(“A Time For Everything”)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NASU)

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven –” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

(A) PETE SEEGER, THE BYRDS, AND THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

(1) We’re going to begin tonight by testing your knowledge of music history. If you are older than forty-five you will probably have a better chance of answering correctly than those who are younger. However, as I’ve learned from playing Trivial Pursuit with Miss Karen, you should never underestimate the amount of miscellaneous information people may have floating around in their heads. So here’s the test – fill in the lyrics to this familiar refrain from a number one song first released in December of 1965 by a group known as The Byrds:¹

“To everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)

There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

And a time for every purpose, under Heaven.”²

(2) Those lyrics – with the exception of the words “Turn, Turn, Turn” – are taken almost verbatim from the old King James Version of tonight’s text (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1). Indeed, the song’s lyrics were adapted (for the most part) from the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes chapter three (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

(3) Pete Seeger, who wrote the music and adapted the lyrics, took certain liberties with the inspired text. For example, verse two says there is “a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:2b, KJV). Seeger, however, simply wrote: “a time to plant, a time to reap”.² Reaping is one explanation of what Solomon meant by “plucking up” – but, as we will see in a few minutes, it’s certainly not the only interpretation.

Seeger often reversed the order in which phrases were originally written. For example, verse four says there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:4a, KJV). However, Seeger’s adaptation said: “A time to laugh, a time to weep”.

Sometimes Seeger rearranged Solomon’s sequence of thought by combining phrases from different verses … he also left at least one phrase, “a time to keep, and a time to cast away” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:6b, KJV), completely out … and perhaps most glaring of all, he added his own 60’s anti-war view³ to the last verse, changing “a time of war, and a time of peace” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:8b, KJV) (which he had already used in a previous stanza) to, “A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.”²

(4) Despite these liberties, a whole generation of people in the mid-1960’s (whether they realized it or not) were singing a song whose lyrics were taken (for the most part) right out of the Bible – right out of tonight’s Scripture lesson – right out of this evening’s text – thereby prompting one secular observer to say that that song’s content was “relatively profound for a number one record.”¹

(B) SOLOMON’S GENERAL PROPOSITION⁴

(1) Solomon opened tonight’s Scripture lesson with a general proposition⁵ – namely that: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven –” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1).

(a) The word “appointed” literally means “definite or fixed”⁶ – hence, it refers to a “specific or set” time for something to take place. For example, the Book of Ezra talks about the men of Israel who had sinned against God by marrying foreign wives coming at “appointed times” to meet with the elders and judges in their respective cities to rectify this matter (c.f. Ezra 10:14)⁸ – while the Book of Esther tells us the Jews established an “appointed time” whereby they might annually celebrate the days of Purim in the future (c.f. Esther 9:26-31).⁸

(b) Here in tonight’s text, the idea is this – there is a predetermined “time” for “all”⁷ things on earth to take place – that a “definite” moment has been “appointed”, “fixed”, and/or preprogrammed (if you will) for “everything” in life to happen! Although he uses a different word, Solomon will repeat this proposition later in verse seventeen, saying, in part: “there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:17b, NIV) – and again in chapter eight verse six: “there is a proper time and procedure for every delight” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 8:6a).

(2) If we inquire as to how there can possibly be “an appointed time for everything” – if we ask who or what has “appointed … (a) time for every event under heaven” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1) – the answer is, God – God has done the “appointing” – thereby underscoring, once again, His sovereignty over “everything” that takes place on earth.

(a) Although this truth isn’t openly stated in tonight’s Scripture lesson, the larger context makes it clear Solomon saw God has the “Appointer” of all things. For example, two verses earlier he asked rhetorically: “who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:25) – while a few verses from now he’ll tell us that God has “made everything appropriate (or, “beautiful”, as the NKJV says) in its time” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:11a).

(b) But even if Solomon had remained silent, the rest of Scripture repeatedly and clearly declares God alone has “appointed (a) time everything (and/or) every event under heaven” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1).

For example, Abraham’s servant prayed that the Lord would show him “the woman (He had) appointed (to be Isaac’s wife)” (c.f. Genesis 24:44) – Samuel reminded the people that it was “the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron (to bring) (their) fathers up from the land of Egypt” (c.f. I Samuel 12:6) – and Job, speaking of God, said: “He performs what is appointed for me, and many such decrees are with Him” (c.f. Job 23:14).

Elsewhere, God told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (c.f. Jeremiah 1:5). In the Book of Lamentations, the prophet speaks for Jerusalem, saying in part: “The Lord has rejected all my strong men in my midst; He has called an appointed time against me to crush my young men” (c.f. Lamentations 1:15). While in the Book of Daniel we find several references to future events which will take place at God’s “appointed time” (c.f. Daniel 8:19; 11:27, 29, 35).

