Ecclesiastes 3 11 what does it mean

That's weird. God is outside of our time dimension. God is in the eternal dimension. So with God, "a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day" 2 Peter In other words, there is no time. You're in the eternal now. So that any event that will ever take place is taking place. Any event that has ever taken place is taking place. That which has been is now; that which shall be has already been. You can't escape it. You say, "Well, I don't understand that.

You see, not only are we living in this time continuum, but we are also living in this finite existence and it is impossible that the finite can understand the infinite. Time deals with the finite aspects.

Eternal deals with the infinite. And you can't cross the gulf. It's too great. You can only make childish illustrations, but you can't cross the gulf from the finite to the infinite. Moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

And I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts Ecclesiastes Now this is life under the sun, that man might see himself that he's an animal.

But this is not true. Man is more than an animal. Man is made in the image and likeness of God. He's looking at man from the purely humanistic standpoint.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth the beasts; even one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other Ecclesiastes ;. The word breath in Hebrew is ruwach which is also translated spirit. There are some who say that man and animals have one spirit. That is not true.

That is looking at man from a humanistic standpoint. Man under the sun. That is not looking at man as God looks at man as a divine creation with eternity in his heart. The animal, of what animal can you say God has put eternity in his heart? All go to one place Ecclesiastes ;.

But who knows if the spirit of man goes upward, and the spirit of the beast goes downward to the earth? Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? Who knows what's going to happen after him? So just live for now, rejoice in your works now.

This is the purely human view of life. And God has recorded it in His Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit that you might see the view of life from the human standpoint, that it is empty and frustrating, because you don't see man any more than just an animal.

And that's why the world around you is so filled with frustration and emptiness today, because it views man as an animal. Nevertheless, God has an appropriate time for every activity Ecclesiastes The meaning is not, "beautiful in its own way," as the song goes.

God has also placed within the heart of every person a sense of something eternal and a desire to know the eternal significance of what we do Ecclesiastes , "set eternity in their heart". Man has an inborn inquisitiveness and capacity to learn how everything in his experience can be integrated to make a whole. They knew no such realm. The idea of a timeless, ideal state is Platonic, not biblical. Consequently, because we cannot see the full consequences of our works beyond the grave, our labor lacks ultimate gratification.

Kaiser Jr. One writer suggested that the Hebrew word translated "eternity" should be re-pointed i. He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time , The words may be rendered, "the beautiful One hath made all things in his time" m; the Messiah; who, as a divine Person, is the brightness of his Father's glory; as man, is fairer than the sons, of Adam; as Mediator, is full of grace and truth; is white and ruddy, altogether lovely, exceeding precious to his people: this fair and lovely One has made all things in creation; works with his Father in the affairs of providence; and has done all things well in grace and redemption, John ;.

For God has put something "hidden", or "sealed up", in the midst of them, as it may be rendered n, so that they cannot be perfectly known.

Messias"; so some in Rambachius. Schultens de Defect. We have seen what changes there are in the world, and must not expect to find the world more sure to us than it has been to others. Now here Solomon shows the hand of God in all those changes; it is he that has made every creature to be that to us which it is, and therefore we must have our eye always upon him. We must make the best of that which is, and must believe it best for the present, and accommodate ourselves to it: He has made every thing beautiful in his time Ecclesiastes ; Ecclesiastes , and therefore, while its time lasts, we must be reconciled to it: nay, we must please ourselves with the beauty of it.

Note, 1. Every thing is as God has made it; it is really as he appointed it to be, not as it appears to us. That which to us seems most unpleasant is yet, in its proper time, altogether becoming. Cold is as becoming in winter as heat in summer; and the night, in its turn, is a black beauty, as the day, in its turn, is a bright one. There is a wonderful harmony in the divine Providence and all its disposals, so that the events of it, when they come to be considered in their relations and tendencies, together with the seasons of them, will appear very beautiful, to the glory of God and the comfort of those that trust in him.

Though we see not the complete beauty of Providence, yet we shall see it, and a glorious sight it will be, when the mystery of God shall be finished. Then every thing shall appear to have been done in the most proper time and it will be the wonder of eternity, Deuteronomy ; Ezekiel We must wait with patience for the full discovery of that which to us seems intricate and perplexed, acknowledging that we cannot find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end, and therefore must judge nothing before the time.

We are to believe that God has made all beautiful. Every thing is done well, as in creation, so in providence, and we shall see it when the end comes, but till then we are incompetent judges of it. While the picture is in drawing, and the house in building, we see not the beauty of either; but when the artist has put his last hand to them, and given them their finishing strokes, then all appears very good.

We see but the middle of God's works, not from the beginning of them then we should see how admirably the plan was laid in the divine counsels , nor to the end of them, which crowns the action then we should see the product to be glorious , but we must wait till the veil be rent, and not arraign God's proceedings nor pretend to pass judgment on them. Secret things belong not to us. Those words, He has set the world in their hearts, are differently understood.

Some make them to be a reason why we may know more of God's works than we do; so Mr. Pemble: "God has not left himself without witness of his righteous, equal, and beautiful ordering of things, but has set it forth, to be observed in the book of the world, and this he has set in men's hearts, given man a large desire, and a power, in good measure, to comprehend and understand the history of nature, with the course of human affairs, so that, if men did but give themselves to the exact observation of things, they might in most of them perceive an admirable order and contrivance.

Others make them to be a reason why we do not know so much of God's works as we might; so bishop Reynolds: "We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, and are so exercised in our travail concerning them, that we have neither time nor spirit to eye God's hand in them.

We must be pleased with our lot in this world, and cheerfully acquiesce in the will of God concerning us, and accommodate ourselves to it. There is no certain, lasting, good in these things; what good there is in them we are here told, Ecclesiastes ; Ecclesiastes We must make a good use of them, 1. For the benefit of others. All the good there is in them is to do good with them, to our families, to our neighbours, to the poor, to the public, to its civil and religious interests.

What have we our beings, capacities, and estates for, but to be some way serviceable to our generation? We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves. No; it is our business to do good; it is in doing good that there is the truest pleasure, and what is so laid out is best laid up and will turn to the best account.

Observe, It is to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but a little time to be doing good in, and therefore had need to redeem time. It is in this life, where we are in a state of trial and probation for another life. Every man's life is his opportunity of doing that which will make for him in eternity. A Clay Jar. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart ; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

If you are like me, you may find it challenging to read Ecclesiastes. And maybe even a little depressing. We all end up in the grave in the end. So you are better off just to enjoy your life as much as you can during the few years that you have here under the sun. But all is not doom and gloom. Ecclesiastes is an inspired writing that God has given to us for a purpose. I believe it reflects a more limited understanding of God than is found later in the Old Testament, and throughout the New Testament.

But it still has something to teach us. And this passage contains one of those nuggets. God has set eternity in the heart of man. Our own lives are meant to fall into that redemption story, and each moment is full of meaning as a result. We are left to trust him to have all knowledge and to reveal what he thinks is necessary to reveal.

Sometimes even in hindsight, we will not be privy to his plan. But he is good and faithful, and we can rest in him with peace. He is behind the way things are and the way they are going to turn out. We know that nothing is final, that things that happen matter in a cosmic sense. Sometimes he reveals himself, but often he is content to leave us with this fact: he does everything for his glory and for our good Isa ; Ro