Ecclesiastes Chapter 3

Jun 2

Ecclesiastes 3

The Reign of Time, A Glimmer of Hope

Ecclesiastes 3 moves from the vanity of pleasure and labor in Ecclesiastes 2 to the sovereignty of God over time. Solomon observes that human life is governed by seasons, boundaries, reversals, and appointed times. Man does not control the timing of birth, death, loss, gain, mourning, joy, war, or peace. Yet within this chapter there is also a glimmer of hope. Solomon sees that God has made everything beautiful in its time, that God has placed eternity in the human heart, that God’s works endure forever, and that God will judge the righteous and the wicked. The uploaded notes emphasize the reign of time, man’s inability to master life under the sun, the longing for eternity, the certainty of divine judgment, and the frustration of death when viewed apart from full revelation.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

Solomon begins with a broad theological and practical statement, “To every thing there is a season.” Human life is not random. There are appointed seasons, ordered times, and proper purposes under heaven. Man often wants to control life by force of will, intelligence, planning, money, strength, or influence, but Ecclesiastes teaches that man lives inside a structure of time that he did not create and cannot fully command.

The phrase “under the heaven” is similar to the repeated phrase “under the sun.” Solomon is still dealing with life as man experiences it on earth. Yet this verse also begins to lift the reader’s eyes slightly above mere earthly vanity. If there is “a time to every purpose,” then life is not meaningless chaos. There is order, even when man cannot see the whole pattern. God governs the seasons of life, even when man feels trapped inside them.

Daniel 2:20, KJV: “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever:for wisdom and might are his:”

Daniel 2:21, KJV: “And he changeth the times and the seasons:he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:”

Daniel makes explicit what Ecclesiastes implies. God changes the times and seasons. He rules over kings, kingdoms, history, and human life. Man lives in time, but God rules over time.

Ecclesiastes 3:2

“A time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;”

Solomon begins the list with birth and death, the two great earthly boundaries of human life. A man does not appoint his own birth, and he does not ultimately control the day of his death. These two realities humble every man. The king and the servant, the wise and the fool, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, all enter the world by birth and leave it by death.

There is also a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted. This reminds the reader that life includes beginnings and endings, sowing and harvesting, investment and removal. There are times to begin work, build family, plant ministries, establish businesses, and lay foundations. There are also times when things must be uprooted, ended, harvested, or removed. Wisdom requires discerning the season.

Job 14:1, KJV: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”

Job 14:2, KJV: “He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.”

Job and Solomon agree on the brevity of life. Man is born, blooms for a time, and is cut down. This should not drive the believer to despair, but to humility, repentance, and wise stewardship of the time God gives.

Ecclesiastes 3:3

“A time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;”

Solomon says there is “a time to kill, and a time to heal.” This is not a defense of murder. The word used here does not refer to the sinful, premeditated murder forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Rather, Solomon is recognizing that in a fallen world there are times when life involves severe judgment, warfare, execution of justice, or necessary destruction. There are also times to heal, restore, bind wounds, and preserve life.

The verse also says there is “a time to break down, and a time to build up.” This applies to physical structures, institutions, relationships, habits, and spiritual matters. Some things must be torn down because they are corrupt, unstable, idolatrous, or no longer useful. Other things must be built up because they are good, necessary, and pleasing to God.

Exodus 20:13, KJV: “Thou shalt not kill.”

The commandment forbids murder. Ecclesiastes 3:3 does not contradict this command. Scripture distinguishes between murder, lawful judgment, war, self defense, and divine judgment. Solomon’s point is that life under heaven includes both hard seasons and healing seasons.

Jeremiah 1:10, KJV: “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms,to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

Jeremiah’s commission shows the same pattern. God sometimes tears down before He builds. He removes what is wicked before planting what is righteous. In the life of a believer, God often breaks down pride, false confidence, sinful habits, and idols so that He may build faith, holiness, endurance, and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 3:4

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

Life contains both sorrow and joy. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. There is a time to mourn and a time to dance. Solomon is not presenting life as uninterrupted misery, nor is he presenting it as constant celebration. He is telling the truth. A mature man understands that both grief and joy have their appointed place.

There is a time when laughter is inappropriate because sorrow must be faced honestly. There is also a time when mourning must not be treated as permanent because God gives seasons of gladness. Wisdom includes emotional discernment. A fool laughs when he should repent, and he despairs when he should trust. The wise man learns to receive both sorrow and joy under the hand of God.