The Book of Jonah says “the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah” (c.f. Jonah 1:17a) – that He also “appointed a plant” to give His pouting prophet shade (c.f. Jonah 4:6) – that He then “appointed a worm” to kill the plant (c.f. Jonah 4:7) – and finally, that He “appointed a scorching east wind” to drive Jonah to the point of despair (c.f. Jonah 4:8).

The Scripture also says our Savior has “appointed” us Christians to “go and bear fruit” (c.f. John 15:16) – that “as many as (He has) appointed to eternal life (will believe)” (c.f. Acts 13:48) – that the times and boundaries of every nation have been “appointed” by God (c.f. Acts 17:26) – that God has “appointed in the church … apostles … prophets … teachers … miracles … gifts of healings, helps, administrations, (and) various kinds of tongues” (c.f. I Corinthians 12:28) – and, that the doom those who reject Christ as Savior face is a “doom (to which) they (have been) appointed” (c.f. I Peter 2:8).

(c) Shall I continue? Or has the point been made? According to God’s inspired word, nothing in life happens by chance. Nothing in your life or mine has happened (or will happen) by chance (c.f. Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). Indeed, there’s no such thing as “chance”, because Scripture says even though “the lot is cast into the lap … its every decision is from the Lord” (c.f. Proverbs 16:33). Hence, we are not at the mercy of non-entities like “fate” “coincidence”, and/or “luck” – rather, the Scripture says: “(Our) times are in (God’s) hand(s)” (c.f. Psalm 31:15a).

(d) There are certain “event(s)” in life common to all men – “event(s)” like birth and death, weeping and laughing, loving and hating (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2a, 4a, 8a), that are “appointed” for each of us. What’s more, not only the “event(s)” themselves, but the “tim(ing)” of them has been “appointed” by our God and Savior! Hence, even though we’re all born into this world – we’re not all born on the same and/or at the same hour. Likewise, unless Jesus returns, we’re all going to die (c.f. Hebrews 9:27) – but (with certain exceptions) it won’t happen on the same day, or under the same circumstances.

(3) One question worth asking is, how Solomon’s proposition in tonight’s text – i.e. that “there is an appointed time for everything (and a) time for every event under heaven” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1) – (how does this proposition) fit in with the overall thesis of the Book of Ecclesiastes?

(a) For one thing, it underscores his point about the cyclical nature of human existence – i.e. that “a generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 1:4) – that, “that which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done” – so that there is “nothing new under the sun” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 1:9).

[1] The older I get, the more I realize just how true this is. Every generation experiences the things outlined in tonight’s Scripture lesson. Some of the finer details may (and do) differ – but every new generation essentially repeats the experiences of all the generations that came before it. They plant and uproot – they kill and heal – they tear down and build up – they mourn and dance – they embrace and shun embracing – they keep and throw away – they remain silent and speak up – they go through times of war and times of peace (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8).

[2] In that regard, then, the times “appointed” by God for one generation are essentially the same as those He has “appointed” for all other generations. We may have cars instead of horses, and electric lights instead candles – we may use computers instead of abacuses, and penicillin instead of leeches – but the basics of human existence have not changed. We all come into this world the same way (through “birth”), and we all go out the same way (through “death”). In between we all have “times” of weeping, and laughing – we all have “times” of searching, and giving up as lost – we all have “times” when we love, and other “times” when we hate (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8), just like the people in every generation that preceded us, and the people in every generation that will come after us!

Indeed, I’m at a point in life where I see myself going through some of the same life “events” my mother and father have already experienced – while at the same time, I also see my children starting to go through some of the same “appointed events” of life Karen and I have already been through.

(b) The proposition in tonight’s text also underscores Solomon’s point that, apart from God, “everything” the natural man does to find real happiness and/or lasting satisfaction in life “is vanity and striving after wind” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:17b).

[1] Despite all his efforts and/or a certain measure of outward success, there are some things a man can’t avoid. For example, he may “plant”, only to have someone come along and “uproot” it (v 2b) – he may “build”, only to have unforeseen circumstances “tear (it) down” (v 3b) – he may “search” diligently for something he deems important, only to find he must “give (it) up as lost” (v 6a). And then, of course, no matter how long he lives – no matter how much he may accomplish or accumulate – in the end, “death” forces him to leave everything he worked so hard for and/or valued so highly behind (v 2a).

