Bird's-eye view
This magnificent poem, perhaps one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture, is often misunderstood as a form of fatalistic resignation. Moderns read it and think it means "que sera, sera," what will be, will be, so just go with the flow. But that is to read it with a pagan heart, not a Christian one. The Preacher, Solomon, is not teaching fatalism; he is teaching the comprehensive sovereignty of God over every detail of human existence. After demonstrating in the first two chapters that all human effort "under the sun," when pursued apart from God, is vanity, he now lifts our eyes above the sun to the God who is in Heaven. This is not a list of random occurrences; it is a meticulously ordered catalog of God's appointments. God is the one who sets the times. Every contrary in our lives, from birth to death, from planting to plucking up, is part of a divine symphony. The world is not chaos, and history is not a random walk. It is a story, written and directed by a wise and good God, who has made everything beautiful in its time (Eccl. 3:11).
The central point is that man is not in control, and this is a profound comfort. We are creatures, and we live within the boundaries of God's ordained times and seasons. The fourteen pairs of opposites cover the full range of human experience, showing that nothing, not even the things we find most difficult like killing, hating, and war, falls outside of God's providential rule. This passage, therefore, is not a call to passivity, but a call to faithful, dependent, and timely action. The wise man understands what time it is and acts accordingly, trusting that the God who appointed the time will also bless the action. It is the foundation for a life of robust faith, freeing us from the anxiety of trying to control the uncontrollable and enabling us to work heartily at whatever God has placed before us in the present moment.
Outline
- 1. The Divine Timetable (Eccl 3:1-8)
- a. The General Principle: God's Appointed Times (Eccl 3:1)
- b. The Cycle of Life and Agriculture (Eccl 3:2)
- c. The Cycle of Destruction and Restoration (Eccl 3:3)
- d. The Cycle of Emotion (Eccl 3:4)
- e. The Cycle of Association and Dissociation (Eccl 3:5)
- f. The Cycle of Economics (Eccl 3:6)
- g. The Cycle of Expression (Eccl 3:7)
- h. The Cycle of Allegiance (Eccl 3:8)
Context In Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is the heart of the book's second major section, which runs from chapter 3 through chapter 5. Having established in chapters 1 and 2 that life "under the sun" is vanity and a chasing after wind, Solomon now introduces the great corrective: the sovereignty of God. The problem with the man-centered life is not just that it is unsatisfying, but that it is fundamentally out of touch with reality. The reality is that God is sovereign over everything. This section on appointed times is the cornerstone of that argument. It provides the theological framework for everything that follows. Because God has appointed all things, the proper response for man is not to strive for ultimate control (which is impossible) but to fear God and keep His commandments (Eccl. 12:13). This poem sets the stage for Solomon's later exhortations to enjoy the simple gifts of God, like food, drink, and work (Eccl. 3:12-13), because even these simple pleasures are received rightly only when we understand they come from the hand of a sovereign God who gives them in His good time.
Key Issues
- Divine Sovereignty vs. Fatalism
- The Nature of Time in God's Plan
- The Morality of "Difficult" Times (Killing, Hating, War)
- The Wisdom of Discerning the Times
- The Relationship between God's Providence and Human Responsibility
- Living Joyfully within God's Appointed Order
Under the Sun, Over the Sun
The key to understanding Ecclesiastes is to grasp the distinction between two perspectives. The first is life "under the sun," a phrase that occurs some 29 times in the book. This refers to life on a horizontal plane, life as it appears when you leave God out of the equation. From this vantage point, everything is cyclical, repetitive, and ultimately meaningless. It is a chasing after the wind. But there is another perspective, that of the man who fears God. This man understands that while he lives under the sun, there is a God who reigns over the sun. This God is sovereign, purposeful, and good.
This poem in chapter 3 is the pivot point where Solomon moves us from the first perspective to the second. He is not denying the reality of the toil and trouble we experience under the sun. The opposites he lists are often hard and painful. But he is reframing them. They are not random bits of cosmic bad luck. They are appointed times. God is in charge of the schedule. This is a game changer. If the universe is a chaotic mess, then despair is the only logical response. But if the universe is governed by a wise and sovereign God, then even the hardest times have a purpose within His grand design, a design which He has made "beautiful in its time" (Eccl. 3:11).
Verse by Verse Commentary
1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven,
The opening verse lays down the thesis for the entire poem. Nothing is haphazard. For "everything," there is an appointed time. The Hebrew word for time here is zeman, which refers to a specific, designated moment. The second clause reinforces the first, stating there is a "time for every matter." The word for time here is eth, which refers to a season or a fitting occasion. The phrase "under heaven" is crucial. It is a synonym for "under the sun," but used here it reminds us that there is One who is in Heaven, orchestrating these times. This is not a statement about fate, as though time itself were the ultimate power. It is a statement about divine providence. God is the one who appoints the times and orchestrates the matters.
2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
Solomon begins with the most fundamental boundaries of our existence: birth and death. No one chooses the time of their birth, and with very few exceptions, no one chooses the time of their death. These are divine appointments (Job 14:5; Heb. 9:27). God opens and closes the womb, and He numbers our days. The second pair of opposites, planting and uprooting, brings the principle down to our work. A farmer knows this rhythm intimately. There is a right time to put the seed in the ground, and a right time to harvest. To do either out of season is folly. This illustrates how our responsible actions must align with God's ordained seasons. We are not passive, but our activity must be timely.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.
