Time is Not in Our Hands (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22)
Dead Poets Society was one of the most influential movies of my teenage years. It tells the story of how an unconventional English literature teacher, Mr Keating, touches and transforms the lives of several high school students. The film was so moving that it inspired many to become teachers themselves, in the hopes of impacting young lives. One of the most memorable quotes from the movie was a Latin phrase carpe diem, which Mr Keating explains as “seize the day”. He tells his students: “Seize the day… because we are food for worms… One day, hard as it is to believe, each and every one of us is going to stop breathing, turn cold, and die!... Carpe diem, lads. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary!”
Does this inspire us to stop procrastinating and to make the most of the time we have? Maybe some of us are inspired to teach. Well, you can start now. We need more volunteers for children’s ministry — both in the nursery as well as in Sunday school.
Carpe diem strikes a chord with us. Indeed, our days are slipping away. Many of us feel like we do not have enough time. We get impatient when others slow us down, whether it’s the car in front that is ambling along or the person in the queue who is taking too long. We are always trying to save time. We have our food and groceries delivered so we do not have to wait in line at the shops. We use navigation apps to find the quickest way to get somewhere. We choose direct flights to avoid lengthy layovers. We hire cleaners so that we do not have to devote hours to housework. We spend money to buy time. But the time we save cannot be stored up. To quote Jerry Seinfeld: “You try your whole life to save up time, and when you get to the end of your life, there is no time saved up. You’ll be pretty upset when you get to that moment. You’ll be going, ‘What do you mean I’m out of time?’”
The clock keeps ticking. Time moves in only one direction. It keeps flowing forward. The older we get, we more we realise that time is passing us by. The years vanish in the blink of an eye. We cannot go back in time. I think we are fascinated by stories about time travel because of our yearning to hold on to time, to relive the past, and to be free of the confines of time. Time spent (or wasted) cannot be reclaimed. We are always using up time. Start scrolling on our mobile phones and, before we know it, hours have passed.
We know the feeling. The train of time relentlessly runs to its destination, and there is no getting off. Time, like an ever-surging river, carries us all away. So, seize the day, some say. Do not wait. While you can, take what you can get. Get whatever you want, while you can. YOLO: You will only live once. Take charge and take control. The experts speak of time management as though time is something we can master and manipulate. We think time is in our hands, but is it really?
Worship the eternal God, who rules over time.
So far in Ecclesiastes, the Preacher has told us about the hevel or vanity of life under the sun. Life in a fallen world is fleeting and futile. We gain nothing of lasting significance from all our toil. Everything is a striving after wind. Death will come to us all. Ecclesiastes demolishes our delusions, in order to build a firm foundation for wise living under the sun. In our passage, the Preacher wants us to think rightly about time. He will humble the proud, who think time is in our hands to control. He will convict the complacent, who think we have all the time in the world. He will comfort the anxious, who worry about the uncertainty of time. This is the big idea: Worship the eternal God, who rules over time.
The eternal God rules over time (Ecc 3:1-8)
The poem in Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 is famous. Its words have been used in a pop song from the 1960s. (Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds) I dated myself when I mentioned the song to the other pastors and no one else had heard of it! The poem beautifully expresses the truth stated in Ecclesiastes 3:1 — “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” It describes how we experience the passing of time while we live under the sun. The poem makes three key observations that flow from this truth.
First, life has many different times and seasons. The poem is made up of 14 pairs of opposites. Fourteen is two-times seven, which indicates completion or fullness in the Bible. The first pair in Ecclesiastes 3:2 (“a time to be born, and a time to die”) indicates the span of our entire life, from its beginning in birth to its end in death. Maybe the Preacher is thinking of the genealogy in Genesis 5 with its repeated refrain “and he died”. Again, the shadow of death looms large in Ecclesiastes. As the first two chapters have emphasised, death comes to us all. For example, the Preacher says in Ecclesiastes 2:16, “How the wise dies just like the fool.” Death is democratic and definite. Life begins and life will end. And in between, there are many different times and seasons.
