these words have comforted so many at funerals. They remind us that God is at work even in the pain and pleasure of life.
Solomon refers to that pain and pleasure as toil.
[context] In Solomon began lamenting the vanity of living wisely because the wise man and the mad fool both end up in the grave.
In the next passage, beginning in , Solomon lamented the vanity of all his work because he is going to die like everyone else and have to live it all to someone else—probably an idiot!
But Solomon’s lamenting turns to peace in Ecclesiastes 2:24
is a poem that continues to meditate upon that theme of life, death, and all the toil between those two events.
The poem is in vv. 1-8 and it considers the normal events of human life—some monumental events like birth or death and some less-consequential events along the way like building a house or tearing one down.
is neither a positive or negative question, but just a neutral question in which Solomon asks, “So, what we are we to make of this? What’s the point of all the ups and downs of life? What gain has the worker from his toil?”
[cit/prop] And then in we get some answers. Although the eternal impact of our daily living is often hidden from us, ours is to trust God and glorify him by embracing and enjoying our daily toil and the gifts he gives to us through it.
olomon saw temporal benefit in every season and matter of life under heaven, he laments that no season or matter of life can satisfy his longing for eternal significance.
In the same way, we might share the common experiences of beauty, joy, goodness, and pleasure in our daily existence and even in death from a mere earthly perspective, but those shared experiences— comforting as they may be when we are looking for a friend to rejoice with or a should to cry on— those shared experiences under heaven cannot satisfy the eternal longing that we feel in our hearts.
[prop] In every season and matter of life under heaven, we must store up treasure in Heaven as we wait on the King of Heaven to make manifest his Kingdom on the earth.
[ts] Let’s look at the poem...
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
The Poem ()
The Poem ()
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?
Is there a portion of this poem that you find particularly meaningful? Particularly striking? Or even particularly sad?
Of course, the dying, killing, and war are sad to think about. But having never died, killed, or been at war, the part that seems most melancholy to me are things like breaking down and building up (v. 3) or seeking and losing (v. 6).
an exercise in despondency (Eccl. 3:1-9)
Everything built up gets broken down.
Sometimes what we seek can’t be found; or, in the case of some people, they don’t want to be found.
Also, everything in this poem represents the repetitive process of life that Solomon finds so vexing—birth, death, birth, death, generation after generation; planting, harvesting, planting, harvesting, year after year; tearing, sewing, tearing, sewing, garment after garment.
Some have understood this in terms of sex given v. 5b’s reference to embracing and refraining from embracing.
As in , perhaps the first line would then be in reference to gathering stones to stone the sexually immoral, and casting away stones would refer to dropping our stones of judgment when we realize that all of us have sin.
It could also refer to a field that was filled with stones to keep weeds down and then cleared of stones when made ready for farming.
It could also refer to casting away stones when a stone structure was torn down and gathering stones when one was built.
I suppose it could also refer to casting away stones like David cast away stones at Goliath’s head and gathering stone like when he first gathered them into his satchel.
There might be many ways this could be understood.
Well, there is a time to die, but there was a life lived before death. That should make us grateful.
Likewise, we hear about people being killed every night on the news, but there are countless more stories about people being healed every day in the hospitals of our city.
In other words, when we are in the painful parts of life, this poem helps us understand that these too shall pass (or we shall pass!) and more pleasant times will come.
How do you understand v. 5?
Some have understood this in terms of sex because of v. 5b’s reference to embracing and refraining from embracing.
As in , perhaps the “gathering stones” is in reference to gathering stones to stone the sexually immoral, and “cast(ing) away stones” would refer to dropping our stones of judgment when we realize that all of us have sin.
But it could also refer to a field that was filled with stones to keep weeds down and then cleared of stones when made ready for farming.
Or it could also refer to casting away stones when a stone structure was torn down and gathering stones when one was built.
I suppose it could also refer to casting away stones like David cast away stones at Goliath’s head and gathering stones like when he first gathered them into his satchel.
There might be many ways this could be understood.
How might the sad parts of this poem also encourage us?
Well, there is a time to die, but there was a life lived before death. That should make us grateful.
Likewise, we hear about people being killed every night on the news, but there are countless more stories about people being healed every day in the hospitals of our city.
In other words, when we are in the painful parts of life, this poem helps us understand that these too shall pass (or we shall pass!) and more pleasant times will come.
The Question ()
The Question ()
What gain has the worker from his toil?
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As I said earlier, I don’t think Solomon asks this question positively or negatively but neutrally… or a maybe a better word is “honestly.”
In a couple weeks we will go to South Alabama for their annual JagCom community fair.
We’ll pass out invite people to our church, share with them some information on the church, give them a snack cake or four, and provide them with a little copy of the gospel of John.