Here the poem takes a hard turn. We can easily accept a time to heal, but a time to kill? This is where sentimentalism gets off the bus. Scripture is unflinchingly realistic about the world we live in, a world marred by sin. There are times when killing is not only permitted but commanded by God. This includes judicial capital punishment for heinous crimes (Gen. 9:6) and just warfare (Rom. 13:4). The opposite is healing, which is God's restorative work. Likewise, there is a time to tear down, whether it be a corrupt institution or a dilapidated building, and a time to build up. The key is that God is sovereign over both destruction and restoration. He is not a cosmic minimalist who only engages with the nice parts of life. He is Lord of all of it.
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.
From the hard realities of life and death, Solomon moves to the realm of human emotion. God's sovereignty extends to our inner world as well. There are seasons of profound sorrow, of weeping and mourning. The Bible does not suppress grief; it gives it a place and a time. But sorrow is not the final word. There is also a time for laughter and a time for dancing. Joy is as much a part of God's ordained rhythm as sorrow is. The Christian life is not one of grim-faced stoicism. It is a life that knows the reality of weeping in a fallen world, but also anticipates and experiences the joy that comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).
5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
The meaning of throwing and gathering stones is debated. It could refer to clearing a field for planting (throwing) and building a wall or house (gathering). It could also be a metaphor for war (throwing stones at an enemy's field) and peace (rebuilding). The second couplet is more personal. There is a time for physical intimacy and closeness, "a time to embrace." But there is also a time to refrain from embracing, a time for separation or relational distance. This speaks to the seasons in relationships. Not all distance is sinful, and not all closeness is holy. Wisdom is knowing the time for each.
6 A time to search and a time to lose; A time to keep and a time to throw away.
This verse deals with our possessions and priorities. There are seasons when we are to actively seek and acquire things, whether knowledge, relationships, or property. But there is also a time when we must accept loss, when a search is fruitless and must be abandoned. This is a hard lesson in a culture that believes you can have it all if you just try hard enough. Similarly, there is a time for careful stewardship, to keep and preserve what God has given. But there is also a time for divestment, to throw away what has become an idol, a burden, or is simply no longer useful for the kingdom. The wise man is not a hoarder, nor is he a spendthrift. He knows what time it is.
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.
Tearing garments was an ancient expression of grief or righteous anger. Sewing them represents restoration and peace. This pair speaks to the breaking and mending of the social fabric. There are times when sharp division is necessary, when we must tear away from falsehood. But there are also times for reconciliation and sewing things back together. The second pair is about our words. The book of Proverbs has much to say about the importance of timely speech. There are moments when the wisest thing to do is keep your mouth shut (Amos 5:13). And there are moments when silence is cowardice, and we are commanded to speak the truth boldly.
8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.
This final verse is perhaps the most jarring to modern ears, particularly the phrase "a time to hate." We have been catechized by a sentimental culture to believe that hate is always sinful. But the Bible says otherwise. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13). Jesus commended the church at Ephesus because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which He also hated (Rev. 2:6). Righteous hatred is the necessary flip side of genuine love. If you love righteousness, you must hate unrighteousness. If you love children, you must hate abortion. A love that does not hate its opposite is a flabby, worthless thing. This leads directly to the final pair: war and peace. Because there is evil in the world that must be hated and opposed, there is a time for war. Pacifism is not a biblical option. The magistrate bears the sword for a reason. But war is not the ultimate goal. The final word is peace. We fight in order to establish a just peace. And we look forward to the day when the Prince of Peace will make all things new, and there will be a time for war no more.
Application
The first and most important application of this text is to rest in the sovereignty of God. Your life is not a series of unfortunate events. Your successes are not entirely your own doing, and your failures are not ultimate. God is weaving all the seasons of your life, the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful, into a beautiful tapestry that will bring Him glory. This frees us from the crushing burden of having to be in control of everything. We can't be, and that's good news, because the one who is in control is infinitely wise and good.
Second, we must learn to ask the question, "What time is it?" Wisdom is not just knowing what to do, but when to do it. Is this a time to speak up, or a time to be silent? Is this a time to build, or a time to tear down? Is this a time to embrace, or a time to separate? Discerning the times requires prayer, knowledge of Scripture, and godly counsel. We will often get it wrong, but the goal is to grow in this wisdom, to become those who, like the sons of Issachar, "understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chron. 12:32).
Finally, this passage is a call to wholehearted engagement with the present moment. Because God has appointed this time, whatever it holds, it is a gift. If it is a time for laughter, then laugh freely and without guilt. If it is a time for weeping, then weep honestly before the Lord. If it is a time for work, then work with all your might. And do it all with an eye to the one who stands outside of time, the Lord Jesus Christ. He entered our time, He experienced birth, weeping, tearing down, and death. He did it all at the appointed time, in the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4), in order to redeem our time. Through His resurrection, He has secured for us an eternity where the painful opposites will be no more, and all will be unending peace and joy in the presence of God.