The subsequent pairs of opposites point to the diverse events, occasions, and circumstances we experience throughout our lives. The key to understanding this poem is to not get lost trying to figure out the specifics of what each individual pair means, but to focus on the bigger picture being portrayed. It is like how we appreciate a painting. It is not by analysing every single brush stroke, but by taking a step back to take in the whole. The poem as a whole describes the complexities of life, with all of its changing times and seasons. Life is not neat and tidy. It does not unfold in a straight line.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted (Ecc 3:2b) could refer to the times of sowing and reaping. In life, there will be seasons of labour and seasons when we enjoy the fruit of our labour. In life, we will also experience times of loss and times of recovery. Sometimes, lives are taken: a time to kill; other times, lives are saved: a time to heal (Ecc 3:3a). This is not telling us to kill or heal. Remember that the Preacher is simply describing the different seasons of life. The poem is descriptive, not prescriptive. There will be times of success and failure: a time to break down, and a time to build up (Ecc 3:3b). There will times of sadness and times of joy: a time to weep, and a time to laugh (Ecc 3:4a). There will be occasions to grieve and occasions to celebrate: a time to mourn, and a time to dance (Ecc 3:4b). There will be times of accumulation and times of loss: to gather, to seek, and to keep, or to cast away and to lose (Ecc 3:5-6). There will be seasons for deepening relationships: a time to embrace and a time to love; and seasons when relationships drift apart and are estranged: a time to refrain from embracing and a time to hate (Ecc 3:5b, 6a). There will be times of brokenness and times to mend what is broken: a time to tear, and a time to sew (Ecc 3:7a). There will be times to keep silence; and times to speak (Ecc 3:7b). For example, Proverbs 26:4-5 say, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” There will be conflict as well as reconciliation: a time for war, and a time for peace (Ecc 2:8b). Notice how there will be ups and downs in the different seasons. The Preacher is realistic about life with its joys and sorrows, its trials and triumphs. This is ordinary life under the sun.
A second observation is that the times and seasons of life come and go. Notice the repetitiveness of life: good times come, good times go; bad times come, bad times go. On balance, they cancel one another out. On and on it goes from our birthday till our death day. This poem echoes the earlier one in Ecclesiastes 1: “The sun rises, and the sun goes down… What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc 1:4, 9) Here in Ecclesiastes 3, the Preacher observes in our lives what he has seen in the repeated cycles of nature. The ebbs and flows of life are wearisome. The steady drumbeat of the times and seasons remind us that we are time-bound. We cannot return to the past; we cannot jump into the future. We can only live in the present. What is past is past, and we do not know what has yet to come. All we know is that we cannot break free of the shackles and cycles of time.
Observation number three: We ultimately have no control over the times and seasons of life. Some understand the poem to mean there is a right time for everything, and that we should discern when the right time is to do this or that. But I do not think this is the point of the poem. While we can choose when to do some things, such as embracing or speaking, most of the other things are outside our control. For instance, we cannot choose when to be born or, strictly speaking, when to die. We have no control over the times of loss, failure, sorrow, or mourning. Neither can we control war nor peace.
We cannot manipulate the times and seasons of life for lasting gain.
The fact that we have no control means life is unpredictable, fleeting and futile. All is vanity and a striving after wind. Our best laid plans fall apart and fall through. We cannot manipulate the times and seasons of life for lasting gain. Perhaps it’s a rather Singaporean mentality to think we can plan our lives and schedule every milestone: finish school, find a job, get married, buy a flat, have children, retire. This is plain human hubris. But the Preacher deflates our pride and tempers our expectations. There is a time for every matter under heaven, but we are powerless to determine these times. It’s not up to us. Time is not in our hands. So, do not boast that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want. To insist that we can will only make us frustrated, impatient, and disappointed. Time is in the hands of the One who dwells in the heavens.
