Rolling with the Punches

The book of Ecclesiastes may be one of the most perplexing books in Scripture, second perhaps to Revelation. It is often taken as an apologetic work against life without God, and the toils and hopelessness such a life leads to. However, it has often been said that while Proverbs gives an idealistic view of how we should live our life, Ecclesiastes fleshes out the realities of living in a fallen world and how the faithful are to live. Looking in detail at chapter 3 of this book, I hope to show how this poetic passage instructs us how to deal with life and its attending joys and hardships.

Solomon has been wrestling with the question of “What advantage does a man have in all his work” since the opening verses of the book, and is faced with it again here in 3:9. Solomon has thus far looked at every aspect of life and concluded that man cannot profit, or gain any advantage, from all the toils and labors that he engages in. In the end, we all die, and nothing we have done in this life will give us an edge in the face of death. Even if a man were to live wisely and amass great wealth for himself, his children, and even those around him in society (2:4–8), in the end, there is no guarantee that the one who comes after will likewise be wise in managing what has been entrusted to him; and thus, all is vanity or vapor in the wind. It cannot be grasped, and it cannot profit us in the end. The world will continue on as it always has. Solomon’s argument is that finding security in the fruit of our work is pointless. Rather than toiling endlessly to find an advantage, Solomon instructs us to embrace all of these things as God’s good gifts to us and to enjoy them as such in Him (2:25)

It is in this context that Solomon’s poetic passage about the various times and seasons that have been appointed under heaven enters the scene.

There indeed is a time for everything, and these events have their own appointed time. But appointed by whom? Ecclesiastes 3:2–8 is more about God’s activity than it is about man’s. It is God who has appointed these seasons, and not us. We are not in control of these seasons. It is not up to us to choose when we are born, or when we laugh or mourn, or when we or a loved one dies. God appoints these seasons, and they come upon us at His appointed time.

So what are we to do then? Should we despair over our lack of control and hate life as Solomon does in 2:18? Yes — insofar as we are despising our desire to control our lives. This is Solomon's point: We cannot control our lives because God has ordered our steps and appointed each season that we encounter in life. We cannot control it any more than we can control the wind or grasp at vapor in the air. To attempt to do such is to try and be God, who alone can shepherd the wind. So, we are to recognize that our works do not endure and perish with us. But God’s works endure forever, and they cannot be added to or taken away from. (3:14) God does this so that we would fear Him (Literally “Fear before Him”), and revere Him as we should. That God’s works endure and ours perish should show us that all our striving will not give us an advantage in the face of death. This should lead us to worship God for who He is,

Because God is unchanging, so too are His works. Because God is good, all that He does is good, even if we don’t see how. We do not have God’s perspective, and so we are prone to doubt His goodness in difficult seasons. God sends seasons of joy, and of sorrow; employment, and unemployment; fruitfulness, and barrenness. Whether it is the fear of death (our own or of a loved one) in front of us, or the pains and sorrows of losing a child, or of facing adversity from every side — whatever it is, God is God and therefore what He is doing is good. These are the words of the Apostle to encourage believers under such adversity:

For we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…”

— Romans 8:28

So then it is by faith that we work and toil, and it is by faith that we enjoy the good gifts of God. It is by faith that we laugh and weep, and endure the hardships that He brings us through. So long as we focus our eyes upon our labor and its fruit looking for satisfaction and security, we will never find it. We will always want to build more, possess more, and do more, all to grasp at vapor that will always escape us. Even more so if we do it for our own gain, and not for those around us. (4:4–8) This is because none of these things are found in the good gifts of God but in God Himself.

Wisdom accepts these seasons, both good and bad, from the hand of God and follows Him in them rather than trying to take control of them. Wisdom gives thanks to God for His good gifts, both the labor and its fruit, and worships Him rather than worshipping that which is destined to perish. Wisdom knows how to roll with the punches because the wise man knows that God is in control, and God is good and that the current pain will produce unforeseen joy.