[2] Furthermore, it’s “futile” for men to try and “kick against the goads” (c.f. Acts 26:14) (so to speak) – it’s “futile” to try and avoid the “downs” of life, because the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth has “appointed” them just as surely as He has the “ups” (c.f. Isaiah 45:7)! To put it another way, the ebb and flow of life – the successes and failures – the highs and lows, are not the result of chance or fate; rather, they are all by divine design!⁹ Therefore, it’s “futile” to try and grasp one and avoid the other! It’s also “futile” to try and get more out of life’s simple pleasures then God made them to give (c.f. Ecclesiastes 2:24). To put it terms of tonight’s text, “there is an appointed time” for things like laughing, dancing, and building up – but “there is (also) an appointed time” for things like weeping, mourning, and tearing down (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:3-4) – and God has determined both!

(C) SOLOMON ILLUSTRATES HIS PROPOSITION⁵

(1) Having stated his proposition in the first verse (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1), Solomon spends the rest of tonight’s Scripture lesson (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8) illustrating it by drawing our attention to twenty-eight life “events”, each of which happens at its “(God)-appointed time”.

(a) Each “event” is paired with its opposite – i.e. birth with death, weeping with laughing, keeping with throwing away – for a total of fourteen pairs.⁵ Some of the events are things over which no man has any say (like the day of their “birth”) – others (like “planting and sewing together”) are things over which we do exert some measure of control¹⁰ (albeit only/always within God’s providence).

(b) Even though the list isn’t exhaustive the point is, “every event” in a person’s life is “appointed” by God – that there is “an appointed time” in each person’s life for “every event” that take place, be it good or bad (i.e. good or bad from our “under the sun” perspective) – be it “life or death”, victory or defeat, “gathering or scattering”, “war or peace” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8).

(c) We ought to add that Scripture assures us God is working all things for the good of His redeemed people (c.f. Romans 8:28) – even though from our limited perspective we often wonder how anything good can possibly come from things like uprooting, killing, tearing down, and/or throwing away (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2-6). When these things happens, we need to remember the familiar verse that says God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours (c.f. Isaiah 55:8-9) – along with the testimony of Joseph who said God has the power to bring good out of the evil things wicked men do (c.f. Genesis 45:5, 7).

(2) In the time we have left, we’re going to take a brief look at several of the “life events” Solomon drew upon to support his proposition that “there is an appointed time for everything (and) a time for every event under heaven” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1), to see how these metaphors might work themselves out in every day life.

(a) In the first part of verse two Solomon said there is “a (God-appointed) time to give birth (as well as) a (God-appointed) time to die” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2a).

It should be as obvious as the sun at noon in a New Mexico sky that we have absolutely no control over the day of our “birth”. Some might argue our parents control this for us, but that’s only true in a secondary sense. Married couples may “decide” they want to have children, but God is the One who opens and closes the womb (c.f. I Samuel 1:5; Psalm 127:3). We also know couples who were not planning to have children (and/or more children) are often “surprised” to find their plans have been providentially changed.

We also have no real control over the day of our death. We may do things that are good for our health (like regular exercise) to try and prolong our life – or we may do things that are unhealthy (like smoking or overeating) which may shorten our life. But even these things are within the bounds of God’s sovereign control – so that Job was right when he said man’s “days are determined, the number of his months is with You (i.e. God); and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass” (c.f. Job 14:5).

(b) Verse two goes on to say that God has “appointed” “a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:2b).

Aside from obvious agricultural applications – i.e. that there is a window of opportunity to plant one’s crops (or garden), and another window to harvest what has been produced (c.f. Proverbs 20:4; 24:30-34) – there are also various metaphorical implications.

For example, there is “a time to plant” in the sense of teaching our children to obey, respect what is good, and love Christ. If we miss that window of opportunity to “plant” these things in their heart, it will never come again. Hence, the Scripture says: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (c.f. Proverbs 22:6, NKJV) – and again: “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; (but) the rod of correction will drive it far from him” (c.f. Proverbs 22:15, NKJV).

There are also “time(s) to plant” a business, a church, a home, and/or even a nation.¹¹

On the other hand, and closer to home, we could say there is “a time to uproot” by literally pulling out old shrubbery, renovating the inside of our existing building, and/or even reorganizing some of the ways we carry out our ministry.

Elsewhere in Scripture, the figure of “uprooting” is associated with judgment – as when David warned the wicked, saying: “God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah” (c.f. Psalm 52:5) – while in another place we read: “the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger” (c.f. I Kings 14:15).

(c) Moving on to the first half of verse three, we find that God has “appointed” “a time to kill and a time to heal” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:3a).

