Eclesiastes 3

Eclesiastes 3

MacDonald points out that this verse teaches a high view of God's providence. He asserts that there is a beauty in the way the events of life fit together, like the successive cogs in a wheel, each fitting into its proper groove, with a steady movement carrying forward God's plan. It is as if Solomon is observing the grand machine with all its parts functioning in perfect timing. Solomon listens and hears no grinding, no jarring noises. "Beautiful!" he exclaims. Admittedly, from our limited standpoint we see many things that in themselves seem far from beautiful. Sometimes it seems as if there is no "grand machine," or if there is, it's badly in need of repair. But that's because we see things from a human level and not from God's point of view. This brings us face-to-face with Pascal's famous statement that there is a "God-shaped vacuum" inside each person. God made us to know Him. He designed us so that we would want to know Him—and then He guaranteed we wouldn't be happy unless He Himself filled the void within. Romans 1:18-20 describes the knowledge of God seen in creation and found to some degree in the heart of every person. When Paul preached in Athens, he complimented the Athenians by calling them very religious people. The city was filled with idols, including a shrine "to the unknown God." Anthropologists tell us that man by nature is incurably religious. There is something in him that drives him to seek ultimate meaning outside himself. He may turn to God or he may worship idols of his own making or the evil spirits of his ancestors. That "something" inside him is put there by God. Augustine gave us this oft-quoted prayer: "You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." We see ugliness, but we know there must be beauty somewhere. Deep inside we yearn to know God and to understand His plan. Yet the more we search to understand the big picture, the less we truly know. So in the end we are left with God and God alone. Lord God, in a world of hard questions, You are the one eternal answer. Thank You for having the answers, and m a y I trust in Your goodness when the answer is not clear to me. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT Why would God put us in a world where we are guaranteed to end up frustrated? What possible divine purpose could that serve? What does your own "God-shaped vacuum" look like? MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read Jeremiah 23:18; 1 Corinthians 2:16; and Revelation 6:12-17. The Mystery Of Time He has made everything beautiful in its time. — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Time is a tyrant that has us under its control. Little by little it makes us feel and look older as it relentlessly pushes us toward the day when we will die. Time determines when we plant or reap, when we laugh or cry, when we keep something or throw it away (Eccl. 3:1-8). And sometimes it seems as if we are just helpless pawns in a cosmic game. But once we understand that the God who established time and controls everything is our Friend, it all looks different. Solomon said that “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Eccl. 3:11). This enables us to trust God to weave His loving purposes for us into the tapestry of time. There are times when its beauty can be clearly seen, but at other times His design remains a mystery to us because of our human limitations. God gives to us the gift of time To use as best we can, To live each moment in His will According to His plan. —Sper The right view of eternity reveals the real value of time. The Beauty Of Life He has made everything beautiful in its time. — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Author and scientist Carl Sagan says that the material world is the only reality. If we accept this premise, then nature has been cruel to us, giving us, as someone has cynically phrased it, “the endowments of a god and the career of an insect.” King Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes that from a purely human standpoint everything is meaningless (1:2), but he also considered God’s view. He observed the creative and destructive cycle of our existence (3:1-8) and concluded that everything is beautiful in its time (v.11). He knew that when we see life from the perspective of eternity we will see the beauty of God’s ways. But Solomon also realized that God hasn’t given us the answers to every question (v.11). He advised us to accept life’s good things with gratitude, and to face its difficulties with faith, not despair. Shirley De Jong, who at 58 knew she had terminal cancer, followed this advice. With her husband she enjoyed doing what her strength permitted. She looked back over her life and spoke of the beauty of each stage. She saw her illness as the means by which God would soon take her to heaven. Lord, of the days that are left to me, I give them to Your hand; Take me and break me and mold me to The pattern You have planned. —Snell The more a diamond is cut, the more it sparkles. ILLUSTRATION - David Hubbard - In some ways the red book is the most important piece of equipment in my office. About the size of a church hymnal, it sits in a prominent place on Denise’s desk. Denise is my assistant, and, like Vera and Inez before her, she is the keeper of that red book. If I call her, she will automatically pick up the book and bring it to my inner office, so that together we may consult it. To some extent that book stands between us and utter confusion. It tells us which Tuesday to have lunch with a bishop, which Thursday to take the 8:45 A.M. flight to Chicago for a conference, which Monday the seminary board will meet—and a thousand other things. The red book on the desk contains our calendar for the year. In it all appointments are recorded—often months ahead of time. Once the schedules are set, that book comes close to being the governor of our lives. It sets the times by which we do things; it controls with almost rigid regularity our comings and goings. And in so doing, it greatly limits our freedom. We cannot face each day with the open question, what shall we do? We have to face it with the closed question, what have we already committed ourselves to do? Whatever regulates our time curtails our freedom. That was the struggle the Preacher faced