Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 God Has Provided Cycles in Which We Can Be Occupied

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

At the end of the last chapter, we saw that the hand of God brings us the ability to enjoy our work and it’s fruit. Separated from God, who can find their life pleasant?

Now we are told that God has appointed a time for everything under heaven. Back at the start of the scroll, we are posed the question, “1:3 What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?” So far, the answer is to enjoy the activity of labor and it’s fruit. To find pleasure is from God.

Following the question in 1:3, verses 1:4-7 speak of the cycles of life. The collector of sentences expands the natural cycles here in verses 2-8. This it not to say that time is not an arrow, but to say that there is nothing new under the sun. All things in nature cycle, they have come before and will come again.

Wisdom and knowledge can be found in the midst of these cycles.
2 A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.3 A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.

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

These are the cycles we navigate as we go through life. In line with the unfolding message, we should strive in pursuit of understanding our current situation, not in empty pursuit of pleasure or the accumulation of wealth.
   9 What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? 10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

We can be ‘pre’occupied with any of these cycles, or we can occupy ourselves within the activity of the season in which we are present. These seasons are bestowed by God.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation (NASB®)
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