"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"
Chapter Three
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To reflect upon the Preacher's observations gleaned from his search
for the purpose of life under the sun
2) To understand why God's ways are sometimes inexplicable, and why
injustice along with wickedness are allowed to exist
3) To be reminded as to what is best for man to do in life under the
sun
SUMMARY
In the first two chapters, the Preacher described the extent of his
search for the purpose of life under the sun. In this chapter, and the
three to follow, he shares observations gleaned during the course of
his search.
In a well-known passage, we are told that to everything there is a
season, a time for every purpose under heaven. The Preacher has seen
that God has given man the task to seek out God's purpose by putting
eternity in man's heart. But then he also saw that no one is able to
find out what God does from beginning to end, and no one can change
what He decides to do. Why does God act this way? Why are His
purposes often incomprehensible? The Preacher offers that God does
this so man might fear before Him, seeing that God will require an
account for what is done. This prompts the Preacher to state again
(cf. 2:24-26) what he believes is the best one can do: to rejoice, do
good, to eat and drink, enjoying the good in their labor. This he
concludes is the gift of God (1-15).
Next he describes what he saw "under the sun". In places were there
should have been judgment and righteousness, he saw wickedness and
iniquity! Why does God allow it? He reasoned in his heart that God
will judge the righteous and wicked, and that there must be a time for
every purpose and for every work. He told himself that God tests men,
to help them see that they are little different from beasts. Both man
and beasts die, and both return to the dust. From a purely earthly
perspective, there is no advantage of man over beasts, for one cannot
see whether the spirit of man goes upward (but cf. 12:7) while the
spirit of animals goes downward to the earth. This led him to the
perception stated once again (cf. 2:24-26; 3:12-13), that it is best
for a man to rejoice in his works. This is man's heritage, for who can
bring one (back) to see what will happen (on the earth) after him
(16-22)?
OUTLINE
I. THE INEXPLICABLE PURPOSE OF GOD (3:1-15)
A. A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE (1-8)
1. To everything there is a season
2. A time for every purpose under heaven
a. A time to be born, and a time to die
b. A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted
c. A time to kill, and a time to heal
d. A time to break down, and a time to build up
e. A time to weep, and a time to laugh
f. A time to mourn, and a time to dance
g. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones
h. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
i. A time to gain, and a time to lose
j. A time to keep, and a time to throw away
k. A time to tear, and a time to sew
l. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak
m. A time to love, and a time to hate
n. A time of war, and a time of peace
B. MAN'S INABILITY TO FIND OUT GOD'S PURPOSE (9-15)
1. God has put it in man to seek out what he cannot find
a. Again, the Preacher asks what profit there is in one's
labor
b. He sees that God has:
1) Given man the task with which to be occupied
2) Made everything beautiful in its time
3) Put eternity in man's heart
c. Yet no one can find the work that God does from beginning
to end
2. What the Preacher concludes is best for people to do
a. Rejoice, and do good in their lives
b. Eat, drink, and enjoy the good of all their labor
c. It is the gift of God (cf. 2:24-26)
3. What the Preacher offers as God's reason for the way He works
a. He knows that what God does, man cannot change
b. God acts the way He does, that men should fear before Him
c. For God requires an account of what is past (done)
II. THE INJUSTICE AND WICKEDNESS OF MEN (3:16-22)
A. WHAT THE PREACHER SAW (16)
1. In the place of judgment, there was wickedness
2. In the place of righteousness, there was iniquity
B. WHAT THE PREACHER REASONED (17-21)
1. God will judge the righteous and the wicked
2. There must be a time for every purpose and for every work
3. God evidently allows injustice to test the hearts of men
a. That they may see that they are like beasts
b. That what happens to beasts will happen to them
1) As one dies, so dies the other
2) Man has no advantage over beasts
3) All return to the dust
c. Who knows that the spirit of man goes upward, and the
spirit of the beast goes downward?
C. WHAT THE PREACHER CONCLUDED (22)
1. There is nothing better than rejoicing in one's own works,
which is his heritage
2. For who can bring man to see what will happen after him?
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- The inexplicable purpose of God (1-15)
- The injustice and wickedness of men (16-22)
2) What does the preacher say about everything under heaven? (1)
- There is a season, a time for every purpose
3) List some examples of how he illustrates "a time for every purpose"
(2-8)
- A time to be born, and a time to die
- A time to weep, and a time to laugh
- A time to keep silence, and a time to speak
- A time of war, and a time of peace
4) What question does the Preacher restate? (9, cf. 1:3)
- What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
5) What four things has he seen? (10-11)
- The God-given task with which the sons of mean are to be occupied
(cf. 1:13)
- God has made everything beautiful in its time
- God has put eternity in man's heart
- No one can find out the work God has done from beginning to end
6) What does the Preacher conclude is best for people to do? Why?
(12-13)
- Rejoice, and do good in their lives
- Eat, drink, and enjoy the good of all their labor
- It is the gift of God (cf. 2:24-26)
7) Why has God made what He does unchangeable? (14)
- That men should fear before Him
8) What will God require? (15)
- An account of what is past
9) As the Preacher looked in places where there should have been
judgment and righteousness, what did he see? (16)
- Wickedness and iniquity
10) What did he reason in his heart about this? (17)
- God shall judge the righteous and the wicked
- There shall be a time for every purpose and for every work
11) What did he tell himself was the reason God allowed such things?
(18)
- God tests men, that they may see that they are like beasts
12) What does man have in common with beasts? (19-20)
- They both die
- They both return to the dust
13) What is different between man and beast? (21)
- The spirit of man goes upward (cf. 12:7)
- The spirit of the beast goes down to the earth
14) What did the Preacher perceive was best for man to do? Why? (22)
- To rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage
- Who can bring him to see what will happen after him?