Solomon’s general observations
Ecclesiastes 3:1 thru 5:20
Chapters 3-5 give general observations Solomon shared about life. The main point of the first 8 verses of chapter 3 is that all things are appropriate at a certain time. God knows the ‘when’, but he never tells us. In Solomon’s list of ‘things’ are dichotomies: birth and death, planting and harvesting, killing and healing, tearing down and building up, crying and laughing, grieving and dancing, scattering and gathering, keeping and throwing away, tearing and mending, loving and hating, war and peace.
According to Solomon, God’s purpose is for people to fear him. This is not being scared of him, but rather holding him in reverential awe and respect. So, we are not to serve him because God can extinguish our lives with a single swipe of his mighty hand, we are to willingly serve him because we have come to recognize that he loves us without conditions placed upon that love. We have come to believe the narrative, based on scripture, that God is real, and Christ died for us. Love could possibly be the most powerful force on earth, along with ‘truth’.
Solomon then speaks briefly regarding the gross injustices that exist in this life. He speaks of the rampant corruption in a courts of law and says the following to himself: “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” Justice will then be served. Could this be a prophetic utterance in the midst of is observations, for it sounds eerily like what is about to take place in our country in the not too distant future.
Solomon concludes the 3rd chapter by comparing humans to animals in the respect that we both breath in air and we both die at some point. But there is a pointed difference between animals and humans … God places the hope of eternity in our hearts. Something that he has not done with animals. We have souls that need saving. Whether animals have a soul or not appears to be a topic for debate. It would be my personal feeling that since animals do not sin, they mustn’t have a soul. Therefore, they don’t need salvation … a key difference between animals and humans. Could I be wrong? Sure, but frankly, I think this debate is inconsequential. A look at chapter 4 next time … until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Tyndale Publishers.
Definitions:
dichotomies - “two contrasting or opposing parts”
Inconsequential - “something lacking importance”
(American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing)
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