The eternal God is worthy of our worship (Ecc 3:9-22)
Having observed how time is not in our hands, the Preacher again asks the question he posed at the beginning of Ecclesiastes in Ecclesiastes 1:3. Look at Ecclesiastes 3:9: “What gain has the worker from his toil?” The implied answer is “nothing”. Because we cannot control the times and seasons, we ultimately have no control over the outcome of our toil. And finally, death will prevent us from reaping any lasting benefit. We are busy with this “unhappy business” (Ecc 3:10, 1:13), which God has given to us. He made us in his image to know and enjoy him forever. But we have all turned away from him to live for ourselves. The Bible calls this sin. Because of humanity’s fall into sin, creation has come under God’s curse. Work has been impacted by the curse. In Genesis 3:19, God says to the man: “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Work is toil.
The Preacher wants us to see our limitations and the vanity our lives under the sun. This is so that we turn away from self-striving for self-gain, and turn to worship the eternal God who rules over time. What does it mean to worship God? Ecclesiastes 3: 9-22 call us to trust Him, to be happy and holy in Him, to fear Him, and to be humble before Him.
Trust Him (Ecc 3:11)
Listen to Ecclesiastes 3:11 — “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” From our perspective, it is difficult to discern the purpose and meaning behind the times of our lives. We wonder why various circumstances and events happen to us. Have you ever tried watching a movie while being distracted? We catch a snippet of a scene here and a bit of dialogue there, but because we do not see how everything connects, it is hard to make sense of what the whole movie is about. Well, life under the sun can feel a lot like that.
But why do we even seek for meaning in the first place? Whether we believe in God or not, we instinctively want to make sense of things. Deep down, we want to believe that life is not fundamentally meaningless. This is because God has put eternity into (our) hearts. God made us to enjoy Him forever. He has given us a sense that there is more to our existence than merely life under the sun. We long for resolution, for wrongs to be made right. This is why we prefer stories with happy endings, where the villains lose and the good guys win and live happily ever after.
Yet, God has not revealed to us the intricacies and details of how he is working from start to finish. I think it is gracious and loving of him to not do so, for our finite hearts and minds will not be able to bear the burden of such knowledge. Much of life remains a mystery to us. For this reason, life under the sun can be troubling and perplexing. We are unable to grasp God’s grand design. This ought to move us look to God and to lean on him. As David says in Psalm 131: “O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul.” God will make everything beautiful in its time. Trust and hope in Him, not in the vain things of life under the sun.
God is the one who defines what “beautiful” means. It does not mean life will be easy or trouble-free. Life under the sun is still toil. Yet, we can be assured that God will accomplish His plans for His people in His time, through trials and trouble. Have you ever seen the back of a tapestry? It looks like a chaotic, tangled mess of threads. But flip the tapestry over and you will see how all those threads have been skilfully woven together into a beautiful creation. God is the master weaver. As the song says:
Each strand of sorrow has a place
Within this tapestry of grace
Living on this side of the cross, we have the benefit of God’s full revelation. Romans 8 tells us more about this tapestry of grace. This is where God is taking His people: “For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:28-29a). If we are in Christ, then we can be sure that we are headed for glory. God is working through the ups and downs of our lives to make us more and more like Jesus. Finally, God will glorify us together with His Son. So, trust God. In Christ, we have a faithful Heavenly Father who is leading us home.
Be happy and holy in him (Ecc 3:12-13)
Knowing our limits and God’s limitless wisdom encourages us to be joyful in the present. Instead of constantly worrying about life’s unknowns, we can enjoy what we have, assured that our times are in God’s hands. We do not have to dwell on past regrets or be anxious over the future. This frees us to rejoice and be grateful for all that God has given to us now. Look at Ecclesiastes 3:12-13: “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil — this is God’s gift to man.”
Eating and drinking are the sweet and simple pleasures God gives us to enjoy in the moment. Do not idolise God’s gifts by trying to find our meaning or purpose in them. Instead, be thankful to God the giver and enjoy what he has given. This is how we can be happy even amid the toil of life under the sun.
Be thankful for whatever season we are in. Many of us struggle to live in the present. Our impatience and discontentment make us want to keep moving on to the next thing. If we are in school, we cannot wait to graduate. If we are working, we cannot wait to change jobs or to retire. If we have young children, we cannot for them to grow up so that we won’t have to worry about feedings, sleepless nights, diaper changes, or toddler tantrums. But what if we made an intentional effort to cultivate joy and thankfulness in the season God has us in now, yes even with all of its difficulties and challenges? Do not be in a rush. Cherish the moments God gives us. Treasure the season of life that God, in His wisdom and goodness, has placed us. The Preacher encourages us to take pleasure in how God is working in our lives now. Our times are in His hands.