Romans 12:15, KJV: “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”

This New Testament command reflects the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. The people of God should not be emotionally shallow. They should know how to rejoice rightly and mourn rightly. Christian maturity does not mean pretending grief is not real. It means bringing grief under the lordship of God and refusing to grieve as those who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13, KJV: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

Believers do sorrow, but not as the hopeless. Ecclesiastes shows the reality of mourning. The fuller light of Scripture gives resurrection hope.

Ecclesiastes 3:5

“A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;”

Solomon says there is a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together. In the ancient world, stones could be cleared from land to make it fruitful, or scattered over an enemy’s land to make farming difficult. Stones could also be gathered for building. The point is that there are times to remove hindrances and times to gather materials for construction. There are seasons of clearing and seasons of building.

There is also a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. Human relationships require discernment. There are times for closeness, affection, reconciliation, and comfort. There are also times when restraint is wise. Not every person should be embraced. Not every situation calls for intimacy. Not every relationship is safe or righteous. Wisdom knows when to draw near and when to step back.

Proverbs 4:14, KJV: “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.”

Proverbs 4:15, KJV: “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”

There are times when love requires closeness, and there are times when wisdom requires separation. Godly love is not naive. It is governed by truth, holiness, and discernment.

Ecclesiastes 3:6

“A time to get, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away;”

There is a time to get and a time to lose. Life includes acquisition and loss. A man may gain property, opportunity, knowledge, influence, and relationships. He may also lose possessions, opportunities, health, influence, or loved ones. Solomon is teaching that man does not live in uninterrupted gain. Loss is part of life under heaven.

There is also a time to keep and a time to cast away. Some things should be preserved because they are valuable, righteous, useful, or entrusted by God. Other things must be discarded because they are harmful, outdated, sinful, distracting, or no longer appropriate for the season. Wisdom is not only knowing how to gain. Wisdom is also knowing what to release.

Philippians 3:7, KJV: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”

Philippians 3:8, KJV: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

Paul understood that some gains must be counted loss for Christ. A man may gain the world and lose his soul, or he may lose earthly advantage and gain Christ. Ecclesiastes teaches the instability of earthly gain. The New Testament shows the surpassing worth of Christ.

Ecclesiastes 3:7

“A time to rend, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”

There is a time to rend and a time to sew. In biblical culture, tearing garments often expressed grief, repentance, or horror. Sewing suggests repair, restoration, and continuation. Life includes moments when things must be torn open, acknowledged, grieved, and exposed. It also includes times when wounds must be repaired and what was torn must be mended.

There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak. This is one of the most practical statements in the chapter. Silence can be wisdom, restraint, reverence, or self control. Speech can be courage, truth, correction, encouragement, or witness. The fool often speaks when he should be silent and remains silent when he should speak. The wise man learns timing.

Proverbs 10:19, KJV: “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 25:11, KJV: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Both silence and speech have their proper place. The issue is not whether speech is good or bad in itself. The issue is whether it is fitting, truthful, timely, and governed by the fear of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:8

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

Solomon concludes the list with love and hate, war and peace. There is a time to love what is good, true, holy, and pleasing to God. There is also a time to hate what is evil, false, corrupt, and destructive. Biblical love does not require moral neutrality. A righteous man must hate evil because he loves God.

There is also a time of war and a time of peace. Scripture does not present peace as weakness, nor does it present war as inherently righteous in every case. There are times when peace should be pursued, protected, and cherished. There are also times when war becomes necessary because evil must be resisted.

Psalm 97:10, KJV: “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:he preserveth the souls of his saints;he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”

Romans 12:18, KJV: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

The phrase “if it be possible” is important. Christians should not be quarrelsome, reckless, or eager for conflict. Yet peace is not always possible when righteousness is opposed by wickedness. Ecclesiastes recognizes the complexity of life in a fallen world.

Ecclesiastes 3:9

“What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?”

After listing the seasons of life, Solomon returns to one of his central questions, “What profit hath he that worketh?” If man is moved through seasons he cannot fully control, then what lasting profit does his labor produce? He works inside time, but he does not rule time. He plants, but cannot guarantee harvest. He builds, but cannot prevent decay. He loves, but cannot avoid grief. He gains, but also loses. He speaks, but cannot control outcomes. He lives, but must die.

