Ecclesiastes 3 - NIV Bible - There is a time for everything, and ...

Ecclesiastes 3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a ... Bible BibleVersions NIV Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes3 Ecclesiastes3 Chapter Book Close Loading CURRENTLYREADING CURRENTLYREADING NewInternationalVersion NIV ChangeTranslation Close Loading RecentTranslations AudioAvailable CURRENTTRANSLATION AllTranslations AudioAvailable CURRENTTRANSLATION Ecclesiastes3 Settings Close RedLetter CrossReferences StrongsNumbers Footnotes VerseNumbers ATimeforEverything1Thereisatimeforeverything,andaseasonforeveryactivityundertheheavens: 2 atimetobebornandatimetodie,atimetoplantandatimetouproot, 3 atimetokillandatimetoheal,atimetoteardownandatimetobuild, 4 atimetoweepandatimetolaugh,atimetomournandatimetodance, 5 atimetoscatterstonesandatimetogatherthem,atimetoembraceandatimetorefrainfromembracing, 6 atimetosearchandatimetogiveup,atimetokeepandatimetothrowaway, 7 atimetotearandatimetomend,atimetobesilentandatimetospeak, 8 atimetoloveandatimetohate,atimeforwarandatimeforpeace. 9 Whatdoworkersgainfromtheirtoil? 10 IhaveseentheburdenGodhaslaidonthehumanrace. 11 Hehasmadeeverythingbeautifulinitstime.Hehasalsoseteternityinthehumanheart;yet[a]noonecanfathomwhatGodhasdonefrombeginningtoend. 12 Iknowthatthereisnothingbetterforpeoplethantobehappyandtodogoodwhiletheylive. 13 Thateachofthemmayeatanddrink,andfindsatisfactioninalltheirtoil—thisisthegiftofGod. 14 IknowthateverythingGoddoeswillendureforever;nothingcanbeaddedtoitandnothingtakenfromit.Goddoesitsothatpeoplewillfearhim. 15 Whateverishasalreadybeen,andwhatwillbehasbeenbefore;andGodwillcallthepasttoaccount.[b] 16 AndIsawsomethingelseunderthesun:Intheplaceofjudgment—wickednesswasthere,intheplaceofjustice—wickednesswasthere. 17 Isaidtomyself,“Godwillbringintojudgmentboththerighteousandthewicked,fortherewillbeatimeforeveryactivity,atimetojudgeeverydeed.” 18 Ialsosaidtomyself,“Asforhumans,Godteststhemsothattheymayseethattheyareliketheanimals. 19 Surelythefateofhumanbeingsislikethatoftheanimals;thesamefateawaitsthemboth:Asonedies,sodiestheother.Allhavethesamebreath[c];humanshavenoadvantageoveranimals.Everythingismeaningless. 20 Allgotothesameplace;allcomefromdust,andtodustallreturn. 21 Whoknowsifthehumanspiritrisesupwardandifthespiritoftheanimalgoesdownintotheearth?” 22 SoIsawthatthereisnothingbetterforapersonthantoenjoytheirwork,becausethatistheirlot.Forwhocanbringthemtoseewhatwillhappenafterthem? Facebook Twitter Pinterest PREVIOUS Ecclesiastes2 NEXT Ecclesiastes4 ImagesforEcclesiastes3 Ecclesiastes3Commentary Chapter 3Thechangesofhumanaffairs.(1-10)TheDivinecounselsunchangeable.(11-15)Thevanityofworldlypower.(16-22)Verses1-10Toexpectunchanginghappinessinachangingworld,mustendindisappointment.Tobringourselvestoourstateinlife,isourdutyandwisdominthisworld.God'swholeplanforthegovernmentoftheworldwillbefoundaltogetherwise,just,andgood.Thenletusseizethefavourableopportunityforeverygoodpurposeandwork.Thetimetodieisfastapproaching.Thuslabourandsorrowfilltheworld.Thisisgivenus,thatwemayalwayshavesomethingtodo;noneweresentintotheworldtobeidle.Verses11-15EverythingisasGodmadeit;notasitappearstous.Wehavetheworldsomuchinourhearts,aresotakenupwiththoughtsandcaresofworldlythings,thatwehaveneithertimenorspirittoseeGod'shandinthem.Theworldhasnotonlygainedpossessionoftheheart,buthasformedthoughtsagainstthebeautyofGod'sworks.Wemistakeifwethinkwewerebornforourselves;no,itisourbusinesstodogoodinthislife,whichisshortanduncertain;wehavebutlittletimetobedoinggood,thereforeweshouldredeemtime.SatisfactionwithDivineProvidence,ishavingfaiththatallthingsworktogetherforgoodtothemthatlovehim.Goddoethall,thatmenshouldfearbeforehim.Theworld,asithasbeen,is,andwillbe.Therehasnochangebefallenus,norhasanytemptationbyittakenus,butsuchasiscommontomen.Verses16-22WithoutthefearoftheLord,manisbutvanity;setthataside,andjudgeswillnotusetheirpowerwell.AndthereisanotherJudgethatstandsbeforethedoor.WithGodthereisatimefortheredressingofgrievances,thoughasyetweseeitnot.Solomonseemstoexpresshiswishthatmenmightperceive,thatbychoosingthisworldastheirportion,theybroughtthemselvestoalevelwiththebeasts,withoutbeingfree,astheyare,frompresentvexationsandafutureaccount.Bothreturntothedustfromwhencetheyweretaken.Whatlittlereasonhavewetobeproudofourbodies,orbodilyaccomplishments!Butasnonecanfullycomprehend,sofewconsiderproperly,thedifferencebetweentherationalsoulofman,andthespiritorlifeofthebeast.Thespiritofmangoesupward,tobejudged,andisthenfixedinanunchangeablestateofhappinessormisery.Itisascertainthatthespiritofthebeastgoesdownwardtotheearth;itperishesatdeath.Surelytheircaseislamentable,theheightofwhosehopesandwishesis,thattheymaydielikebeasts.Letourinquirybe,howaneternityofexistencemaybetousaneternityofenjoyment?Toanswerthis,isthegranddesignofrevelation.JesusisrevealedastheSonofGod,andtheHopeofsinners. TakenfromMatthewHenryCommentaryontheWholeBible(Concise) CrossReferences23 1. ver11,17;Ecclesiastes8:6 2. Isaiah28:24 3. SDeuteronomy5:17 4. SEsther4:14;Amos5:13 5. SEcclesiastes1:3 6. SEcclesiastes1:13 7. Sver1 8. SJob11:7;Ecclesiastes8:17 9. SJob28:23;Romans11:33 10. Ecclesiastes2:3 11. Psalms34:12 12. SDeuteronomy12:7,18;SEcclesiastes2:24;Ecclesiastes5:19 13. SJob23:15;Ecclesiastes5:7;Ecclesiastes7:18;Ecclesiastes8:12-13;James1:17 14. Ecclesiastes6:10 15. SEcclesiastes1:9 16. SJob19:29;Ecclesiastes11:9;Ecclesiastes12:14;Matthew16:27;Romans2:6-8;2Thessalonians1:6-7 17. ver1 18. SPsalms73:22 19. SEcclesiastes2:14 20. SGenesis2:7;Genesis3:19;SJob34:15 21. Ecclesiastes12:7 22. SEcclesiastes2:24;Ecclesiastes5:18 23. SJob31:2 Footnotes3 [a]. Or"alsoplacedignoranceinthehumanheart,sothat" [b]. Or"Godcallsbackthepast" [c]. Or"spirit" ChapterSummary INTRODUCTIONTOECCLESIASTES3Thegeneraldesignofthischapteristoconfirmwhatisbeforeobserved,thevanityandinconstancyofallthings;thefrailtyofman,andchangesrespectinghim;hisfruitlesstoilandlabourinallhisworks;thatitisbesttobecontentwithpresentthings,andcheerfulinthem,andthankfulforthem;thatallcomesfromthehandofGod;thatsuchgoodmen,whohavenotatpresentthatjoythatothershave,mayhaveit,sincethereisatimeforit;andthatsinnersshouldnotpleasethemselveswithrichesgatheredbythem,sincetheymaybesoontakenfromthem,forthereisatimeforeverything,Ec3:1;ofwhichthereisaninductionofparticulars,Ec3:2-8;sothatthougheverythingiscertainwithGod,nothingiscertainwithmen,nortobedependedon,norcanhappinessbeplacedtherein;thereisnostrivingagainsttheprovidenceofGod,noralteringthecourseofthings;thelabourofmanisunprofitable,andhistravailafflictionandvexation,Ec3:9,10;andthoughallGod'sworksarebeautifulintheirseason,theyareunsearchabletoman,Ec3:11;whereforeitisbestcheerfullytoenjoythepresentgoodthingsoflife,Ec3:12,13;andbecontent;forthewillandwaysandworksofGodareunalterable,permanent,andperfect,Ec3:14,15;andthoughwickedmenmayabusethepowerreposedinthem,andpervertpublicjustice,theywillbecalledtoanaccountforitinthegeneraljudgment,forwhichthereisatimeset,Ec3:16,17;andyet,suchisthestupidityofthegeneralityofmen,thattheyhavenomoresenseofdeathandjudgmentthanthebrutes,andliveanddielikethem,Ec3:18-21;whereforeitisbestofalltomakearightuseofpowerandriches,orwhatGodhasgiventomen,fortheirowngoodandthatofothers,sincetheyknownotwhatshallbeafterthem,Ec3:22. TakenfromJohnGill'sExpositionoftheBible Ecclesiastes3Commentaries TheTonyEvansBibleCommentary PLUS AppliedOTCommentary PLUS CommentaryCriticalandExplanatoryontheWholeBible PLUS MatthewHenryCommentaryontheWholeBible(Complete) CSBStudyBible PLUS Christ-CenteredExpositionCommentary PLUS JohnGill'sExpositionoftheBible GenevaStudyBible PLUS Wesley'sExplanatoryNotes PLUS Scripturequotedbypermission. Quotationsdesignated(NIV)arefromTHEHOLYBIBLE:NEWINTERNATIONALVERSION®. NIV®. Copyright©1973,1978,1984,2011byBiblica. Allrightsreservedworldwide. WhyWouldJesusCallaZealottoBeHisDisciple? 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