SERIES: Ecclesiastes
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 3:1-22
MESSAGE: “In God’s Time”
“The message of this book is if life under the sun is all there is, if there’s no life above the sun, if there’s no God or eternity or heaven or supernatural, if all we have is this world and time and this nature and this life, then there is no basis for rationality, there is no basis for human value, there is no basis for meaning. Everything and anything is pointless, valueless and insignificant.” — Timothy Keller
“Solomon’s purpose is to expose the foolishness of a life lived without God in order to push us to enjoy God and His gifts. Satisfaction in God and His gifts is the meaningful life. The Spirit’s ultimate point in inspiring Ecclesiastes is to teach us that everything is meaningless unless you have Jesus.” — Daniel & Jonathan Akin
Q: How does time draw us closer to God? It’s when we see these phrases in the text…(1. Under Heaven 2. God Does 3. Who Knows)
1. “Under Heaven…” (v. 1-8)
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…”
2. “God Does…” (v. 9-14)
“What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 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. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. 14 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.”
“Why did God say, “Don’t eat of that tree”? Why didn’t he say, “Don’t hit each other”? Why didn’t he say, “Don’t lie to each other”? Why didn’t he say, “Don’t kill each other”?…Here’s the answer. If God had said, “No lying, no adultery,” he would have been telling us the essence of sin is doing bad things, breaking rules…But he chooses a tree, which is a good thing. The first rule was not “Don’t lie,” but “Don’t eat the tree.” The tree is a good thing. The fruit is a good thing. What is the Serpent doing?…They took a good thing and used the good thing so they could be their own gods. “You will be as God.” They didn’t wait for (God) to take them. They said, “We’re going to do it ourselves.” If you want to understand the essence of sin…It’s taking your good things and using them to make yourself your own savior and lord…Why are some of you working yourselves into the ground?…Is there anything wrong with work? No…What has happened? It’s a good thing, but the essence of sin is you’re using it for it to be your significance, your security, instead of God. That will poison you. That will destroy you. That will put you into bondage. That’s the essence of sin.” — Timothy Keller
“Instead of changelessness, there is something better: a dynamic, divine purpose, with its beginning and end. Instead of frozen perfection there is the kaleidoscope movement of innumerable processes, each with its own character and its period of blossoming and ripening, beautiful in its time and contributing to the over all masterpiece which is the work of One Creator.” — Derek Kidner
3. “Who Knows…” (v. 16-22)
“Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?”
“When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.” — Psalm 73:21-22 (Psalm of Asaph)
“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” — Psalm 73:23-26
TAKEAWAYS: A meaningful life is remembering time is…
- God’s time, not my time
- God’s glory, not my glory
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” — Romans 5:8