This question is not meant to produce laziness. It is meant to humble human pride. Man must labor, but he must not pretend his labor gives him sovereignty. Work has meaning only when received as a stewardship under God.

Psalm 90:17, KJV: “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us:and establish thou the work of our hands upon us;yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

Moses understood what Solomon is pressing toward. Man’s work must be established by God. Without God, labor is vanity. With God, labor becomes stewardship.

Ecclesiastes 3:10

“I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.”

Solomon again speaks of the travail God has given to the sons of men. Life is not effortless. It includes burden, discipline, limitation, frustration, and responsibility. God has given man tasks that exercise him. Man must live, work, think, suffer, decide, endure, and learn.

This travail is not meaningless cruelty. In a fallen world, God uses difficulty to humble man, expose the limits of earthly life, and drive him to seek what is eternal. The burdens of life remind man that he is not God. They train him to look beyond himself.

Psalm 119:67, KJV: “Before I was afflicted I went astray:but now have I kept thy word.”

Psalm 119:71, KJV: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted;that I might learn thy statutes.”

Affliction can become instruction when received under God. Solomon sees the travail. The broader testimony of Scripture shows that God can use travail to teach obedience, dependence, and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:also he hath set the world in their heart,so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

This is one of the most important verses in Ecclesiastes. Solomon says God has made everything beautiful in His time. The individual seasons of life may appear painful, confusing, or contradictory, but God governs the whole. Man sees fragments. God sees the full design. What seems ugly in isolation may be part of a larger beauty when seen in God’s appointed time.

Solomon also says God has “set the world in their heart.” The idea is that God has placed eternity in the human heart. Man is a temporal creature with an eternal awareness. He lives in days and years, but he longs for something beyond days and years. He cannot be satisfied by animals’ instincts, earthly possessions, or temporary pleasures because he is made in the image of the eternal God.

Genesis 1:27, KJV: “So God created man in his own image,in the image of God created he him;male and female created he them.”

Man’s longing for eternity is tied to his creation in God’s image. He was not made merely for food, reproduction, work, and death. He was made to know God, worship God, and live before God.

Yet Solomon adds that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end. Man has eternity in his heart, but he does not have exhaustive knowledge. He longs for the eternal, but cannot master God’s plan. This creates humility. Man is great enough to long for eternity, but limited enough that he must trust God.

Romans 11:33, KJV: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Romans 11:34, KJV: “For who hath known the mind of the Lord?or who hath been his counsellor?”

God’s works are beyond man’s full comprehension. Faith does not require man to know everything from beginning to end. Faith requires man to trust the God who does.

Ecclesiastes 3:12

“I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.”

Solomon now states what he knows. In light of God’s sovereignty over time and man’s limited understanding, man should rejoice and do good in his life. This is not empty pleasure seeking. It is the wise reception of God’s gifts and the faithful practice of righteousness within the time God gives.

To rejoice rightly is to receive life from God with gratitude. To do good is to live morally before God and man. Solomon is not calling man to despair, nor to sinful indulgence. He is calling man to humble enjoyment and practical obedience.

Micah 6:8, KJV: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;and what doth the LORD require of thee,but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Doing good is not vague sentiment. It involves justice, mercy, humility, and obedience before God. Ecclesiastes teaches that man should not wait until he understands all mysteries before doing what is right. He should rejoice in God’s gifts and walk faithfully in the season given to him.

Ecclesiastes 3:13

“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour,it is the gift of God.”

Solomon repeats a theme already seen in Ecclesiastes. Food, drink, and the enjoyment of labor are gifts from God. Life under the sun is full of burdens, but God still gives real blessings. The proper response is not idolatry and not cynicism. The proper response is thanksgiving.

This matters because Christians can sometimes swing between two errors. One error is worldliness, treating earthly pleasures as ultimate. The other is false spirituality, acting as if ordinary gifts are not good. Ecclesiastes avoids both errors. It says earthly gifts are good, but they must be received as gifts from God, not as replacements for God.

1 Timothy 6:17, KJV: “Charge them that are rich in this world,that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches,but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

God gives richly all things to enjoy. The issue is trust. If man trusts in riches, pleasure, or labor, he falls into vanity. If he trusts in the living God, he can enjoy God’s gifts without worshiping them.