in one of his most famous passages. For him life was a red book in which all the key events were written by the hand of God with the result that men and women had freedom neither to alter them nor completely understand them. Futility, the Preacher called this lack of freedom. Futility—because our plans are limited, our ability to change our schedules is confined, and our potential for affecting our destiny is almost nil. (SEE The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 16: Ecclesiastes) Tommy Nelson - From verse 11 to the end of chapter 3, Solomon gives us four platforms that can help us stand. The first one is that God's plan is wise. God is wise, and even bad things have a purpose. He makes everything appropriate or beautiful in its time. When an appointed thing occurs, it may not seem that it has any purpose whatsoever, but God sees it from a totally different perspective. I was teaching this idea in our church and had asked Norma, a wonderful pianist, if she would play for the congregation. I asked her to play "Jesus Loves Me" using only the white keys. When she played, it had a very simple sound. Frankly, it wasn't very interesting. Next I asked her to play it using as many black keys as she wanted. If you've ever played a piano, you know that by themselves the black keys don't sound very good. That's where all the sharps and flats are. But when Norma played "Jesus Loves Me" and included the black keys, it created a lush, beautiful sound. I asked my congregation to vote on whether they liked it with the white keys only or with the black keys added in. Without a doubt, the song sounds better with the black keys. Life is just like a song played on the piano. It is a caricature without the black keys. It's not heroic without sin, evil, and pain. You don't know or appreciate the heroism, love, and patience of God until evil enters the world. I enjoy a good movie, and one of the most interesting and unique movies I've seen in a long time was The Truman Show with Jim Carey. I went to see it with my wife and son and did not know anything about the plot before the movie started. After about fifteen minutes of watching the movie, I leaned over to my wife, Teresa, and said, "Something's wrong here." Everything going on in the movie was perfect—no difficulties to move the plot forward—and it was obvious that Jim Carey was overacting. Frankly, it was boring. Then a few things start to unravel, and you find out why his life is perfect. Ed Harris's character has contrived this world for Truman where there is no evil and nothing bad can happen to him. But there is also no heroism, no real friendship, no real love, no virtue, and certainly nothing worth living for. Ultimately, Truman refuses to live in this "perfect" world any longer. That's what life would be like if you didn't have black keys. The parts of our lives that don't feel right at the time are woven together by God to form a beautiful tapestry. God's plan is wise—it's just that He doesn't ask you and me for our opinions. There is no suggestion box in the tabernacle. We have to trust Him. When I was eleven years old, one of the most tragic incidents in my life happened. If you have ever been involved in Little League baseball, you know that there is almost nothing more important than making the cut as an eleven-year-old All-Star. I was not selected for the team, and what's worse, two of my eleven-year-old buddies were. I was utterly devastated. My mother sat down with me on my bed and said, "Let me tell you a story." She told me about a guy in the Bible who had a promise from God that he would be a ruler. But he was thrown in a pit and sold into slavery. Then he was thrown into jail and forgotten. Through all of his disappointments, he kept doing the right thing because he believed in trusting God's promise. Later when Joseph looked back on those harsh experiences, he saw that God used them to get him in a position to save his family. My mother said to me, "Tommy, there will be a lot of times in your life when God does things that don't seem to have any rhyme or reason whatsoever. You've got to trust Him even when He doesn't give you the answer." Pretty good counsel, wasn't it? Believing that God is wise is the only thing that will sustain you when He plays your life on the black keys. Solomon shows us that not only is God's plan wise, but it is also mysterious. Solomon says in verse 11 that God has one plan from beginning to the end. He doesn't react to the devil's activities as though a cosmic tennis match is being played. It's not as though God created man, then Satan tempted him. Then God decided to kick man out of the garden. So Satan caused Him to corrupt civilization. Then God countered with a flood … and so on. No, God has a plan like a Beethoven sonata, beautifully intermingling white keys and black keys. The white keys by themselves are boring. The black keys by themselves are troublesome. When you put them together, they're lovely. Still, there is mystery. God put eternity in the heart of every person, and in every person is the question why. All through the Bible we see men of God ask why bad things are happening. Habakkuk says, Why hast Thou made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? (Hab 1:14) He is asking God, "Where are You?" Jeremiah says to God, Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable? (Jer 15:18) Jeremiah is saying to God, "You promised, and it sure seems like You are not there." Have you ever wondered where God was or whether He cared? Why do we ask those questions? Because He has set eternity in our hearts. We intrinsically know that there has to be some order and purpose to life. So even though we can recognize God's work or purpose in some things, we squint our eyes and try to figure out all the things we can't see. We ask questions like, "Why was I born this way? Why did my father treat me that way? Why did You take my friend? Why am I missing out on this blessing?" We squint but we can't see. He's put eternity in our hearts but won't give us all the answers. As one author said, "There is a deep-seated, compulsive drive to transcend our mortality by knowing the meaning and destiny of life." It's troublesome. We want to see the future outcome of problems and say, "So that's why You let this happen to me." But