Date:   01/02/05   

Text:   Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Title:   A Timely Reflection.

Theme: As we face the unfathomable events in life, our appropriate response is to fear the Lord and be obedient to Him.

Introduction:   

  You remember a time when you would say, “I can't wait for Christmas, or New Year to come.” Now, you probably say, “What, Christmas, New Year is here already? It's over already?.” The older one becomes, the faster the time seems to move along.

  How do we measure time? To many, it is measured by the ticking of the clock. 24/7 has become a household word in recent years. There is also a new measure called the internet time. Each 24 hour is divided into 1000 beats. 1 beat = 1 minute 26.4 seconds. This means I have 17.36 beats to preach this sermon.

  However, if we read and listen to the media this past week, we read about the year's top 10 scandals, the top 10 movies, the best or worst dressed men and women, the 10 news events, or the 10 worst ideas. Certainly the tragedy in Asia resulting from the tsunami will make all other events pale. This tragedy will leave an indelible mark in our memories. It's the events that mark the time. We remember 911 because the WTC was destroyed that fateful morning. We remember 12/26 because we first heard of the tsunami tragedy in Asia .

  Eccl 3:1-15 is about events in life. The writer of this book is known as the preacher. Vs.1, “ For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Verses 2 to 8 is a listing of events in life. Bible students have long struggled with the interpretation of this passage. We'll note that it is a combination of literal and metaphorical listings. They are not events that happen to every person. Instead, they are descriptions of everyday living. Your experience this year and the events that occurred this past week and the coming weeks will serve as good illustrations for this passage. Even more important, what lessons can we learn from these life events? Let's take a closer look at this passage.

I.   Time is measured by events in life.

  In vs.2 to 8 is a full description of life.

1.   Beginning and end of life. 2a.

  “ 2 a time to be born, and a time to die;” This is about the beginning and the end of life. Looking back at 2004, we witnessed the birth of babies in many of our members' families. At the same time, there were also the losses of a parent, friends as well as unborn children. In Friday's Houston Chronicle was a section about 194 babies born to the celebrities in 2004. Yet how ironic it is that in the front page of the same paper, is the report of the death of thousands and thousands of children from the tsunami. There is a time to be born, a time to die.

2.   Establishing and destroying. 2b,3

  “ a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;” These 3 pairs are about establishing and destroying activities. We think of the destruction from the tsunami and the human effort of rebuilding that region. At a more personal level, s ome of you have uprooted your family from a familiar city or country and are settling down in Houston . Others have put down a profession you are familiar with and ventured into a different career path. There are some who have retired from a life long career and is now doing something completely different.

3.   Human emotions. Vs.4

  “ 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;…” This is about human emotions. When we look back in 2004, we recall some of the emotional moments. There were the private emotions, such as: weeping and laughing. Our tears flowed inward. There were also moments of joy. Yes, we wish others can understand us, yet often we are disappointed. We understand and appreciate the words in Proverbs 14:10, “ 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.” No one can understand those painful moments.

  There were also times of public display of our emotions. You remember how the nation mourned at President Reagan's death. In Asia we saw the husband mourning over the death of his wife, and the joy of reuniting with his toddler. We mourned over our loss of loved ones, and relationships. Then there are moments of joy over some celebrative events, such as weddings, graduations or a new job.

  Vs. 5a is a difficult phrase to understand “ 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;” Casting stones may be a reference to aggression by ruining someone else's land. Gathering stones could refer to cultivating a land.

4.   Possession and wealth. Vs. 6

  Vs.6, “ 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;” This is a reference to possession and wealth.

  There is a time for us to acquire wealth and possession, and there is also a time for us to give it away, to let go. In the midst of human tragedy, isn't it the right time for us to give away some of the wealth we have? There is a time to keep and a time to cast away. This may refer to wasting what we have. The story of some of the lottery winners is a good illustration of this. Some who have won millions of dollars, squandered all the money in a few years' time and have to declare bankruptcy. You may have read in the newspaper that the wife of a person who won the biggest lottery in NJ said, “I wished I had torn that ticket.” Money was wasted, he was arrested twice for drunken driving, and his granddaughter killed.

  This can also apply to our ambitions. There is a time to pursue them, but there is also a time to let go of it. This is life, isn't it?

5.   Human relationship. Vs. 5b, 7,8

  5b, 7-8, “a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing….. 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” This is about relationships at a personal and national level.

  There are times when new relationships are formed, but also a time when relationships are strained and broken. There are times when broken relationships need to be restored. This would involve being generous and forgiving. Then at the national level, there is a time for war, a time for peace. 30 years after the conclusion of the Vietnam war, the first US commercial airline, flew into the Ho Chi Ming city several weeks ago. Certainly we look forward to peace in the Middle East and Iraq .

