Articles
An Appointed Time
1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven—
2 A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear 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 time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
This scripture is found in the middle of a book about the vanity of life, especially while removing God from the equation. So what does the author mean when he writes about everything having an “appropriate” or “appointed” time?
First, the writer is not talking about some form of predestination, as if there is a set time for every specific event in history (including your own personal history). By “appointed time” he means that things tend to happen in relatively predicatable ways. Every war eventually comes to an end and gives way to a period of peace. The time for planting seeds must happen at a certain time of year, and that generally leads to harvest at another time of year. A woman becomes pregnant and gives birth, but that same baby will one day grow old and die. Each of these things happen in a predictable manner, and in a way that makes sense.
But that’s not necessarily the lesson we are to learn here. The writer is not just concerned with seed time and harvest, or the manner of recycling old materials. Really, he is helping us understand that our behaviors are being watched (and judged) by God, who expects us to act in a way that is appropriate. We might be angry today, but holding on to that anger tomorrow just leads to bitterness. We might have reason to discipline our children in one instance, but that must give way to loving embrace lest they become discouraged (Colossians 3:21). A nation might have just cause to go to war, but it cannot lose sight of the ultimate value of mercy. There is a time to love, but true love acknwledges that certain things need to be hated (the effects of sin, for example, or evil companions corrupting good morals).
We must follow God’s word and measure the appropriateness of our actions by His standard!
