The Sovereign Seasons of Life

After establishing that life without God is meaningless and that worldly pleasure cannot satisfy the human heart Solomon teaches us that life is filled with ups and downs. His point in this chapter is life is complex. The complexity of life should not keep us from enjoying it.

Look at how he ends the chapter (22). It’s the same thing he said in 2:24. Enjoy the life God has given you. I’m going to pull a few truths out of this chapter that will help us live life the way God desires us to.

1. God created us for eternity (11).

A. God has given us a desire for something too big for us to comprehend. The KJV says “He has set the world in their heart”. Most other versions say “eternity”.

We want to understand and experience all that exists.

We can’t do this because we don’t have the time nor the ability. But there is still a yearning in the human heart to want more than we have.

This is why we develop technology.

This is why doctors find cures for diseases.

This is why explorers set sail across oceans.

This is why people read.

This is why as soon as can talk we begin asking questions.

God created us to experience more than we can experience in a lifetime.

We are trapped in time. We want to be released from it. Specifically, because we know that our time on earth will come to an end.

God has put a desire in our heart to know everything so we will cling to the One who does know everything. The frustration of a limited amount of time on earth is conquered by the knowledge of God.

Listen to what the Bible says about those who go to heaven:

For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Cor. 13:12

B. Time is different in heaven than it is on earth. In heaven time does exist. There are still sequences of events. But time does not expire in heaven. Normally we think of time we think of:

Running out of time

Having little time

On Borrowed time

Time coming to an end

None of that relates in heaven.

God created us for eternity.

Life on this earth has an end.

This reality leads us to frustration.

2. God has ordered our life (1).

Verse 1 is a summary of the poem found in 1-8.

Notice two words in verse 1:

Seasons

Times

A. There are seasons of life that we must endure. There are events and changes that are going to happen in our life.

Just as seasons inevitably change our life is going to change.

Summer is coming and we can’t stop it.

There is another word I want to point out to you. It’s the word “purpose”. There is a purpose under heaven. The word in the Hebrew means pleasure.

We could interpret the first verse of this poem to mean that the inevitable changes in life bring pleasure to us. This would be the equivalent of Romans 8:28. No matter how great or tough life may be, God is actively involved in every season of our life.

We’re going to experience Fall= Removal-seasons of conviction

We’re going to experience Winter = Hibernation- God will shut us up to His Word and His will

We’re going to experience Spring = new life- things are growing and exciting.

Summer = full bloom.

Those seasons will repeat throughout our life.

There will be times of loss

There will be times of darkness

There will be times of newness

There will be times of surplus

B. In every season God is working.

Every moment in our life matters. Look at verse 11.

He has made everything beautiful in His time.

Everything isn’t beautiful. He is making everything beautiful.

Illust:

Have you ever had someone watch over your shoulder while you work?

You know what you’re doing but they are concerned with it.

Sometimes they have something to say. “Why are you doing that? Why don’t you do it this way?”

Drives you crazy, doesn’t it? You want them to go away and come back when you get done, right?

When it comes to our life God is not finished. He is still working. He knows what He is doing. Everything He has ordained is necessary. In the end if you are saved your life will be a masterpiece.

Never measure the beauty of an artist’s work until the last stroke is painted. If you’re still breathing, He’s still painting.

3. We are called to properly respond to the circumstances of life (1-8).

Solomon had learned this by experience. For the most part the “times” refers to that which brings joy and that which brings sorrow. A lot of the pleasures Solomon lists in chapter 3 he also listed as his own accomplishments in chapter 2.

He planted (3:2; 2:5)

He laughed (3:4; 2:1,2)

He built (3:3,5; 2:4)

He obtained (3;6;2:8)

He doesn’t want us to think that life is all sunshine. Let’s look at some of the circumstances of life Solomon lists and consider how we should respond to them.

A. A time to be born and a time to die (2).

There is a time to come into this world and a time to leave it. We choose neither of those days.

If we are wise the day of our death will be better than the day of our birth. Notice verse three also contains “a time to plant and a time to pluck up.”

The day of planting is the most difficult for the farmer.

It’s hard work.

It has no immediate reward.

The day of harvest means:

Money

Food

Rest

If you know Christ, the day of your death should not worry you. Life is much harder than death for the believer. Respond to the day of your birth by giving your life to Christ and the day of your death will be a day of joy.

We are all going to die, and we know it., There is no excuse for not being prepared.

B. There is a time to kill and a time to heal (3).

The word “kill” is “Harag” in Hebrew. The meaning of the word is to formally execute someone. Capital punishment is sanctioned in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 21:12 & Romans 13:3-4). There are times that the government must punish evil with death. As hard as it may sound there is a time to kill. It protects the innocent, deters evil works, and brings justice.