Ecclesiastes 3:14

“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it:and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”

Here Solomon rises above under the sun despair and speaks with theological clarity. Whatever God does shall be forever. God’s works are permanent, complete, effective, and secure. Man’s works fade, but God’s works endure. Man’s plans change, but God’s counsel stands. Man’s achievements can be added to, taken from, ruined, forgotten, or reversed. God’s work cannot be improved by man or diminished by man.

This leads to the proper response, “that men should fear before him.” The fear of God is central to Ecclesiastes. It is not cowardly terror. It is reverent submission to the Creator, Judge, and Sovereign Lord. Man should fear God because God alone rules time, establishes purpose, judges rightly, and works eternally.

Psalm 33:11, KJV: “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever,the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”

Proverbs 19:21, KJV: “There are many devices in a man's heart;nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

Man makes many plans, but God’s counsel stands. This should humble the proud, steady the faithful, and warn the wicked.

Ecclesiastes 3:15

“That which hath been is now;and that which is to be hath already been;and God requireth that which is past.”

Solomon again returns to the cyclical nature of life, but now with God in view. That which has been is now, and what is to be has already been. Human history repeats patterns. Men are born, labor, sin, suffer, build, fight, love, lose, die, and are replaced by another generation. Yet this is not meaningless repetition because God “requireth that which is past.”

This means God holds history accountable. Nothing vanishes from His sight. Men may forget, records may be lost, crimes may be hidden, and motives may be buried, but God requires an account. This is a major glimmer of hope in the book. If God judges, then life matters. If God requires an account, then righteousness and wickedness are not finally equal.

Ecclesiastes 12:14, KJV: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

The conclusion of Ecclesiastes is already anticipated here. God will judge. That one truth rescues life from absurdity. If every work is brought into judgment, then nothing is meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 3:16

“And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there;and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.”

Solomon now looks at the problem of injustice. In the place where judgment should exist, he sees wickedness. In the place where righteousness should exist, he sees iniquity. This is one of the great burdens of life under the sun. Courts can be corrupt. Leaders can be unjust. Institutions can protect the guilty and punish the innocent. Places designed for righteousness can become places of evil.

This is not a modern problem only. Solomon saw it in his day. Human government, even when necessary, is administered by fallen men. When the fear of God declines, justice is corrupted. When wicked men occupy places of judgment, the people suffer.

Isaiah 5:20, KJV: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Isaiah 5:23, KJV: “Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!”

Isaiah describes the same evil Solomon observes. When judgment is perverted, society is morally diseased. Ecclesiastes does not deny injustice. It forces the reader to face it honestly.

Ecclesiastes 3:17

“I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked:for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Solomon responds to injustice by affirming divine judgment. “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked.” This is the answer to the corruption of earthly courts. Human justice may fail, but divine justice will not. Wickedness may sit in the place of judgment for a season, but it will not escape God.

There is “a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Earlier in the chapter, Solomon showed that there is a time for the seasons of life. Now he applies time to judgment. There is also an appointed time when God will evaluate every work. The wicked may mistake delay for escape, but delay is not acquittal.

Romans 2:5, KJV: “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;”

Romans 2:6, KJV: “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”

God’s judgment is righteous, certain, and personal. This truth gives hope to the oppressed and warning to the wicked.

Ecclesiastes 3:18

“I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.”

Solomon now turns to death and the outward similarity between men and animals. He says God manifests, or tests, the sons of men so that they may see that they themselves are beasts. This does not mean man is merely an animal in the ultimate theological sense. Scripture clearly teaches that man is made in the image of God. Solomon is speaking from the perspective of death under the sun. Outwardly, man and beast both die.

Death humbles man’s pride. Men boast in intelligence, strength, beauty, money, rank, and power. Yet when death comes, the body returns to dust. In that physical sense, man has no advantage over the animal. Death exposes creaturely weakness.

Psalm 49:12, KJV: “Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not:he is like the beasts that perish.”

Man in honor still dies. His earthly dignity, title, and possessions cannot prevent the grave. This should humble every man and drive him to God.

Ecclesiastes 3:19

“For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts;even one thing befalleth them:as the one dieth, so dieth the other;yea, they have all one breath;so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast:for all is vanity.”

Solomon continues the comparison. Men die, and animals die. Both breathe, and both stop breathing. From the standpoint of visible earthly observation, death overtakes both. This is why he says “all is vanity.”

