{"id":32029,"date":"2022-09-10T15:53:26","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/the-bible-passage-people-mistake-for-good-news\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:53:26","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:53:26","slug":"the-bible-passage-people-mistake-for-good-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/the-bible-passage-people-mistake-for-good-news\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bible Passage People Mistake For Good News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Aaron Wilson<\/em><\/p>\n

If your church members know any part of Ecclesiastes by heart, there\u2019s a good chance it comes from chapter three, a passage that famously begins, \u201cto every thing there is a season.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 1960s, this chapter of Scripture inspired the lyrics to the hit song, \u201cTurn, Turn, Turn.\u201d Today, similar verses from Ecclesiastes 3 adorn wall art, are found in titles of well-known books such as John Grisham\u2019s \u201cA Time to Kill,\u201d and are readily shared by believers and nonbelievers alike on social media.<\/p>\n

Despite its popularity, Ecclesiastes 3 may be one of the most misunderstood sections of the Bible. \u2014 @AaronBWilson26 Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

But despite its popularity, Ecclesiastes 3 may also be one of the most misunderstood sections of the Bible. This is because people often interpret the chapter as containing reassuring news about the balanced nature of the universe. But really, the chapter is more of a lament, one that points to the need for Christ.<\/p>\n

Solomon\u2019s Grievance With Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At its core, Ecclesiastes describes the brutal reality of life under the curse. It\u2019s strange therefore, when people describe chapter 3 as comforting and uplifting when Solomon says in the same book that life is wearisome (1:8), miserable (1:13), and distressing (2:17).<\/p>\n

Given these gloomy descriptors, why is Ecclesiastes 3 so popular? Part of it likely comes from the poetic beauty Solomon uses in the first half of the chapter to juxtapose life circumstances. \u201cThere\u2019s a time to give birth and a time to die,\u201d he writes, \u201ca time to plant and a time to uproot.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Solomon goes on to pair other activities such as weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing, and war and peace. He then summarizes the list by writing, \u201cHe [God] has made everything beautiful in its time.\u201d<\/p>\n

People often quote this chapter of Ecclesiastes at funerals and memorial services. But while it\u2019s true God sovereignly works all things together for the good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28), people who seek to find solace from Ecclesiastes 3 are missing the author\u2019s point.<\/p>\n

Solomon didn\u2019t pen the words, \u201cto everything there is a season,\u201d to provide a grateful tribute to a balanced universe\u2014a philosophy that more closely resembles some eastern religions or \u201cthe force\u201d from Star Wars<\/em> than it does Scripture. No, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes 3 to lodge a complaint he had with a world he saw as meaningless.<\/p>\n

Vanity Under the Sun<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Solomon begins Ecclesiastes with the blunt statement, \u201cAbsolute futility! Everything is futile.\u201d He then spends the next 12 chapters of his book systematically unpacking the meaninglessness of life under the sun.<\/p>\n

One of Solomon\u2019s greatest frustrations with the world is the prevalence of death and how it infuses vanity into life\u2019s pursuits and activities. His goal therefore in writing, \u201cthere\u2019s a time to die\u201d isn\u2019t to inspire comfort. Instead, he\u2019s declaring death a plague\u2014a fate no person escapes because, under the curse, there\u2019s sadly a time for it.<\/p>\n

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But Solomon doesn\u2019t stop there. Ecclesiastes 3 documents several other activities brought on by the fall. His list of grievances includes weeping, mourning, the hatred of people, war, and counting things as lost.<\/p>\n

Given the reality of such brokenness, Christians should be leery of using the phrase, \u201cthere\u2019s a time for everything\u201d as encouragement. Instead, they should read Solomon\u2019s words and respond, \u201cOh man, there really is a time for sin and suffering in this world. Who can save us from this futile way of living?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer, of course, is Christ.<\/p>\n

Two Kings\u2014Two Statements<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the most beautiful promises in the Bible comes in Revelation 21:4 which speaks of Christ wiping away every tear from the eyes of the saints. John describes this future moment of restoration by writing, \u201cDeath will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n

This passage is the glorious response to Solomon\u2019s complaint about the fall in Ecclesiastes 3. Israel\u2019s former king can only document the effects of the curse and grieve. The Church\u2019s forever King says, \u201cthere will no longer be any curse\u201d and celebrates (Revelation 22:3).<\/p>\n

The worldwide problem Solomon painstakingly presents in Ecclesiastes 3 finds its decisive solution in Christ\u2019s gospel\u2014His resurrection serving as a promise of an eternal era where there will no longer be a time or place for sin and suffering.<\/p>\n

Point Your People to the Gospel<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As you teach Ecclesiastes to your congregation, help them see Solomon is exactly right; there is\u2014in the present state of the world\u2014a season for everything. But also lead your church to understand that real comfort doesn\u2019t come from embracing \u201cbalance\u201d or finding one\u2019s place in the \u201ccircle of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gospel isn\u2019t an observation that says, \u201cgood or bad\u2014there\u2019s a proper time for everything.\u201d It\u2019s a story of good news that says sin and death will be defeated for all time and that righteousness will reign forever in Christ.<\/p>\n

Use this truth to help your people understand the famous lines of Ecclesiastes 3 in light of the good news of Jesus.<\/p>\n

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Aaron Wilson<\/h2>\n

@AaronBWilson26<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Aaron is associate editor of LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n