The Verses (NASB)

“There is an appointed time for everything.
And there is a time for every matter under heaven:”

“A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.”

“A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.”

“A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.”

“A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.”

God’s Sovereignty Over Time

“What benefit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?
I have seen the task which God has given the sons of mankind
with which to occupy themselves.”

“He has made everything appropriate in its time.
He has also set eternity in their heart,
Yet so that no one will find out the work which God has done
from the beginning even to the end.”

“I know that there is nothing better for them
than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;
Moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—
it is the gift of God.”

“I know that everything God does will remain forever;
there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it,
for God has so worked that people will fear Him.”

Justice, Injustice, and the Final Judgment

“Furthermore, I have seen under the sun
that in the place of justice there is wickedness
and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.”

“I said to myself,
‘God will judge both the righteous person and the wicked person,’
for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.”

“I said to myself regarding the sons of mankind,
‘God is testing them in order for them to see
that they are but animals.’”

“For the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals is the same.
As one dies, so dies the other;
indeed, they all have the same breath
and there is no advantage for mankind over animals,
for all is vanity.”

“All go to the same place.
All came from the dust and all return to the dust.”

“Who knows that the spirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward
and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth?”

“I have seen that nothing is better
than when a person is happy in his activities,
for that is his lot.
For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?”

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Context and Meaning

Ecclesiastes 3 is a masterpiece of spiritual reflection.
It reveals God’s sovereignty over time, and the human longing for eternity.

Solomon acknowledges:

• Human beings experience seasons they cannot control
• God appoints those seasons
• We ache for something beyond them
• Yet we cannot grasp the full scope of God’s plan

This tension —
time-bound creatures with eternity in their hearts —
shapes the entire message of Ecclesiastes.

He also observes the painful realities:

• injustice in the courts
• wickedness in the places that should uphold righteousness
• the universality of death
• the inability of humans to see beyond their brief lives

These truths push Solomon toward humility and trust, not despair.

Key Themes:

1. God Appoints Every Season: Nothing in life is random (v. 1–8).
2. The Beauty of Timely Purpose: Everything is appropriate in its time (v. 11).
3. Eternity in the Human Heart: We long for what transcends time (v. 11).
4. Human Limitations: We cannot understand God’s full work (v. 11).
5. The Gift of Joy: Daily enjoyment comes from God, not circumstances (v. 12–13).
6. Justice Will Come: Even if delayed, God judges every deed (v. 16–17).
7. Humility in Mortality: Humans return to dust like animals (v. 18–20).
8. The Mystery of the Soul: Only God reveals what lies beyond (v. 21).

Reflection and Impact

Ecclesiastes 3 helps us navigate both beauty and brokenness with spiritual honesty.

• God ordains seasons – reflects Daniel 2:21: He changes times and seasons.
• Eternity in the heart – matches Romans 2:15 and John 1:9.
• Injustice on earth – aligns with Psalm 82 and Habakkuk 1.
• Judgment is certain – echoes Hebrews 9:27 and Acts 17:31.
• Mortality humbles us – parallels Genesis 3:19.
• Joy is God’s gift – matches James 1:17: every good gift comes from above.
• We do not see the full plan – aligns with Isaiah 55:8–9.

Ecclesiastes 3 refuses false optimism and false despair.
It anchors us in trust: God is sovereign, wise, and good — even when we do not understand His timing.

Application

• Submit to God’s Timing: Embrace the season you’re in, trusting His wisdom.
• Expect Change: Life moves in rhythms; none of them stay forever.
• Receive Joy as a Gift: Enjoy food, work, relationships — as expressions of God’s kindness.
• Stop Demanding Answers: Faith means trusting God’s plan without seeing the whole picture.
• Pursue Justice While Waiting for God’s Judgment: He will set all things right.
• Live with Eternity in Mind: Your heart was made for more than this world.
• Walk in Humility: Remember you are dust — and destiny depends on God alone.

Closing Thought

Ecclesiastes 3 slows the soul down.
It reminds us that everything has a season —
joy and sorrow, birth and death, gain and loss, silence and speech.

These cycles are not meaningless.
They unfold under the hand of the God who “makes everything beautiful in its time.”

Life under the sun is vapor,
but life under God’s hand is purposeful.