Time and eternity (Eccles. 3)

Over the summer I read an amazing book called ‘The Peace Child.’  In this book Don Richardson tells of his work amongst the Sawi people in Dutch New Guinea in the 1950s.  This was a challenging culture to reach.  The Sawi were cannibals who admired treachery.  The book opens with the brutal account of how one leader was befriended by a neighbouring tribe who gained his trust and then killed and ate him.  These people talked about fattening people with friendship for the slaughter.  When Don shared the story of Jesus, who do you think they admired?  They admired Judas, not Jesus!  Judas had deceived Jesus for three years before betraying him.  Judas had fattened Jesus for the slaughter.

But Don knew that God had set eternity in the hearts of people (3:11).  He believed that there must be something in these people’s thinking that could connect them to the gospel.  They must have their own pictures of redemption.  He eventually saw it in the concept of the peace child.  The peace child was the way warring tribes settled their differences and ended conflict.  To make peace, the chief’s own son would be given to the opposing tribe.  From then on if war was started their child was at risk.  Don started to tell them how the God of heaven has given his only Son as a peace child for us.  We were his enemies, but he gave his one and only Son so that we could be at peace with him.

Eternity is set in the hearts of our family and friends.  Therefore, have confidence to share the gospel with them.  Our task is made easier by the fact that we have something of a Christian heritage in this country.  But often the religion of this land has forgotten to model grace and mercy.  So speak of the God who is passionate about the poor, who cares for the vulnerable and who commanded his people to welcome the migrant.  Gender equality is on our news, so tell people of how Jesus had counter-cultural respect for women and now makes men and women one in him.  Many of my friends don’t even want to think about their death, but we can speak of the one who has freed us from the fear of death.  Western individualism leaves people feeling isolated and alone, but we can tell of the church family in both its local expression and across the globe.     

We have eternity in our hearts.  We are not animals.  We were made to experience purpose and meaning.  Therefore, use your time well, get satisfaction from your work and be ready for your death.

Use your time well (3:1-8)

Our reading begins with what is probably the world’s most famous poem on the theme of time.  Before this poem begins, we have a summary statement: There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under the heaven (3:1).  Then we get a list of fourteen pairs (twice the Biblical number of perfection).  Each pair is book-ended by an extreme.  On one hand you have birth and on the other hand you have death.  There is a time for everything that takes place between being born and dying.  On the one hand you have weeping and on the other hand you have laughing.  There is a time for every emotion that fits between these two expressions of emotion.  There is a time for all the feelings that range from love to hate.  There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under the heaven (3:1).

I want to apply this truth to how we speak.  The Proverbs speak of a timely word (Proverbs 15:22).  There is a time for speaking and a time to shut up.  One of my favourite proverbs says, ‘if a man loudly blesses his neighbour in the morning, it will be taken as a curse’ (Proverbs 27:14).  There can be times when even a warm greeting is inappropriate.  But ‘a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver’ (Proverbs 25:11).  Ask God to help you know what to say (or not to say) and when to say it (or remain silent).  Are we praying that God would open up plenty of right times to give a reason for the hope that we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15)?

How do you use your time?  Do you use it well?  The apostle Paul tells us to make ‘the best use of the time, because the days are evil’ (Ephesians 5:16, ESV).  This world will throw you many distractions that can eat into your time.  John Piper once said, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”  The same might be said regarding our television viewing or PlayStation time.  So often we are so preoccupied with the trivial that we don’t take time to do those things that are most important.

Get satisfaction from work (3:9-15)

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in their toil—this is the gift of God (3:12-13).  One of the things that marks us out from other animals is that we seek a sense of purpose through work.  If I were to lie around all day every day like our cat, Smudge, I would become very depressed.  God has given us things to do so that we can feel a sense of satisfaction.

This is especially true for those who are living for Jesus.  When you become a Christian, God gives you tasks that he has prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10).  In his kingdom he especially delights to use those who seem to have humble giftings.  He takes special note of the good things done that no-one else sees.  He sees everything that we do for his glory as an act of worship.

You can worship as you sing and pray, but you can also worship him in the way that you fulfil your relationships and do your job.  You can worship God by being a good sister.  You can worship God by being a faithful son.  You can worship God by working diligently for your employer.  You can worship God by doing those humble jobs that only he will notice.  You can have the satisfaction that our Heavenly Father can be pleased with how you use your time.  You don’t have to work for the weekend but can take everyday satisfaction in how you work.

Be ready for death (3:16-22)

Death comes up again and again in the last verses of this chapter.  Woody Allen said that death is stupefying in its terror and renders everyone’s achievements void.  If there is to be meaning in life, then life must not come to an end the day we die.  Otherwise we are just like all the other animals.  If there is to be ultimate justice, there must be a Day of Judgement.  Otherwise many crooks will get away with their crimes.  ‘Though there is present injustice, that is not the end of the story.  God may correct it even within time; but if he does not do so in this life, still he has appointed a time when everything will be brought out … Injustice is limited in its scope.  It will ultimately be judged’ (Stedman).  ‘God will bring to judgement both the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every activity, a time for every deed’ (3:17).  It is only because we live in a comfortable society that we aren’t crying out ‘Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.’  Those Christians who witness violence and injustice everyday long for the judge to set matters straight.

Given that there will be a day of judgement, are you ready to die?  The great unchangeable date on all of our calendars is that we are going to face God.  ‘It is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes judgement’ (Heb. 9:27).  If you are living your life with Christ as your king, then you have nothing to fear about that day.  There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).  God has placed all your guilt on the cross of Christ and treats you as if you have lived Jesus’ perfect life (2 Cor. 5:21).  If you are actively resisting Christ’s loving rule, then that time of his judgement is more terrifying than you can imagine.

Conclusion

When Don Richardson went to the Sawi people he believed that they must have some cultural reference point that could relate to the gospel.  Why was he so confident of this?  He was confident of this because the Bible tells us God has set eternity in the hearts of people.  God has set eternity in the hearts of the people around us.  Therefore, the message of the cross will always be the most relevant thing that we can share with people.  

Our friends search for meaning and ponder life beyond the grave.  We can tell them of the God who sent his Son as our peace child.  We can tell them of the privilege of life lived as an act of worship.  We can tell them of the death that defeated death.