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Ecclesiastes 3:1 – Appointed Time for Everything
The question is, does God appoint everything specifically? Is the day we are to be born and die, already determined? Whatever the answer, it must be tempered with man’s free will which is also a gift from God. Ecclesiastes 9:11 mentions, “time and chance” as being involved in man’s life, which is another factor besides our free will. Under the context given, I think the answer to the first question is that life is filled with many verities and varieties, all of which are right and fitted for different occasions. This is not to say that truth is not universal, for God’s truth is; but rather a simple fact that some things are more fitted for certain times than others. To illustrate, take the uncomplicated and straightforward second line: a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. Life is filled with right and wrong timing.
“Timing is important. All the experiences listed in these verses are appropriate at certain times. The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God’s perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent God’s timing. The can lead to despair, rebellion, or moving ahead with his advice.” (Life Application Bible, p.1138)
Another question is, how can we learn what is the right and wrong time? Prayer and meditation are ways to gain two characteristics that are often the opposite of each other, but both are manifestations of a mature wisdom. These two attributes are: patience and decisiveness. Too often in our lives we confuse impatience with decisiveness and indecisiveness with patience.
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