This chapter begins with some of the most memorable verses in Scripture,
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up is planted;
A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and atime to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek and obtain and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away;
A time to tear up and a time to fix; atime to keep silent and a time to speak;
A time to love and a time to hate; a time of War and a time of Peace.
This symbolic pairing highlights the dualism inherent to nature. Our attention is drawn to the common experiences of life, arelentless sequence. It is yet another reference to our existence “under the sun.”
Qohelet moves on to reiterate a prominent theme – Whatprofit hath Man that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth?
The Preacher provides a simple answer: forGod hath made everything beautiful according to his time and plan. This highlights this cosmic symphony of this world; even though so much is beyond Our understanding.
The Preacher then describes how God hath set the nature of the earthly world in man’s heart, so he will never find out satisfactory answers to His ultimate questions.
Yet the Preacher acknowledges how man has an appreciation for and a tinge of knowledge of the eternal, which is overwhelming but also a source of limitation and frustration.
He then notes:
I know there is nothing good in it (the life experience) but to be merry and to partake of small enjoyable things in his life. Thus, every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour, for it is the gift of God.
He appears to be urging us to enjoy small pleasures; but many rabbis and commentators contend he just playing a role to demonstrate the limitation of what you can experiencewithout proper worship.
He continues: I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall beforever, nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it and God has acted so Man should revere him.
Here we have a mandate for the reverence the Almighty isdue.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
In essence, God requires an account of all.
The lesson is: It is impossible for man to judge our fellows, or to come up with causes for great movements as that is reserved for Him with a vantage of more than a lifetime. He then speaks to the ineffable nature of Justice.
And moreover I saw under the sun, the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; but also in the place of righteousness, iniquity was also there. I said in mine heart, God shalljudge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and work.
Essentially, in our Halls of Justice, we will see inequity even among the righteous. Moreover, life is not just a dynamic of reaping what you sew.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God reveals how might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; as the one dieth, so dieth the other, so thata man hath no preeminence above a beast - for all is vanity.
Here, man and beast are announced as equals. All areof the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Qohelet then ponders the nature of the afterlife and the ascent of the soul:
For who knoweth – in actuality that the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goethdownward to the earth?
Then, the Chapter ends by stressing again, the nature of life “under the sun.”
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?