“A time to kill” might involve a just war, defending our own life or that of our family, or carrying out a sentence of capital punishment on a murderer (c.f. Genesis 9:6).¹¹

Sometimes we may need “to kill” a sinful habit (so to speak) – hence, the Scripture says: “if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you” (c.f. Matthew 5:30a) – while in another place we’re told to: “flee from youthful lusts” (c.f. II Timothy 2:22a).

Other times we might need “to kill” a relationship that has the potential to lead us away from Christ and into sin – hence, the Scripture says: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (c.f. I Corinthians 15:33) – and again: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (c.f. II Corinthians 6:14).

“A time to heal” might involve healing the body – but it might also involve healing a broken relationship. Hence, the Scripture says: “if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember … your brother has something against you, leave your offering (at) the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (c.f. Matthew 5:23-24).

(d) The last half of verse three says there is “a (God-appointed) time to tear down and a (God-appointed) time build up” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:3b).

Sometimes the old has to be “torn down” so the new can take its place – old buildings, old roads, old habits, old relationships, old ways of thinking, old likes and dislikes. Hence, the Scripture say “new wine (cannot be put) into old wineskins”, otherwise you end up losing both (c.f. Matthew 9:17). Another application might be the importance of “lay(ing) aside the old self … and put(ting) on the new self”, as described for us in Ephesians chapter four (c.f. Ephesians 4:22-24).

(e) Verse four says God has “appointed” “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:4).

When God does some great thing for us, it’s time to laugh, and shout, and be joyful – hence, Psalm 126 says: ^{1“When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ 3The Lord has done great things for us; (therefore) we are glad”} (c.f. Psalm 126:1-3).

Sometimes, though the weeping or laughing has to do with what’s happening in someone else’s life, rather than ours – hence, Romans chapter twelve says we Christians are to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (c.f. Romans 12:15) – while in another place we’re told: “if one member (of Christ’s body) suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (c.f. I Corinthians 12:26).

(f) Moving on to the first half of verse five, we find that God has “appointed” “a time to throw stones and time to gather stones” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:5a).

Conquering armies sometimes threw rocks into fields so their enemies could no longer farm the ground (c.f. II Kings 3:19). Other times Scripture talks about people gathering stones to make a memorial commemorating some great event – like when God parted the Jordan River so His people could cross over into the Land of Promise (c.f. Joshua 4:1-9).¹²

(g) The last half of verse five indicates that God has “appointed” “a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:5b).

Some displays of affection are appropriate, and some are not. Physical love within the bond of marriage between a man and woman is a good thing (Song of Solomon 2:6) – in all other instances it’s to be “shunned” as sinful (c.f. Proverbs 5:20).

(h) The last part of verse seven says there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:7b).

My “time to speak” is about gone – so you will have to come up with your own applications for Solomon’s last twelve “life events” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:6-8).

(D) SOME CLOSING THOUGHTS

(1) Before I become “silent”, however, let me share a quote with you from Martin Luther, who, in speaking of tonight’s text and Scripture lesson, said: “All this is directed against the free will of man, and against all human purposes and fancies, but especially against the notion that it is in our power to determine seasons, and hours, and persons, and measures and places; that we can settle how the affairs of this world shall go, how its great potentates shall rise and fall, how joy and sadness, building up and pulling down, war and peace, shall succeed and take the place of each other, how they shall begin and end: it is to impress on us the fact that ere the hour arrives it is wasted effort for men to (speculate) and their proposals are useless and vain: in (short), we are taught that nothing comes to pass before the hour fixed for it by God”¹³ – nor, I would add, does anything come to pass that has not been fixed or “appointed” by God!

(2) The fact tonight’s text says, “there is an appointed time for everything (and) a time for every event under heaven” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 3:1) is not music to the natural man’s ears. In fact, its not always music to us Christians IF we are listening with the ears of the old man. For if tonight’s text is true (and it is!), then man is not really the captain of his own fate – the determiner of his own destiny – and/or in control, or even semi-control of his own future. For many, this is an almost unbearable thought!

(3) On the other hand, tonight’s text should be sweet, comforting, encouraging music to the believer’s ears. For it means there is a holy and wise God at work, ordering, limiting, tempering, and/or disposing all the “life events” listed in tonight’s Scripture lesson, and more besides. Hence, a commentator from several generations back said: “in every condition a (Christian) man may find cause (for) praising God, and trusting in Him, (for) exercising tranquility (of heart) and contentment of mind in both prosperity and adversity, because the holy hand of God is in the one as well as in the other.”¹⁴

Hence, Solomon’s father, David summed up tonight’s Scripture lesson as accurately and succinctly as anyone could, when he said: “My times are in (God’s) hand(s)” (c.f. Psalm 31:15).