God says, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to show you." He does things in our lives that are not pleasing or pleasurable, but they are wise. Solomon says we have to trust Him. (See A Life Well Lived: A Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes - Page 52) Eternity In Our Hearts He has put eternity in their hearts. —Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:9-17 I once came across a scene of beauty outside Anchorage, Alaska. Against a slate-gray sky, the water of an ocean inlet had a slight greenish cast, interrupted by small whitecaps. Soon I saw these were not whitecaps at all but whales—silvery white beluga whales in a pod feeding no more than 50 feet offshore. I stood with other onlookers, listening to the rhythmic motion of the sea, following the graceful, ghostly crescents of surfacing whales. The crowd was hushed, even reverent. For just a moment, nothing else mattered. The author of Ecclesiastes would have understood the crowd’s response. He sees with dazzling clarity the beauty in the created world and that God “has put eternity in their hearts” (3:11). Such an elegant phrase applies to much in human experience. Surely it hints at a religious instinct. Our hearts perceive eternity in ways other than the religious. Amid the measured music What watchful ear can hear God’s voice amidst the garden? Yet hush! for He is here! —Charles To make the most of today, keep eternity in mind. The Heart’s True Home TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Ecclesiastes 3:10–11 We had a West Highland Terrier for a number of years. “Westies” are tough little dogs, bred to tunnel into badger holes and engage the “enemy” in its lair. Our Westie was many generations removed from her origins, but she still retained that instinct, put into her through years of breeding. On one occasion she became obsessed by some “critter” under a rock in our backyard. Nothing could dissuade her. She dug and dug until she tunneled several feet under the rock. Now consider this question: Why do we as humans pursue, pursue, pursue? Why must we climb unclimbed mountains, ski near-vertical slopes? Run the most difficult and dangerous rapids, challenge the forces of nature? Part of it is a desire for adventure and enjoyment, but it’s much more. It’s an instinct for God that has been implanted in us. We cannot not want to find God. We don’t know that, of course. We only know that we long for something. “You don’t know what it is you want,” Mark Twain said, “but you want it so much you could almost die.” God is our heart’s true home. As church father Augustine said in that most famous quotation: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Reflect & Pray Help me, Lord, to recognize my deep longing for You. Then fill me with the knowledge of You. Draw me near. Beneath all our longings is a deep desire for God. Today's Insights Ecclesiastes was written by one who calls himself “the Teacher” and identifies himself as the “son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1). In this book, Solomon shows that a life not centered on God is without meaning and purpose (1:14; 2:11). He also shows how and why God must be a part of our lives. In chapter 3, he paints a picture of a life trapped between birth and death, experiencing the mundane repetition of life’s recurring seasons and cyclical activities (vv. 1–8). Such a life is both frustrating and burdensome (v. 10). But Solomon hints that life is not supposed to be like this. We were made for far grander things—God created us for Himself “in his own image” (Gen. 1:27). And God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Eccl. 3:11). We were created for fellowship with the eternal God. C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity (Mere Christianity - online without restrictions or here), put it this way: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Without God, life will be purposeless and meaningless. What are some ways that our culture offers false fulfillment? What’s the Occasion? Everything God does will endure forever. Ecclesiastes 3:14 Today's Scripture & Insight : Ecclesiastes 3:9–17 Four-year-old Asher’s gleeful face peeked out from beneath his favorite hooded sweatshirt. His alligator-head hooded sweatshirt, complete with plush jaws that seemed to swallow his head! His mom’s heart sank. She wanted the family to make a good impression as they visited a family they hadn’t seen in a long time. “Oh, Hon,” she said, “that may not be appropriate for the occasion.” “Of course it is!” Asher protested brightly. “Hmm, and what occasion might that be?” she asked. Asher replied, “You know. Life!” He got to wear the shirt. That joyful boy already grasps the truth of Ecclesiastes 3:12—“There is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.” Ecclesiastes can seem depressing and is often misunderstood because it’s written from a human perspective, not God’s. The writer, King Solomon, asked, “What do workers gain from their toil?” (v. 9). Yet throughout the book we catch glimpses of hope. Solomon also wrote: “That each of [us] may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all [our] toil—this is the gift of God” (v. 13). Restore to us childlike joy that appreciates Your good gifts. Read more about making God the center of your life at discoveryseries.org/hp152. The Lord who made you wants you to make Him the center of your life. A Fitting Time He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture & Insight : Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 Yesterday I purchased an airline ticket to send my firstborn child to college. I’m surprised the keyboard on my computer still functions, given the waterworks my eyes unleashed on it during the flight selection process. I have so enjoyed my eighteen years of daily life with her that I am saddened by the prospect of her departure. Yet I wouldn’t rob her of the opportunity that lies ahead simply because I’ll miss her. At this juncture in her life, it is fitting for her to embark on a new journey to discover adulthood and explore another part of the country. As this season of my parenting draws to a close, another one begins. It will undoubtedly bring both new challenges and new delights. Solomon, Israel’s third king, wrote that God appoints “a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We humans have little control over the events of our lives—whether we view those events as favorable or not. But God, in His mighty power, makes “everything beautiful in its time” (v. 11). Father, You have permitted this season in my life. Help me to be content in the midst of it, and to recognize Your power and might are at work. God brings beauty from all seasons. Enjoying Beauty He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture & Insight : Ecclesiastes 3:9–13 The painting caught my eye like a beacon. Displayed along a long hallway in a big city hospital, its deep pastel hues and Navajo Native American figures were so arresting I stopped to marvel and stare. “Look at that,” I said to my husband, Dan. He was walking ahead but I hesitated, bypassing other paintings on the wall to gaze only at that one. “Beautiful,” I whispered. Many things in life are beautiful indeed. Master paintings. Scenic vistas. Inspired crafts. But so is a child’s smile. A friend’s hello. A robin’s blue egg. A seashell’s strong ridges. To relieve the burdens life can bring, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In such beauty, Bible scholars explain, we get a glimpse of the perfection of God’s creation—including the glory of His perfect rule to come. We can only imagine such perfection, so God grants us a foretaste through life’s beauty. In this way, God “has also set eternity in the human heart” (v. 11). Some days life looks drab and futile. But God mercifully provides moments of beauty to ponder. The artist of the painting I admired, Gerard Curtis Delano, understood that. “God [gave] me a talent to create beauty,” he once said, “and this is what He wanted me to do.” How do you respond to the beauty God has placed in this world? How does beauty reflect Him? Father, help me in the moments of this day to see and enjoy the beauty You bring into my life as I also look forward to eternity. James Smith - ETERNITY IN THE HEART: A KEY TO ECCLESIASTES - Ec 3:11 Newberry’s rendering of this text enables us to see the meaning of this book in a clearer light. “He hath set eternity in their heart, without which no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” The word translated “world” here only occurs in one other place, where the meaning is ages, or eternity. This book deals with “things under the sun”: the mundane things of earth, seen in the light of Nature’s revealer. The “Preacher” begins with “Vanity of Vanities,” then proceeds to demonstrate the truthfulness of his convictions. He gave “his heart to search out,” and to “see all the works that are done under the sun,” and to “prove” his heart with every earthly good. He made “great works,” and “withheld not his heart from any joy.” Yet he pronounced it “all vanity and vexation of spirit.” So deeply did he drink of all the waters of the world’s pleasures that he said: “What can the man do that cometh after the king?” (Ec 2:12). What man can have any chance of satisfying his heart with the material things of earth, when he, the richest and wisest man on earth, failed? Why did he fail so miserably after such an earnest, favourable and exhaustive experiment? Here is the answer: “God hath set eternity in the heart.” That which belongs to eternity cannot find its counterpart in those things which are only temporal. Although there is “a time” to every purpose under the heavens, there is nothing circumscribed by time that is not “vanity and vexation of spirit” to that which is eternal. As God hath set eternity in the heart. He means to set eternal things there. Observe— I.—THE FACT OF IT. “Eternity is in the heart.” In its very constitution, as the workmanship of God. The heart, here, may stand for man’s essential character, as distinct from the lower animal creation. When Duncan Matheson prayed, “Lord stamp eternity upon my eyeballs,” he was uttering words which revealed the most profound characteristic of the human soul. God hath set eternity in the heart by setting there the thought of it, the desire after it, kinship to it, and capacity for it. II.—THE EVIDENCE OF IT. The evidence of this truth is apparent in the universal belief in immortality found among the early Egyptians. Babylonians, Persians, Hebrews, Hindus, Chinese, South Sea Islanders, Druids and Celts. But perhaps one of the most convincing proofs of it may be seen in the universal restlessness of the human heart. Towards the things of this world, like the sea, it is ever crying: “Give, Give,” and never fully satisfied therewith. One of the wealthiest men in modern times declared to a friend “I am not to be envied; How can my wealth help me? I would give you my millions if you could give me your youth and health.” Youth and health in themselves could only enable him to repeat his own and Solomon’s abortive experiment. “Man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth,” but in the things which God possesseth. Surely the capacity of the human heart for the love and fellowship of the eternal God is an argument of no mean force. The heart’s desire, in its truest and best moments, is for the “things which are eternal.” Even pagan philosophers have acknowledged this. “The presage of a future life,” says Cicero, “is most discoverable in the greatest and most exalted souls.” When the glamour of sunny circumstances vanishes in some calamity or domestic affliction, then the deeper and more enduring instincts of the soul assert themselves. III.—THE PURPOSE OF IT. “Without which no man can find out the work that God maketh.” It takes the attribute of eternity in the heart to contemplate the character of God and His work Eternity in the heart is— 1. A Witness to the Eternity of God. It has been set there as a testimony to the fact of His eternal Personality, and man’s kinship to Him. 2. A Protest against Worldly-mindedness. Just as a man can profit nothing by gaining the world, and losing his life, so the eternity in the heart can only be deceived by loving and resting on the things of time—he layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:19–21). Those who “mind” earthly things” are enemies of that Cross which stands for heavenly and eternal things. 