Evil people must sometime be put to death.

When justice is served, healing can begin to take place for the victims.

We live in a fallen world. In order to keep evil from spreading extreme measures are needed.

If a person breaks into your home and attempts to kill your family are you to let him? No.

If a man comes into this church and attempts to exterminate us, are we to allow him? No.

In December 2019 Jack Wilson was sitting in church in a Texas church with over 240 people. A man entered the church with a gun and began shooting people in the congregation. Mr. Wilson grabbed his firearm and dropped the gunman in his tracks. I have watched the video and it is horrifying but Jack Wilson did the right thing.

No one wants to be placed in that position. We live in a sinful world where evil exists and there is a time to kill and a time to heal.

C. There is a time to weep, and a time celebrate (4).

There are going to be days that are so difficult all you can do is cry.

Someone you trusted hurt you.

Someone you love is hurting.

Someone you love dies.

Verse 7 is similar to this verse. A “time to tear” references the tearing of garments at funerals. Silence refers to a respect for those who are grieving.

There are times it is appropriate to stay in bed all day and just cry.

You say, “I don’t cry.”

The person who doesn’t cry doesn’t care. If you love anyone other than yourself, you will cry.

This is part of life. You are going to hurt and you are going to cry.

We can’t cry forever. There is a time to laugh and dance!

There are weddings to attend.

There are birthdays to celebrate.

There are accomplishments to recognize.

Life is going to be filled with the good and the bad. When it’s time to cry, cry. When it’s time to laugh, laugh.

Don’t ever let your tears keep you from laughing and don’t ever let your laughter keep you from crying.

D. There is a time for war and a time for peace (5).

The casting of stones in verse 5 refers to a practice of sowing a conquered cities fields with rocks. This kept them from replanting and hurt their economy. War is a part of life. Some strategies of war seem cruel. Solomon is not attempting to justify the practice. He is simply saying that there is a time in life when conquered enemies are treated in this way.

The gathering together of the stones reveals that there is a time of recovery for the enemy as well. What was unworkable is made useable again with a little hard work. Conquered countries usually recover after some time.

Some of you remember the draft. Some of you fought in wars. You know how terrible it can be. Look at the end of verse 5. “A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing” probably refers to the separation that occurs between husband and wife during wartime.

No one wants to be sent off to war, but it happens. When it does all we can do is trust in God.

E. There is a time to get and a time to lose (6).

Much of your life will be spent working.

You will earn money.

You will buy a house.

You will purchase items you want.

You will save and invest (as you should).

But then you’ll enter a season when you are getting rid of all the things you have acquired. Some of you are stubborn and will hold on to everything. When you pass all that stuff you gathered will be sent to Goodwill or the dump.

As we get older it’s important to discern the right time to stop keeping everything.

Why do we wait until we die to give the people we love what we want them to have?

Why not be sure they get it by giving it to them while we are still here?

When God blesses us with things, He expects us to be a blessing as well. If we can no longer use something it may be time to give it to someone who can. There is a time to get and a time to give.

F. There is a time to love and a time to hate (8).

The conditions around us will cause us to hate or to love. Notice the references to war and peace in verse 8.

War= we hate what we see around us.

Peace = we love what we see around us.

There will be times we will be miserable because of the state we live in and times we will be happy about them.

I remember the early 2000s. there was so much unity in the SBC. The meetings were like revivals. People disagreed but did so cordially. The Word was preached. God was praised. A preacher would come back excited about the future.

I feel the same way about our country. I love America and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. But I hate what she is becoming.

Having our hope in man made institutions is always a bad idea. We will swing from love to hate because we live in a sinful world.

Laugh while you can laugh!

Dance while you can dance!

The season will change. In this world laughter always turns to mourning.

Don’t expect sunshine every day.

When it’s not raining make sure to enjoy the sunshine.

How do we deal with the knowledge that difficult season will come?

We put our mind on Christ.

He told us He has gone to prepare us a place. If our faith is in Him all the difficult seasons we know on this earth will be history soon.

The old hymnist said “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more…”

There will be time in heaven. But there will no times of suffering. In heaven there will be nothing to hate. In heaven there will not be :

A time to die

A time to kill

A time to weep

A time to lose

A time to hate

A time of war

What time will it be?

It’ll be supper time!

It’ll be family time!

It’ll be singing time!

It’ll be Jesus time!

Al of eternity is a:

A time to laugh

A time to dance

A time to keep

A time to love

A time of peace