  These are the events that mark the passage of time. It's not just the ticking of the clock, the flipping over of another calendar month, it is about events in human life.

II.   Human frustration when we try to understand the events in life. 9-11.

  Vs 9-11, “ 9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” This is a very sobering passage. There is a statement here: God has made everything beautiful in its time. This literally means that everything is appropriate in its time and place. However, when men face issues of life and death, with tragedy unfolding before our own eyes, weeping and laughing, joy and sadness, we want to know why. In verse 11 we are told that God has put eternity into man's heart. This means that man thinks in terms of the past, present and future. Man is not satisfied with just seeing the events. Man wants to know why, the reason behind such occurrences.

  We want to know why we lost our loved ones, why the relationship came to an end. We want to know why such death and suffering from the tsunami. However, the preacher tells us that we cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. That is, often we do not know the answer. But we don't give up, do we? We try to explain why and in doing so, try to defend God. We tell ourselves there will be good coming out it (certainly this is true), or God knows what he is doing (again, this is true). I have done that on many occasions. But to be very honest with you, when I face such a tragedy this week, when I face persons with cancer, individuals who have lost their unborn children, I've learned that the best I can do is to keep my mouth shut. God does not need me to defend him, or to try to explain and justify what happens in the world. God can handle it himself. Just let God be God.

III.   Human responsibilities in the midst of events in life. vs.12-15

  How do we face the totality of life? How do we face events that seem to have no answers? Verses 12-15 give us some suggestions. “ 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.”

  First, it calls our attention to God. vs. 14 tells us that, “… 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him…” Instead of asking God why, remember that:

1. God is permanent. Whatever he does endures forever. We come and go, but he stays forever.
2. God is complete, “nothing can be added to it…” He is totally self-sufficient. He doesn't need you or me to try to justify what is happing in the world. He does not need you and me to defend him for the evil around us. He is sufficient, adequate and complete.
3. God is immutable. “…nor anything taken from it….” He won't change. He has been faithful, loving and just. No human tragedy, whether it is the tsunami or the holocaust, can affect who he is.
4. God cares for his creation. Then in vs.15, “… 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” The past is repeated. The present will be repeated. God seeks what has been driven away literally means that God sees what is hurrying along. It means as the world turns, as events move along, God is watching, God cares. Yes, at times it is hard to understand, but it is true.

When we experience personal and global human suffering, pain and death, our faith is often being stretched to its furthest extent. It can make or break us. Here, the preacher tells us to focus on God. God does not change and no human tragedy or events can alter his characters. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. In the midst of human suffering and pain, He cares for his creation.

  Second, vs.12, 13 tells us to be joyful, to enjoy what we have. What we have, the good things in life are from God. Enjoy and rejoice in it. It's like telling us, go ahead and enjoy life, enjoy what you have. We may not have the answers to our questions, but don't let it stop us from enjoying the good God has given us. They are from God, enjoy it.

  Third, vs.12 also tells us to do good. Yes, there are too many things we don't understand. We don't understand the pains in our lives. Our friends are young, but diagnosed with cancer. Children are supposed to be happy and facing a bright future, yet they were swallowed up by the tsunami. Facing suffering and other events of life, instead of pontificating about situations and asking why, the preacher tells us to do good. To do good means to be kind, gentle, loving and forgiving to those who have brought us joy. To do good means to be kind, gentle, loving and forgiving to those who have brought us pain, tears and anguish. To do good means to reach out and help the suffering ones with clothes, food and whatever they need. Instead of asking God why he allowed such tragedy to happen, go and do good. Give as much as you can so the different organizations can bring food, clothings and medicine to the suffering population in Asia .

  Fourth, Vs.14, “…..so that people fear before him.” What does all these human experiences take us to? You know, so often when we fail to get the answer we want, we become bitter towards God and we turn away from him. I can think of some Christians, when they could not get a satisfactory answer from God regarding their personal and family members' pain and suffering, turned their backs to God and wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

  However, the preacher in this book urges us to turn to the creator God. The conclusion in this chapter, in this book is: Fear God and keep his commandments.

On the front cover of yesterday's Chronicle was a picture of children in Sri Lanka taking part in a prayer service. While nations may be bickering about who is the most generous, in the midst of such human tragedy, the children turned to God. Life's events: joy and sorrow, mourning and celebration, life and death, i to lead us to the God whose love, faithfulness and justice never change. Before this God, our only appropriate response is to fear him and keep his commandments.

Conclusion:

I want to conclude by asking you all to join me in the reading of this passage.

  Matthew 25:31-40. “ " 31 "“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." 32 "Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." 33 "And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left." 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." 35 "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me," 36 "I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'" 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?" 38 "And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?" 39 "And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'" 40 "And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

  To fear the Lord, is to reach out and generously help those who are suffering. And in helping them, we are helping the God who came and lived among us.