3. An Incentive to seek eternal things. The fact that God hath set eternity in the heart, is surely meant to be a powerful incentive to seek those things which are above. “Like draws to like.” 4. An Evidence of God’s love. Let the deep in the heart call unto the deep that is in God. God hath set that deep there that He might fill it out of the deep of His own infinite fulness. 5. A Warning against the neglect of Salvation. To neglect eternal salvation is to choose eternal death. Eternity is in your heart whether it is found or lost. “Son, daughter, give Me thine heart.” He who hath set eternity in it is best able to meet and satisfy its every need. James Smith - OUR INHERENT GREATNESS “He hath made everything beautiful in His time, also He hath set the world (eternity) in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Eccles. 3:11). Introduction. PUZZLING. 1. What a puzzling and bewildering sentence is, “He hath set the world in their heart.” 2. It has been a trouble to many thoughtful Christians. 3. How is it possible to believe that God is responsible for the love of the world within our hearts? 4. The fact is that the word translated “world,” does not mean this material world, but duration; not place, but time. 5. R.V. margin clears away the difficulty, where it а. Refers not to space, b. But to duration of time. DIFFICULTY. 1. It is not only a difficult phrase, but difficult to understand what precise meaning is to be attached to these words, and connection with context. 2. Ecclesiastes is the autobiography of a backslider, and therefore we need not wonder at its haziness. Get away from God and you will soon get hazy views, soon be in a fog, in a spiritual fog of your own creating, and floundering about. NOT TRANSIENT. 1. He has been speaking of the change and decay he saw in all around. 2. He was gloomily meditating on the transitory character of all earthly things. 3. But it was then he declared that man is not a transient creature, for he has eternity in his heart, i.e., is eternal, and is conscious of the fact. 4. He is an immortal being, or better, an endless being. INHERENT GREATNESS. 1. We were reminded of these verses when reading Carlyle on “Greatness:” “Man’s unhappiness, as I construe, comes of his greatness: it is because there is an Infinite in him, which, with all his cunning, he cannot quite bury under the Finite” (Sartor Resartus). 2. That is to say, man is naturally great—there is eternity within him. 3. In a former study we were thinking of greatness in His sight (Luke 1:15). 4. That was a greatness made possible through Redemption. 5. We are now thinking of our inherent greatness. 6. This side is often neglected. 7. We generally leave it to the Materialists and Rationalists to declare. 8. But we must rescue it from such sordid surroundings and place it in its rightful evangelical setting. THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD. The sense of beauty is one of the things that allies us to God. God must be glad when one loves His world so much. THREE THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY TEXT. 1. The world in the heart—a sad and woeful fact. 2. Eternity in the heart—a glorious and blessed fact. 3. The Eternal One in the heart—a marvellous possibility for all. ANOTHER WAY OF PUTTING IT. But in order to bring out the fact of man’s greatness, let me put it another way. I. Man’s Greatness Proved beyond Doubt by the Fact that, though the World is in his Heart, he is not Satisfied. A SAD FACT. 1. The world is in our hearts by nature, by our natural birth; not only are we in the world, but the world is in us. 2. Of that we are only too conscious; even Christians sometimes discover this to be so. 3. We are so occupied with the world that many have no time for Divine things. 4. We are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, and so exercised concerning them, that many have little heart for eternal things. BLACKWOOD. 1. Sir Arthur Blackwood discovered this. 2. During the Crimea War he became serious and decided for God. 3. But on his return home he found it very difficult to keep on in the good way in the whirl of social life. 4. Under date April and May, in 1856, he writes: “Troublous times—undecided—world in my heart—God in my conscience.” 5. Take those four sharp, finely cut sentences—what a portrait of many a one. a. Troublous times. First experience of one who faces the current. b. Undecided. Halting between two opinions. c. World in my heart. Ah, that’s the tragic fact; the magnet is there! d. God in my conscience. A troubled conscience. WHO PUT IT THERE? 1. Not God. 2. “An enemy hath done this.” RESULT. 1. Does the world in the heart satisfy it? No! 2. “Man’s unhappiness comes of his greatness.” 3. Great though the world is, man is too great for it to satisfy him. 4. He has a hunger for eternal things. 5. Only eternal things can satisfy him. 6. The worldling tries to satisfy the craving of his being for eternal things by the material, yet is like the prodigal at the swine trough. SOLOMON. 1. Solomon is an illustration. 2. Getting away from God, he sought satisfaction in wisdom, learning, letters, science, wealth, etc. 3. But “vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” was his verdict. II. Man’s Greatness is Proved beyond Question in that Though in the World, he has Deeply Rooted in him the Thought and Fact of Eternity. REVISED VERSION. 1. That is the teaching of the rendering of the R.V. 2. It suggests four thoughts: (1) Consciousness; (2) Fact; (3) Longing; and (3) Dread of Eternity. EVERLASTING PROBLEM. 1. “If a man die shall he live again,” is the question in Job. 2. This is the everlasting problem. 3. “He thinks he was not made to die.” Ah, how sure! SOLUTION. 1. Revelation and reason give incontestible proofs of immortality. 2. But there is another—intuition. 3. God not only has made man immortal, but He has put the consciousness of immortality within our hearts. 4. He made us eternal, and put within us the consciousness of that fact. ONLY BEINGS. 1. “We are the only beings on earth who can speak the Word or think the thought of eternity.” Ponder on that phrase. 2. God has put the consciousness of eternity in our hearts. 3. And now the Gospel has cleared away all mists. “Life and immortality has been brought to light through the Gospel.” BURNS. 1. James Drummond Burns was in poor health for 20 years. 