On the front of that copy of John’s gospel, it says, “I AM” in big bold letters, and then in little letters underneath, it says, “the plan of life.”
Now, the cover is a clue, but what would you say is the plan of life?
The plan of life is I AM! The plan of life is Jesus, the Great I AM in John’s gospel!
The plan for every human life should be to spend it knowing Jesus and making him known!
He’s has surveyed the ups and downs of life in vv. 1-8 and now sincerely wants to know what gain might be had from it all.
But therein lies Solomon’s gloomy problem, he is looking for ultimate meaning in earthly experiences rather than a heavenly person.
The note in the MacArthur Study Bible says it well, “Earthly pursuits are good in their proper place and time, but unprofitable when pursued as the chief goal.”
This leads us to vv. 10-15 and Solomon’s answer.
The Answer ()
The Answer ()
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Earthly pursuits are good in their proper place and time, but unprofitable when pursued as the chief goal (cf. vv. 9, 10).
despondency kicks in at v. 9, “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.
despondency kicks in at v. 9, “What gain has the worker from his toil?”
v. 9 is transition question
What would you say are the main ideas in vv. 10-13?
We might call these Truths for Toilers...
Verse 10 tells us that the toil of life comes from God.
Verse 11a tells us that God will make everything (even the less pleasant aspects of our earthly toil) beautiful in its time.
causes of despondency
Verse 11b calls us to trust God’s eternal purpose in our earthly toil even though we often can’t see what it is.
Verse 12 calls us to adopt the proper attitude in our toil (joy!) and to take the proper action toward others in our toil (doing good!).
Verse 13 says that we should enjoy the fruits of our earthly toil as God’s gifts to us.
Which of these truths encourages you most tonight?
I tried to pick one, but they are all so helpful in the usual business of life!
Vain Business (v. 10)
You might remember “busy work” from your time in school. It was just work the teacher made you do so she could prepare for something else. It wasn’t really meaningful or beneficial to you as a student, it was just something to keep you busy.
In several places in Ecclesiastes Solomon described the work God has given to us in a similar way.
But God is not just keeping us busy. He is doing something with the work we’re doing if we are working in ways that glorify him in order to glorify him.
How do you understand vv. 14-15?
Frustrated Ignorance (v. 11)
God has set eternity in the hearts of men, but God has not explained to men how their part in history fits into his eternal plan.
This seems to frustrate Solomon more than anything. Because he was a man who knew so much, he desired to know how all that he did impacted eternity.
Nevertheless, ours is not to know but to trust. Our daily existence—all the seasons and matters under heaven that fill our lives— is making a difference in eternity even if we can’t see how.
Earthly Optimism (v. 12)
This is optimism with a sigh. Seeing nothing beyond the repetitive cycle of life and death, Solomon says that there is nothing better than earthly joy, goodness, and pleasure.
But, of course, there is something better just as there is something beyond the cycle of earthly life and death.
Earthly joy, goodness, and please are gifts from God when experienced in accordance with his commands, but they pale in comparison to the unimaginable eternal joy, goodness, and pleasure found in God himself.
This brings us to the next cause—Solomon was gift-focused.
Gift Focused (v. 13)
Solomon was looking for eternal significance in gifts from God rather than God himself. At the end of v. 13, Solomon says, “this is God’s gift to man,” but God’s greatest gift to man is God.
If we search for eternal meaning and significance in gifts from God (e.g., marriage, family, work, etc.), we won’t find it.
Only when we treasure God as the greatest gift will we find the eternal meaning and significance we long for.
One last cause of Solomon’s gloominess.
“I” Dependent (v. 10, 12, 14)
It’s ironic that Solomon wrote ...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Solomon as the author of these words is ironic because, in this passage, he leaned on his own understanding. Solomon made judgments based on his own experiences and his own evaluations of those experiences. It was his sight (v. 10) and perception (vv. 12, 14) that led him to these gloomy conclusions.
It is dangerous for any human being to depend on their own view and perception of things precisely because our view and perception is so limited to the here and now.
God’s view, however, is eternal, and we must trust him and acknowledge him in all our ways, then our paths (and hearts!) will be lined up with God’s will (Pro. 3:7-8).
Here’s how I understand it: Solomon says that everything in life comes from God. God has ordained it from eternity past. We can’t add to what he has for us, and we won’t take away from it. We can’t change it. God has ordained it so we ought to fear (or revere) him.
Let’s discuss quickly a few more specific cures for Solomon’s gloominess (vv. 10-15)...
Let’s discuss quickly a few more specific cures for Solomon’s gloominess (vv. 10-15)...
Whether in pain or pleasure, we are not experiencing anything new and we won’t experience anything new. Our experiences in general are the shared experiences of humanity.