This verse must not be used to deny the immortality of the soul or to teach annihilationism. Solomon is describing what can be observed under the sun. The fuller revelation of Scripture makes clear that man is distinct from animals, morally accountable to God, and destined for judgment.

2 Timothy 1:10, KJV: “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

The gospel brings life and immortality to light. Ecclesiastes shows the fog of under the sun observation. Christ brings the clearer light of resurrection, immortality, and eternal judgment.

Ecclesiastes 3:20

“All go unto one place;all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”

Solomon states the physical reality of death. All go to one place. All are of the dust, and all return to dust. This reaches back to Genesis. Because of sin, man’s body returns to the ground from which Adam was formed.

Genesis 3:19, KJV: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;for out of it wast thou taken:for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

The grave is one of the great reminders of the fall. Man was not created to live in rebellion and death. Death is an enemy, not a friend. It is the consequence of sin. Ecclesiastes forces man to face death without sentimental lies.

Romans 5:12, KJV: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Death is universal because sin is universal. Solomon observes the reality. Paul explains the doctrine.

Ecclesiastes 3:21

“Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”

Solomon asks, “Who knoweth?” From the under the sun perspective, man cannot fully see what happens after death. He observes bodies die and decay. He sees animals die. He sees men die. He senses there may be more, but under the sun observation alone cannot provide certainty.

This question shows the limitation of human observation. Man cannot build a complete doctrine of the afterlife by looking at corpses. He needs revelation from God. The Old Testament gives real but developing light concerning death and the afterlife. The New Testament gives fuller light through Christ’s death, resurrection, and teaching.

Luke 23:42, KJV: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Luke 23:43, KJV: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Christ’s words give certainty that man is more than a body returning to dust. The thief’s body died, but Christ promised him conscious presence in paradise. Ecclesiastes raises the question. Christ gives the answer.

Ecclesiastes 3:22

“Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works;for that is his portion:for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?”

Solomon concludes the chapter by returning to a practical under the sun observation. Since man cannot control the future or see what comes after him, he should rejoice in his own works, for that is his portion. In one sense, this is limited advice for life under the sun. Man should receive the portion God gives and not torment himself trying to control what belongs to God.

Yet this verse also shows the incompleteness of under the sun thinking. “Who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?” If man has only earthly observation, he cannot know. But God has given greater revelation. The believer does not know every detail of the future, but he does know that God judges, Christ is risen, resurrection is coming, and labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:20, KJV: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

1 Corinthians 15:21, KJV: “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”

1 Corinthians 15:22, KJV: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Ecclesiastes 3 ends with man’s uncertainty under the sun. The gospel answers with resurrection certainty in Christ.

Theological Summary of Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3 teaches that human life is governed by appointed times and seasons. There is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up, 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. Man does not control these seasons absolutely. He must learn humility before the God who rules time.

The chapter also gives one of the strongest glimmers of hope in Ecclesiastes. God has made everything beautiful in His time. Man may not understand the whole work of God from beginning to end, but God does. God has also placed eternity in man’s heart. This explains why temporal things cannot satisfy him. Man was made in the image of an eternal God, and he cannot find final rest in temporary pleasures, possessions, labor, or legacy.

Solomon also affirms that whatever God does shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it. This is the opposite of human labor under the sun, which is fragile and temporary. God’s work is permanent and complete. Therefore men should fear before Him.

The chapter then confronts injustice. Solomon sees wickedness in the place of judgment and iniquity in the place of righteousness. This is a sober description of life in a fallen world. Yet he also affirms that God shall judge the righteous and the wicked. This is essential. If God judges, then injustice is not final. Evil may succeed temporarily, but it will not escape divine accountability.

Finally, Solomon considers death. From the standpoint of visible earthly observation, men and animals both die and return to dust. Yet this does not deny man’s eternal destiny. It shows the limitation of under the sun reasoning. The fuller light of Scripture reveals that Christ has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, that death came through Adam, and that resurrection comes through Christ.

Ecclesiastes 3 therefore stands between burden and hope. Time humbles man. Eternity calls to him. Death frightens him. Judgment awaits him. God rules over him. The wise response is to fear God, receive His gifts with gratitude, do good in the time given, and trust the Lord whose works endure forever.

Ecclesiastes 12:13, KJV: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:Fear God, and keep his commandments:for this is the whole duty of man.”