Be happy. Also, be holy. God calls us do good as long as (we) live. Let us serve God as long as He gives us time to do so. Trusting that He is good and wise gives us the confidence to live for Him. So, love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Love others and seek their good. God has not revealed everything to us, but what He has revealed is for our holiness. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” So, delight in the Lord and His word. Be happy and holy in Him. This is the good life.
Fear Him (Ecc 3:14-17)
God is high and lifted up. He inhabits eternity (Isa 57:15). Unlike our toil, which leads to no lasting gain under the sun, whatever God does endures forever (Ecc 3:14). His work is perfect—nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. We do not know better than God; we cannot improve on His ways. The only right response is to be in awe of Him. God has done it, so that people fear before Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Look at Ecclesiastes 3:15. Even the repetitiveness of life shows God’s wisdom and justice. He seeks what has been driven away, which means he will seek the past and hold us accountable for how we have lived. This gives us hope beyond life under the sun. In a fallen world, things are not what they are supposed to be (Ecc 3:16). There is wickedness in places where there ought to be justice and righteousness. Corrupt governments oppress their own people. Unjust courts let the guilty go free. Authority is abused. But God will right all the wrongs in His time. This is the Preacher’s hope in Ecclesiastes 3:17: “I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.” When God judges, where will we stand? What will be our confidence on the day of judgement?
So, fear God, the righteous Judge. Draw near to Him now through the Son, who has come to save us from our sins. Behold our God, seated on His throne. Come, let us adore Him. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! …For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Rom 11:33, 36)
Be humble before him (Ecc 3:18-22)
As gold is refined in a furnace, so these hard truths spoken by the Preacher are meant to purify us. We are being humbled. How can we be proud when our lives under the sun are filled with toil and vanity? Look at Ecclesiastes 3:18: I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. Look at Ecclesiastes 3:19-21. How are we different from the beasts, given that we too will die? Ecclesiastes 3:20 says, “All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.” Psalm 49 makes a similar point: “Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”
What, then, should we understand? Ecclesiastes puts us in our place so that we realise God is God and we are not. Time is not in our hands. Death is final and certain. Instead of imagining that we have the power to seize the day to do whatever we want, the Preacher calls us to be humble before God. James in the New Testament echoes this: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” — yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” So, face our frailty and live humbly in light of our limitations. Be thankful and rejoice in our work, for this is our God-given lot. Look at Ecclesiastes 3:22. Be happy and content with God’s gifts now. Enjoy them while God gives us time to do so. Our lives are in his hands. After all, what more can we do? Who can bring (us) to see what will be after (us)?
No one, except the eternal God who rules over time. He has determined the seasons of our lives that we might seek Him.
No one, except the eternal God who rules over time. He has determined the seasons of our lives that we might seek Him. God is worthy of our worship, for He has faithfully fulfilled his promises and purposes. We can be certain that the will make everything beautiful in its time. How can we be sure? Because when the fullness of time had come, according to the timing of His sovereign plan, God graciously sent forth His Son to save sinners like us. The eternal Son subjected Himself to the confines of time. Jesus lived a perfect life of trust in and obedience to his Father. He humbled Himself before God by dying on the cross, ending His life in apparent futility. Yet, it was not in vain. Jesus bore God’s judgement against sinners, so that we can be forgiven and made right with God if we trust in Him. Jesus rose from the dead to give us new life and the hope of glory beyond the grave. In Christ, our toil will not be in vain. His resurrection defeated death and conquered hevel. Thanks to Jesus, we can look forward to something beyond life under the sun.
God’s rule over time is supremely displayed in his Son. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He will return to judge and to conclude time. Our time is in His hands. The sands of time are sinking. May we make the best use of the time that the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us. We will soon see the King in his beauty. May we trust in Him and wait patiently for His coming.