2. His last words were: “I have been dying for 20 years; now I am going to live.” SHELL FROM THE SEA-SHORE. 1. Man, so small, so tiny, that from a hill-top he appears but as a speck in the valley below, yet within him the roar of the infinite sea of eternity is for ever sounding. 2. Just as a man will pick up a shell from the sea-shore and carry it 3000 miles inland, and listening, he hears the beating music of the waves that made it so. 3. O man, no matter how far thou hast wandered from God, in thy heart is the passion of Deity, the sounding of the billows of eternity! 4. The whirl and noise of day may silence that music, but in the silence of the night there comes back the call of the infinite. It is a call that surges through him. III. Man’s Greatness Proved by the Fact that though in the World, he has a Heart that the Eternal One Claims and can Fill. HAS MAN THE CAPACITY? 1. Has he the capacity of becoming the Sanctuary of the Lord? 2. Those who know anything about the Bible know such is its teaching. 3. And those who know anything of the human heart know this is so. HOW TO GET RID OF WORLD. The only way of getting rid of the world in the heart is by letting the heart’s rightful Guest in. HOW TO GET PEACE. 1. If God is in your conscience—troubling you. The precious Blood of Christ and 2. God in the heart will bring peace. TOO BIG FOR WORLD. We are too big for the world. The world cannot fill our hearts and lives. Treasure the Moments [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture & Insight : Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 Su Dongpo (also known as Su Shi) was one of China’s greatest poets and essayists. While in exile and gazing upon a full moon, he wrote a poem to describe how much he missed his brother. “We rejoice and grieve, gather and leave, while the moon waxes and wanes. Since times of old, nothing remains perfect,” he writes. “May our loved ones live long, beholding this beautiful scene together though thousands of miles apart.” His poem carries themes found in the book of Ecclesiastes. The author, known as the Teacher (1:1), observed that there’s “a time to weep and a time to laugh . . . a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing” (3:4–5). By pairing two contrasting activities, the Teacher, like Su Dongpo, seems to suggest that all good things must inevitably come to an end. As Su Dongpo saw the waxing and waning of the moon as another sign that nothing remains perfect, the Teacher also saw in creation God’s providential ordering of the world He’d made. God oversees the course of events, and “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (v. 11). What are some things you’re afraid to try because of life’s unpredictability? How can you lean on Jesus as you step forward in courage to forge new friendships and deepen relationships? Thank You, loving Father, for watching over all seasons of my life. Help me to trust in You and enjoy the life You’ve given me. Adrian Rogers sermon "It’s Time for You to Get a Life" (full sermon on page 3) Outline Introduction I. The Complex Mystery of Life A. Where Is the Answer? 1. The Answer Is Not in Nature 2. The Answer Is Not in History 3. The Answer Is Not in Science B. Apart from God, Life Is Meaningless 1. Apart from God, Wisdom Is Meaningless 2. Apart from God, Wealth is Meaningless 3. Apart from God, Work is Meaningless II. The Challenging Adventure of Life A. Because God Is Good, We Should Live Life Joyfully B. Because God Is Sovereign, We Should Live Life Confidently C. Because God Is Holy, We Should Live Life Reverently III. The Comprehensive Test of Life A. Learn to Rejoice B. Learn to Rest C. Learn to Remember Conclusion I. The Complex Mystery of Life First of all, I want you to see what I’m going to call the complex mystery of life—the complex mystery of life, if you will. Again, verses 1 and 2: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:1–2). Now why does he say, “Vanity of vanities”? (Ecclesiastes 1:2). For emphasis. When the Bible wanted us to know how holy the sacred place was, in the tabernacle, what does it call it? The Holy of Holies. When our Lord wants to emphasize the truth, what does He say? “Verily, verily, I say unto you …” When we talk about the majesty of Jesus, we say, “He is the Lord of lords.” What Solomon is saying is, “Hey, this is king-sized. This is vanity of vanities.” He said, “I can’t figure life out.” Life is a puzzle; life is a mystery. And every thinking person knows that it is. And I want to tell you, if you think you’ve got it figured out, you don’t. Some college students were asked to give a definition of life. Here are some that won honorable mention: “Life is a joke that isn’t even funny.” “Life is a jail sentence that we get for the crime of being born.” “Life is a disease for which the only cure is death.” That sounds cynical, doesn’t it? And I’m afraid many college students are just like that. But life is empty. Life is vain apart from God. Now I’m going to tell you a secret. God engineered it that way. Did you know that God does not want life to make sense to you? That may surprise you, but God, in His infinite wisdom, makes life a mystery. Let me give you a New Testament verse that’ll back up what I’m about to say—Romans chapter 8—put it in your margin—verses 20 and 21: “For the creature”—that literally means, “the creation”—“was made subject to vanity, not willingly,”—that is, “we didn’t choose it”—“but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Romans 8:20). In plain English, God made everything confusing. God took all creation, and God said, “There it is, but you’re not going to be able to figure it out.” Now He did that not because He doesn’t love us, but because He does love us. And God knows that, if you and we, in our wisdom, and ingenuity, and sagacity, could figure it all out, we would never come to Him—if we could find meaning apart from Him. And so this vanity—this confusion, this mystery—is a tool that God uses to draw us to Him. This word vanity appears almost with monotony here in the Book of Ecclesiastes more than 30 times. And what is Solomon saying? Life without God is a dead-end road. You will never, never, never, ever figure it out—I don’t care who you are. And every wise person knows that he cannot figure it out. And yet, man has a desire—he wants to know the deepest meaning of life. Go over