DAWN

     Explanation: In Ecclesiastes 3 Solomon explores labor in its many, repetitive, frustrating forms, through endless, repetitive cycles of time. This time element is symbolized by today's painting.

1. Narrator's Introduction - The Vanity of Everything                (   1:1   -  1:11  ) - 946 B.C. Israel
2. Teacher's Introduction  - The Vanity of Everything                (   1:12 -  2:11  ) - 946 B.C. Israel
3. Teacher's Word's           - Coping With Vanity                         (  2:12 - 11:9   ) - 946 B.C. Israel
4. Teacher's Conclusion    - Overcome Vanity by Serving God  ( 11:10 - 12:7   ) - 946 B.C. Israel
5. Narrator's Conclusion   - Overcome Vanity by Serving God  ( 12:8   - 12:14 ) - 946 B.C. Israel

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Ecclesiastes 4. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Ecclesiastes 3 - #1. Ecclesiastes 3 - #2. Ecclesiastes 3 - #3. Ecclesiastes 3 - #4 - Stevie Wonder. Book of Ecclesiastes Dramatized. ]

     Everything under heaven has a time and a purpose (1). Birth and death; Planting and reaping (2). Killing and healing; Breaking down and building up (3). Weeping and laughing; Mourning and dancing (4). Casting away stones and gathering stones; Embracing and not embracing (5). Getting and losing; Keeping and casting away (6). Tearing and sewing; Keeping silent and speaking (7). Loving and hating; War and peace (8).
     The one who works has no profit in his labor (9). God has given travail to the sons of men (10).
     God has made everything beautiful in his time; also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can discover God's works from beginning to end. There is no good in them but for a man to rejoice and to do good in his life, and to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all of his labor: this is the gift of God (11-13). Whatever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor taken from it. God does this so that men should fear him (14).
     That which is, already has been; and that what is to be, already has been; and God searches out that which is driven away (15). Solomon saw that wickedness was in the place of justice, and that iniquity was in the place of righteousness (16). And he said in his heart that God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every purpose and every work (17).      God tests men so that they might see that they are like beasts. That which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; as one dies, so dies the other; they have one breath, so that man has no preeminence above a beast. All go to one place. All are from the dust; and all return to dust (20). Who knows the spirit of man which goes upward and the spirit of the beast which goes down into the earth. This thought is brought out even more clearly in Ecclesiastes 12:7, which says, " Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (21). So Solomon saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, because that is his portion in life. No one can bring him to see what will be after him (18-22).

A Time for Everything

¹ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

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;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A timeto cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time timeto love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

The Time to Rejoice is Now

⁹ What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
¹⁰ I have seen [this] the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
¹¹ He hath made [this] every thing beautiful in his time
also he hath set [this] the world in their heart,
so that no [none among] man can find out [this] the work that God maketh
from the beginning to the end.
¹² I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice,
and to do good in his life.
¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink,
and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
¹⁴ I know that, whatsoever [all which] 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 [accordingly] fear before [the face of] him.
¹⁵ That which hath been is now;
and that which is to be hath already been;
and God requireth [this] that which is past.
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.
¹⁷ I said in mine heart, God shall judge [this] the righteous and the wicked:
for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
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.
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.
²⁰ All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
²¹ Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward,
and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
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 [that which] shall be after him?