seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.[b]
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.[b]
16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
a. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
b. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
c. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit
I even slept late because I knew I was going to Ecclesiastes 3 this morning. I figured I'd post a video edition of "turn turn turn" and that would be it. I even imagined that I would title it "turn, turn, turn". How unique, right???? But I forgot about the rest of the chapter.
Solomon was a depressed individual. I think too much wisdom is hard on the soul. No wonder he had 700 wives and 300 concubines and only a handful of kids. He was sitting around trying to figure out if he was any better than a stray dog or an ox. He has a point... without God there would be no Heaven or Hell. Without God there would be no Christ and no Salvation either.... turn that into a song.
This is from studylight.org.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose - Two general remarks may be made on the first eight verses of this chapter.
- God by his providence governs the world, and has determined particular things and operations to particular times. In those times such things may be done with propriety and success; but if we neglect the appointed seasons, we sin against this providence, and become the authors of our own distresses.
- God has given to man that portion of duration called Time; the space in which all the operations of nature, of animals, and intellectual beings, are carried on; but while nature is steady in its course, and animals faithful to their instincts, man devotes it to a great variety of purposes; but very frequently to that for which God never made time, space, or opportunity. And all we can say, when an evil deed is done, is, there was a time in which it was done, though God never made it for that purpose.
To say any farther on this subject is needless, as the words themselves give in general their own meaning. The Jews, it is true, see in these times and seasons all the events of their own nation, from the birth of Abraham to the present times; and as to fathers and their followers, they see all the events and states of the Christian Church in them!
It is worthy of remark, that in all this list there are but two things which may be said to be done generally by the disposal of God, and in which men can have but little influence: the time of birth, and the time of death. But all the others are left to the option of man, though God continues to overrule them by his providence. The following paraphrase will explain all that is necessary to be generally understood: -
And this is from the easy English site.
The Teacher had noticed the way that the judges worked. They did not act as they should act. They expected that people would give money to them. Then the judges would say that a rich person was innocent. But they would not say that a poor man was innocent. If the poor man had no money, he could not give it to the judges. So their decision would be against the poor man. King Jehoshaphat warned his judges to think carefully about their work. They must remember that they were the people’s servants. They were God’s servants too (2 Chronicles 19:5-7). In the *New Testament, Jesus told a story about a judge who was not fair. He would not help a poor widow (Luke 18:1-5). Perhaps that was because she had no money to give to him.
Solomon must have been quite proud.... to know all this. Solomon didn't have salvation.... Jesus of Nazareth hadn't come on the scene yet.... so please I don't want to get confused. Solomon didn't have Heaven to look forward to. As a matter of fact.... I bet if someone told Solomon he could have eternal life.... well he might have just killed himself anyway.... because the only future Solomon saw in life was work. He considered himself no better than a pack mule.
Solomon had all that wisdom..... it must have been like being a genius stuck in a class for kids with disabilities..... being so wise must have driven him a little bonkers..... I bet if he were a student... he would have thrown tantrums all the time....
Wow.... Solomon was bored! Just like his dad, David.... Solomon had to see things through to the end..... He couldn't stand for hanging around while others did it. Turn turn turn..... David was bored when he noticed Solomon's mother..... Turn turn turn.
I'm certainly happy that our judges can't be influenced by money or fame or promise..... Please turn....
