What Season Is It?

Introduction

Frustration is part of our lives. We don’t like it nor do we seek it. It comes uninvited and unwelcomed. For the most part, frustration comes when that which we want to achieve is thwarted or when that which we want to understand is just out of reach of our minds. We are not frustrated typically by that which is well out of our reach. We are not frustrated by our lack of understanding of quantum physics unless one is in that field and is trying to wrap the mind around such views. We are not frustrated by our lack of culinary skill unless we are being judged by such. We are frustrated by those events and things in life which are just outside of our reach or by those things that we long to have but never seem to be able to capture.

Such is the case when we come to Ecclesiastes. The writer, believed to be Solomon, is frustrated. His desire to try and understand the things and events of this world drives him to make sense of what happens. In 1:13, his intent is to devote himself to study and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. He longs to understand. He wants to know what life is really about on this earth. He wants to be able to say with confidence that work, education, and leisure matter in this world. But Ecclesiastes is a writing of great frustration. For at every turn the author discovers that while things are good and pleasurable, they are not ultimately fulfilling. And so the writing is filled with statements of frustration and is quite pessimistic in tone.

Ecclesiastes is written from the viewpoint that nothing in this world satisfies the deep needs and longings of man, no matter how good and wholesome they are. Thus, man must look beyond this world to God to find ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction in life. The author looks at various aspects of life alternating from an earthly perspective and then from God’s perspective. His purpose is to help his readers see the limits of human strength and understanding in the hope that the reader will turn to God and trust in his wisdom and power even when the things of God lie far beyond the reader’s comprehension.

There are a number of texts which capture our attention. But no text is more recognizable than Ecclesiastes 3. Used in a variety of settings, it seems to capture the cycles of life. And that seems to be its purpose. There is a timing to our world. There is a right time or an appointed time for birth, death, to kill, to heal, to tear down and to build up. The problem arises, however, when one tries to discern the time.

The Text

In 3:1, the writer reminds us that there is a cycle to life. This cycle is for all. Many of these items are things which are out of our control. This is intentional. The writer is not wanting us to feel comfortable with the cycle. It is in many ways unpredictable. We do not know when birth and death will take place. We can never predict when it is necessary to search for we don’t intend to lose something requiring searching. And yet, there are things that are within our control except the timing of those things are not what we want. We can control weeping and laughter, but we weep when something has happened to us that we do not want to happen. Laughter comes at moments which are unpredictable. So while we may control such things, the events which precipitate such things may be out of our control.

Again, the writer is looking at life on earth. For humans, life is often unpredictable and yet life is filled with cycles. We even have sayings in our own culture which reflect this thought. What goes up must come down. Ebb and flow. Around and around she goes and where she stops nobody knows. Unpredictability in the midst of rhythm. This poem reflects that rhythm and unpredictability.

But it is the next couple of verses which expresses the frustration. Verse 9 expresses the feeling that we have all had at one time or another. We work and we work and what do we have to show for it? We have things, but we aren’t satisfied. And so the writer turns his attention to God. And his assessment is not pleasant. God has laid a heavy burden on us. While everything he has made is beautiful, he has also set eternity in our hearts. That is, God has set the desire to know more, to go beyond this life, to experience something more than this life has to offer; a desire to know God and to be known by him. But in setting eternity in our hearts, we still do not know God’s wisdom and plan. This frustrates us.

So the author turns to the earth. Find happiness in living. This is not living without boundaries or morals. This is not hedonistic living. It is living with restraints finding satisfaction in life. But even this is not available for everyone. The idea is that the author hasn’t been able to find this satisfaction. He sees it in others, but it is not part of his life. Which throws him back to God. It seems he says in verse 14 that God does whatever he wants and we are left to be used by his whim and pleasure. There is an attitude of frustrated acceptance and pessimism in verse 15. Nothing changes. Everything is the same. This is the same theme the author has sounded throughout the writing. The author isn’t hopeless but is aware that his understanding about this world is limited. The one thing to count on is sameness—there is nothing new.

So What?

The more things change the more they stay the same. This proverb from our own culture expresses the view of the ecclesiastical writer. There is really nothing new. This is what the author found out. Some in our world still try to discover if there is purpose found in work, leisure, education, relationships. Some today even go in the direction of illicit and immoral actions seeking purpose. Our author would not have done that, but some today have little if any moral standards. There are two things that I want us to learn from this text.

First, there is a season for everything. There is a cycle to life. While our experiences are unique in terms of our responses, most experiences are not unique. One of the things that can bring comfort without minimizing our reactions to events, is to remind ourselves that others have gone through the same thing. Others have worked; others have had children; others have had relationship problems; others have gone through the educational process; others have taken trips; others have grieved over the death of loved ones; others have had events which disrupted their lives. What others have gone through and survived so can we. There is a season for everything. There is truly nothing new under the sun.

Second, because there is a season for everything and there is nothing new under the sun, then how do we explain the longing that we have for something more. Who hasn’t said or thought “this isn’t fair.” Where did that thought come from? There is a longing in each of us for something better. When mistreated, we long for justice. When we have worked hard, gotten our education, and enjoyed our leisure we realize that there is something else needed. Not all answers come from education; we still tire even after leisure; hard work has its benefits but we long for leisure. For some this longing leads to frustration. For others this longing leads to searching for something more. Only a few think about the longing and where did it come from. Those who think of the longing search for something greater than this world. That is what the author found and it is what we will continue to look at next week.

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