Ecclesiastes chapter 3

vs 1

I knew the song by The Byrds years and years before I knew this was from the Bible. I wonder how much reverence they had for it as scripture, and how much they just used it as a peacenick song? I am actually surprised that, with the popularity of the song, the NIV changed the KJV. I mean, they kept some really archaic phrases from the KJV, ostensibly because they were so well known in their current form.

I simply can't go past without mentioning this video on YouTube - listen to what they all say about truth. All the ying-yang crap aside, of course. I just think it's amazing that God convicts people of truth even while they're plagarising his words. (I'm actually just kidding there about the plagarism - I believe the discography for the album Turn! Turn! Turn! actually does attribute Ecclesiastes.) Now, some people might say "Isn't it interesting that God revealed himself so powerfully during that period, in a peace song?" Isn't it interesting, though, that even the peace song that God wrote accepts that there is a time for war?

Anyway, if you ever wanted a verse to back up the idea that, in many ways, the Bible calls for moderation in all things (that aren't expressly detested by God), this is a pretty good one, if not only because it is well-known thanks to The Byrds. I think probably when The Byrds were using it, they were concentrating more on the idea of a perpetual cycle of activity (hence Turn, Turn, Turn). And Qoheleth is probably putting that forward to some degree - his argument in chapter one takes a very similar form. But the repetitiveness for Qoleheth is something that adds to life's meaninglessness. These things don't build on each other, they just take turns, over and over.

vs 2

People are born, people die. People plant, people pick. They are not bad things in themselves, I guess (people dying is up for argument) but their continual occurrence creates meaninglessness.

vs 3

Of course some people don't like the idea that there is a time to kill. But there is. Although we might argue about the credentials of any particular conflict, killing will always have its time. We've got to remember that in the ancient world, wars were fought in seasons - usually summer, I think. It was just "the time you go to war". In the modern world, it seems we like wars to perpetuate. At least back then you got winter off.

So my argument I guess is that there will always be killing - it's a pragmatic time. But is there a time for killing, under heaven? Again, the answer has got to be yes, because God does tell people to kill other people. That's the time for killing. you can't get around that.

vs 4

These ones are fairly much mirrored. In fact, really all of them are so far, but this one is much more obvious. That's an element of Hebrew poetry. In everyone's life there will be weeping and there will be laughing. Even the person with the most miserable life will find something to enjoy, even the simplest thing. We need to have things we enjoy, things to laugh at. And although few of us seek out pain and suffering, I guess we need it too, because God makes sure we get it.

vs 5

I wonder if, given the pattern of the last few verses, we can link scattering stones to refraining, and gathering stones to embracing? I honestly don't know what the gathering and scattering of stones means. I mean, there's a few instances of gathering stones to make an altar in the Bible. They could be gathering stones to build something, a wall or a building. Why scatter stones? I don't know that either. But I do know what it means to embrace, and I do know what it means to refrain. Again, would we ever say there is a time to refrain from embracing? "With such a man, do not even eat." I guess there is.

vs 6

Now some people would say that a person should never give up searching for the truth, or for the Kingdom of God, or for God's will. I think I'd agree. But as to searching far more generally, there is a time to give up - especially if you're searching for the wrong thing. Keeping things and throwing things away is the same - that year-old box of pocky can probably go. But don't throw away your commitment to God.

vs 7

I wonder whether speaking is mending or tearing? Once again, we might say that we should always mend, that tearing is negative or something. But don't sew new cloth on old garments, so says Jesus to the Christian sewing circle. I am guessing that sometimes speaking is tearing, and sometimes being silent is mending. Sometimes it will be the other way around. But the fact is there is a time for these things.

vs 8

A time for hate, a time for war. Hard to believe, especially coming from God. But these things do exist for a purpose, and God uses them. God uses war, he even uses hate. We are to hate our sinful natures, and things of sin. That sort of emotive branding of something is useful in turning us away from something. God uses it. War is sometimes necessary too, although I'm glad I'm not the one deciding when it is.

vs 9

I'm sure you'll tell us, Qoheleth. Oh wait, was it a trick question?

vs 10

Haven't we all seen it? Perhaps some people are blind to it, because they're so busy carrying it. Or perhaps it's easier to see the burden when you're mega rich?

vs 11

Now there is a huge burden - we are surrounded by "times" for things, but our hearts are set on eternity. What are we to do? Left to our own devices, we'll just wander around forever, completely unsatisfied. We'll find things in their time, and they will be beautiful. But then the time will pass, and we will find ourselves wishing that the time didn't pass - that there was an eternity to the beauty, to the good, to the righteous.

This idea captures why Qoheleth sees so much meaninglessness - because eternity is where meaning is really found. It's in our hearts, and we yearn for it. We can imagine it, in our own flawed ways. I'm not saying we can really understand it, but we want it all the same. And so everything, regardless of beauty, wisdom, wealth, specialness, will wear away and disappear, and that is meaningless. This verse is such an important fulcrum of the book.