to Ecclesiastes 3:10-11: “I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:”—now, notice this next phrase—“also he hath set the world in their heart,”—a better translation may be, or at least another translation may be, “He hath set eternity in their heart”—“so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:10–11). No one can figure it out. You say, “I’ve figured it out.” You haven’t. God put eternity in our heart. God put something in man’s heart that He did not put into the hearts of other creatures, other animals. God gave us a desire to see life from an eternal perspective, because nothing seems to make sense here on this earth. When Joyce and I took a vacation, one time—which I loved, but she didn’t like it that much. She endured it; I loved it—we went to an island down in the Bahamas. They didn’t have any restaurants on that island, so you can understand why I liked it better than she did. But we both had a good time. We lived in a little cottage. It had no air conditioning. There were no automobiles on that little island; only, we had a little boat there, in front of the island. We could go from place to place in that little boat with an outboard motor. And a beautiful beach—hey, it was great! For recreation, we went out and would lie on the dock at night and just look up at the stars. Super! Man, it was wonderful. Well, get off of that. Anyway, what did we do for recreation? We had an incredible jigsaw puzzle—I mean, a big one, king-sized. It was the face of a great big pig. And we worked from time to time, just sitting there, putting the pieces of that pigsaw—pigsaw—jigsaw puzzle together—putting it all together. Pigsaw is not a bad name for it. And anyway, can you imagine the joy to put the last piece in place? Now I want you to imagine a puzzle like that with the last piece missing—or two or three pieces, or half a dozen pieces, missing. Or, I want you to imagine a puzzle like that, where somebody slips in some pieces from another puzzle, and you’re trying to put it together. That’s what life is like—that’s what life is like. God has life confusing. And friend, it’s very confusing. And you’re going to find out that, sometimes, you think that you’ve got it all worked out, because everything is going so smoothly. Just wait a while—just wait a while. You know, God has a way of putting the good and the bad together. Have you noticed that? Look, if you will—go over to chapter 7, and look in verse 14: “In the day of prosperity be joyful,”—are you having prosperity, right now? I’m happy for you. Rejoice—“but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him” (Ecclesiastes 7:14). What does that mean? You can’t figure it out. I mean, God takes good times; and then, God takes bad times. Now when everything is working out fine, you say, “Boy, do I have a great philosophy of life! I’ve got a … I know, man, I’ve got it. I’ve got the world by the tail in a downhill pull. It is all making sense to me now. I’ve finally got it figured out.” And then, adversity comes. Brother Whitmire, you remember down in Merritt Island—we had a tornado come through Merritt Island. There was a lady who lived in a trailer—house trailer—perhaps a block from the church. That house trailer was absolutely devastated. In that house trailer, she had a parakeet. She had no children. She had no other pets. This parakeet was like one of her children. She loved that parakeet. And the house trailer was gone. The tornado took the whole thing and took the bird—gone. She was heartbroken. About three or four days later, somebody saw a parakeet sitting in a tree. Would you believe they coaxed that bird out of that tree into their hand? And would you believe, by fortuitous circumstances, they found out this woman had lost this bird, and they brought the bird back? Miracle story—miracle story. Then, you know what happened? The cat ate it. True story. The cat ate it. I mean, after all this miracle—all this good stuff—then the cat ate it. Figure that out. That’s what Solomon is saying. You know, the Chinese tell a story about a man who had a prize horse, and the horse escaped. And they said, “Oh, how sad!” But then, the horse went out, and began to consort with some other horses, and led them back to the corral. They said, “How wonderful! Look!” And then, the man’s son tried to train one of the wild horses and broke his leg. He said, “How bad!” But then, a war came, and the boy didn’t have to go off to war. “How good!” That’s the way life is. God takes the good; God takes the bad. And God puts one against the other, and they both seem to happen at the same time. If you’re having a good time right now, you’ve got a problem, right now. If you’re having a problem right now, you’ve got some blessings, right now. It’s not like we have 40 miles of good road and then 40 miles of bad road. It’s like it’s a railroad track. Over here is the good rail, and over here is the bad rail. And that’s the way life is. God just sets the one against the other. And Solomon says, “You can’t figure it out.” He tries to figure it out. He says, “Where is the answer?” (See full sermon for "the answer" "It’s Time for You to Get a Life" on page 3) Eternity In Our Hearts He has put eternity in their hearts. — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:9-17 I once came across a scene of beauty outside Anchorage, Alaska. Against a slate-gray sky, the water of an ocean inlet had a slight greenish cast, interrupted by small whitecaps. Soon I saw these were not whitecaps at all but whales—silvery white beluga whales in a pod feeding no more than 50 feet offshore. I stood with other onlookers, listening to the rhythmic motion of the sea, following the graceful, ghostly crescents of surfacing whales. The crowd was hushed, even reverent. For just a moment, nothing else mattered. The author of Ecclesiastes would have understood the crowd’s response. He sees with dazzling clarity the beauty in the created world and that God “has put eternity in their hearts” (3:11). Such an elegant phrase applies to much in human experience. Surely it hints at a religious instinct. Our hearts perceive eternity in ways other than the religious. Amid the measured music What watchful ear can hear God’s voice amidst the garden? Yet hush! for He is here! —Charles To make the most of today, keep eternity