THE PROBLEM OF TIME.

SERIES: UNDER THE SUN.

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-15.

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“Life is like a coin. You can spend it anyway you want to but you can only spend it once.” Life under the sun is ready a function of time. The big question in life is “how can I find satisfaction in life?” Ecclesiastes tells us that there is no significance in life we must look beyond the sun, that is above the sun. Significance is found in God only. In chapter three, the big idea is the problem of time!

Solomon (Koheleth) the preacher begins with a parallel series of fourteen (14) opposites. The preacher uses a series of contrast to picture the total human experience.

The whole point seems to be for man to realize that God, not man control time. Let us learn:-

RECOGNIZE GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER TIME-Eccl. 3:1-8.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

• Chapter three of Ecclesiastes is the world’s most famous poem on the subject of time.
• In 1950’s Peter Seeger set it into song, “Under heaven a time.”
• 1^st–Time for being born and a time to die.”
• Solomon describes the boundaries of life “under the sun.”

1. First; birth and death-Vs. 2.

• The first thing that we must understand about God’s sovereignty over birth and death is that birth and death are not human accidents. They are divine appointments for God is on control.
• While we may foolishly hasten our death, but we cannot prevent it when our times comes.
• The Bible tells us that our days are numbered! Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in your book they all were written, the days, fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

Psalm 37:18, “The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever.”

Psalm 31:15, “My times are in your hand.” Psalm 90:10-12.

• Even for Jesus Christ there was a time to be born (Gal. 4:4) and a time to die (Rom. 5:6).

2. Second, “Time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted-Vs. 2.

• The people of Israel were agriculturists. They understood that a successful farmer knows that nature works for him only when he works with nature.
• There is a natural time for planting and there is a natural time for harvesting.
• This is also the secret of successful life. Learn God’s principles and cooperate with them!!

3. Third-Time for killing and healing-Vs. 3.

“A time to kill, Sand a time to heal.”

• The Hebrew word to “Kill” is not murder, but sickness and disease.
• Sometimes in God’s scheme of thing people get ill and they die and other times He grants an extension and the people are healed.
• Sometimes God allows man to have a part in the healing (doctors and medicine) but other times God does the healing.
• Only we don’t understand why one is taken and another is left.

4. Fourth-Time for tearing down and building up-Vs. 3.

“A time to break down, and a time to build.”

• This may refer to “urban renewal.”
• There is a time when the old must be removed in order for the new to take place.
• Old habits and attitudes must give way to new ones.

5. Fifth-Time for weeping and time to laugh-Vs. 4.

• There is a time in life for both weeping and time for rejoicing (laughing) both are natural parts of life.
• Christian should mourn, though not as the world mourns-1^st 4:13.

6. Sixth-“Time for mourning and a time to dance-Vs. 4.

• There are times in worship before the presence of God we are moved into deep mourning for our sins-2^nd 6:20.

7. Seventh-Times for throwing stones and gathering them-Vs. 5.

“A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones.”

• Palestine is a very rock place. Farmers had to clear their land before they could plow and plant. If you wanted to hurt your enemy you filled his field with rocks-2^nd Kings 3:19, 25.

8. Eighth-Time for embracing and refraining from embracing-Vs. 5.

“A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.”

• There are times when you embrace a person in encouragement and building up. But there are times to rebuke the same person when they he/she go astray.

9. Ninth-Time for searching and a time for giving up-Vs. 6.

“A time to gain and a time to lose.”

• In rescue operations, there is a time when all hope of saving is gone and you call off the operation.

10. Tenth-Time for keeping and time for throwing away-Vs. 6.

“A time to keep and a time to throw away.”

• There is time when we need to throw things away.
• There are times to throw away bad habits.

11. Eleventh-Time for tearing apart and sewing together-Vs. 7.

“A time to tear and a time to sew.”

• This refers to the Jewish practice of tearing one’s garment during times of grief or repentance-2^nd 13:31; Ezra 9:5.
• There is time for repentance but there is also time to get up and put the new resolutions into practice.
• You cannot just keep on repenting with your mouth you must put into practice the new way.

12. Twelfth-Time to keep silent and time to speak.

“A time to keep silent and a time to speak.”

• Every intelligent person understands that there are times to speak out and other times to remain silent.
• The problem is to know when to keep silent and when to speak on matters-Prov. 27:14; James 1:26; Psalm 141:3; Prov. 24:11.

13. Thirteen-Time for love and time to hate-Vs. 8.

“A time to love and a time to hate.”

• There are things we should hate (killing, abortion, foolish wars, abductions, starving children, sin).
• “You who love the Lord, hate evil”-Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 6:17-19.

14. Fourteenth-Time for making war and making peace.

“A time for war and a time for peace”-Vs. 8.

• Sometimes in the course of history war is inevitable.
• There are times to resist tyranny.

SECOND, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING TIME-Eccl. 3:9-11.

• We may not understand His time and purpose now, until we step out of our time (under heaven) and into His purpose (eternity).
• God’s timing is always appropriate-Vs. 11.
• “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
• Trust in God’s timing.
• “God has put eternity in their hearts”-Vs. 11.
• S Lewis, “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.”
• The desire for eternity is in the heart of every creature-(The pyramids).
• We all desire eternity-life without end.

THIRD-PERCEPTION CONCERNING TIME-Eccl. 3:12-15.

1. What God gives-Vs. 12-13.

• God gives us the ability to enjoy life.
• God gives the ability to do good.
• God gives the ability to enjoy food and drinks.
• John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in the world then, was sick and could not eat, except a little bite of food and a sip of water.
• One day in NY he saw a beggar eating bread and he said, “I could give a million dollars to be able to eat that piece of bread.” Appetite is a gift from God.

2. What God does-Vs. 14-15.

• God’s works are permanent-Vs. 14; 1^st 15:58.
• God’s works are complete.

CONCLUSION

• Wait for God’s timing, live like you are dying-Hebrews 9:27.
• Use your time wisely today-Eph. 5:16.
• Live for eternal things. See the big picture.