But God will call us to account for how we handled the toil of this life.
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.
I get this understanding from the NKJV translation of verse 14-15...
clues to cures for the despondent (Eccl. 3:10-15)
I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.
That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.
On the day of judgment all toil will be past and the accounting will be at hand.
So here are the questions we should think about...
What will God say about the way we handled our toil in this life?
Divine Sovereignty: God is sovereign. If there is a time and a season for every matter under heaven, who has set that time and season? God!
clues to cures for the despondent (Eccl. 3:10-15)
Divine Sovereignty: God is sovereign - If there is a time and a season for every matter under heaven, who has set that time and season? God!
Solomon gets at this in v. 10 with the phrase “God has given.”
Solomon mentions this almost with resignation, but it should be cause for rejoicing.
God has a plan for all our toil and he will see that his plan is accomplished.
Future Beauty - Because God is sovereign, we can trust in future beauty even if we don’t presently see it.
Solomon gets this right in v. 11, when he writes, “(God) has made everything beautiful in its time.”
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3
The word “find,” or “find out” (Hb. matsa’) has the sense of “figure out, comprehend by study” in this verse and other places in the book (7:14, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29; 8:17). The Preacher thus realizes that both his desire to understand all of life, as well as the limitations on his ability to do so, have been ordained by God.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
3:11 everything. Every activity or event for which a culmination point may be fixed.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
set eternity in their heart. God made men for His eternal purpose, and nothing in post-Fall time can bring them complete satisfaction.
We may not see the beauty in a painful situation until we are on the other side of eternity, but because God is sovereign we can trust that we will see it.
We may not see the beauty in a painful situation until we are on the other side of eternity, but because God is sovereign we can trust that we will see it.
Present Joy, Goodness, and Pleasure - Because God is sovereign, we can experience present joy, goodness, and pleasure!
Solomon gets to this in vv. 12-13, but where he sees these things as the main course in a bad restaurant, we should see them as the appetizers preparing our souls for greater joy, goodness, and pleasure in eternity.
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3
3:12–13 Rather than becoming embittered by what God has not granted human beings (namely, the ability to comprehend all of reality), one should enjoy the gifts that God has given.
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3
3:12 Man need not understand everything but can live a life of joy as a servant of Christ (John 15:11), trusting that God’s plans are good (Rom. 8:28).
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
3:12 to rejoice and to do good. These words capture the goal of Solomon’s message which he echoes and elaborates on in 11:9, 10 and again in 12:13, 14.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
3:13 sees good in all his labor. In accepting everything as a gift of his Creator, even in a cursed world, man is enabled to see “good” in all his work (cf. 2:24, 25; 5:19).
Kingdom Pursuit - Because God is sovereign, we should spend our lives in pursuit of his kingdom!
????
If so, Solomon gets to this in vv. 14-15
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3
3:14 The short-lived “vanities” of this world reveal all the more clearly the enduring work of God, to which nothing can be added. The absolute sovereignty of God and his purposes is meant to bring human beings to a sense of humble reverence and awe of him: God has done it, so that people fear before him (cf. 5:7; 12:13; also note on Acts 9:31).
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
3:14 fear Him. Acknowledging God’s enduring and perfect work becomes grounds for reverence, worship, and meaning. Apart from God, man’s works are pitifully inadequate. The theme, “fear God,” also appears in 5:7; 8:12, 13; 12:13.
conclusion
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3
3:11 Now in the light of revelation we can know that God’s purpose is to unite all things in Christ (1 Cor. 2:9–10; Eph. 1:10).
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MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Earthly pursuits are good in their proper place and time, but unprofitable when pursued as the chief goal (cf. vv. 9, 10).
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
3:11 everything. Every activity or event for which a culmination point may be fixed.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
set eternity in their heart. God made men for His eternal purpose, and nothing in post-Fall time can bring them complete satisfaction.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
3:12 to rejoice and to do good. These words capture the goal of Solomon’s message which he echoes and elaborates on in 11:9, 10 and again in 12:13, 14.
What would God say about the way we handled our toil today?
What does the NT say about how we are to handle our daily toil? Do any particular verses come to your mind?
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:
and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
1 Thess 4:11
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
2 Thess 3:12
What we learn from these passage is that every day faithfulness in the ups and downs of life is in fact how we store up treasure in heaven.
If we don’t, we will hear, “Away from me, I never knew you.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Solomon doesn’t tell us how our daily toil makes an eternal difference, but what is provided for us is encouragement for glorifying God in the daily toil.
[cit/prop] Although the eternal impact of our daily living is often hidden from us, ours is to trust God and glorify him by embracing and enjoying the daily toil he gives and the gifts he gives to us through it.