in mind. The Beauty Of Life He has made everything beautiful in its time. — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Author and scientist Carl Sagan says that the material world is the only reality. If we accept this premise, then nature has been cruel to us, giving us, as someone has cynically phrased it, “the endowments of a god and the career of an insect.” King Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes that from a purely human standpoint everything is meaningless (1:2), but he also considered God’s view. He observed the creative and destructive cycle of our existence (3:1-8) and concluded that everything is beautiful in its time (v.11). He knew that when we see life from the perspective of eternity we will see the beauty of God’s ways. But Solomon also realized that God hasn’t given us the answers to every question (v.11). He advised us to accept life’s good things with gratitude, and to face its difficulties with faith, not despair. Shirley De Jong, who at 58 knew she had terminal cancer, followed this advice. With her husband she enjoyed doing what her strength permitted. She looked back over her life and spoke of the beauty of each stage. She saw her illness as the means by which God would soon take her to heaven. Lord, of the days that are left to me, I give them to Your hand; Take me and break me and mold me to The pattern You have planned. —Snell The more a diamond is cut, the more it sparkles. Time Enough TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Ecclesiastes 3:1–13 When I saw the massive volume of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace on my friend’s bookshelf, I confessed, “I’ve never actually made it all the way through that.” “Well,” Marty chuckled, “When I retired from teaching, I got it as a gift from a friend who told me, ‘Now you’ll finally have time to read it.’ ” The first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 state a familiar, natural rhythm of the activities of life with some arbitrary choices. No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, it’s often difficult to find time to do everything we want to do. And to make wise decisions about managing our time, it’s helpful to have a plan (Psalm 90:12). Time spent with God each day is a priority for our spiritual health. Doing productive work is satisfying to our spirit (Ecclesiastes 3:13). Serving God and helping other people is essential to fulfilling God’s purpose for us (Ephesians 2:10). And times of rest or leisure aren’t wasted but refreshing for body and spirit. What different choices might you make about the way you’re spending your time? What did the author of Ecclesiastes mean about God setting eternity in the human heart? Jesus, give me a glimpse of Your eternal perspective and help me to search for the right balance of time that better fulfills Your purpose. Today's Insights Ecclesiastes tells the story of a gifted mortal who loses his way “under the sun” (1:9). Fitting the description of King Solomon, the writer (who calls himself “the Teacher” v. 1) begins well, using his God-given wisdom to seek justice for even the most troubled members of his kingdom (see 1 Kings 3:16–28). But he loses his way when he forgets that his wisdom and wealth weren’t given primarily for his own satisfaction. Only as an apparent afterthought does he remember that lasting significance is found by living in the light and goodness of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). The Trail He has made everything beautiful in its time. — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today's Scripture : Psalm 104:16-25 High in the mountains near our home is a trail that threads its way, rising and falling down the side of a steep canyon. It leads to a stream that passes first through a castle-like heap of boulders, then flows gently through deep, mossy woods. It’s a peaceful, quiet area where wild flowers bloom in fragile beauty—a secluded, seldom-visited place. Even if no one ever saw this place, it would still be beautiful, because God creates beauty for its own sake. But the marvelous thing is that He created this beauty for anyone who will receive it, as a visible expression of His creativity and His love. This is my reason to look into nature, my reason to explore. I worship and thank God for this restful hideaway. With David, I exclaim, “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalm 104:24). I feel sorry for those who worship nature itself and who do not know God, its Creator. When they come to places like this, they have no one to thank. The wonder of creation speaks To everyone in different ways, But only those who know the Lord Can for His handiwork give praise. —Sper Creation is filled with signs that point to the Creator. Play the simple Maranatha Chorus IN HIS TIME based on the Eccl 3:11KJV In his time, in his time He makes all things beautiful In his time Lord please show me everyday As you're teaching me your way That you do just what you say In your time In your time, in your time You make all things beautiful In your time Lord my life to you I bring May each song I have to sing Be to you a lovely thing In your time Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; than to rejoice and to do good: Ec 3:22 9:7-9 De 28:63 Ps 37:3 Isa 64:5 Lu 11:41 Ac 20:35 Php 4:4-9 1Th 5:15,16 1Ti 6:18 See over 50 translations THE "GOOD LIFE" REJOICING AND ENJOYING GOOD I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; -NET = "I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live" Do good does not have its common meaning but means to practice a happy life, or 'Enjoy good'. What Solomon is saying is since we cannot control the changing seasons (we are ignorant of the timing), and since life is full of both joy and sorrow, the best thing we can do is to rejoice and enjoy the fruit of our labor as long as we have life (in one’s lifetime). Note that there are 6 times in which Solomon gives the reader some relief from the otherwise pessimistic view of life. Those passages are Ec 2:24-26, 3:12-13; 3:22; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-9. Ray Stedman on nothing better... - Yes, everybody agrees with that. That is what the commercials tell us: "Live life with gusto. You only go around once. Seize it now." All right. The Searcher says so too.