Have you ever made plans just to have them fail? When I was sixteen, my family went camping in Watkins Glen, New York. We planned to stay for two nights and enjoy a nice vacation together. However, the weather had other plans. It rained the whole second day we were there, and everyone quickly became miserable. So, after very little discussion, we packed up and drove home to have a pizza party. Our plan failed. Human plans fail because there’s too many things outside of our control. We can’t control the weather, other people, or the future. Unlike us, God controls everything, and His plan will never fail. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon shows us that God has a sovereign plan for everything and our lives are included in it. To prove this point, Solomon gives three facts about God’s sovereign plan for the world. Today we’ll look at the first two:
The first fact is, God has a time for everything on this earth (Eccl. 3:1-8). In this list of times, the point is- everything has a divinely appointed time. Solomon lists common events like birth and death, planting and harvesting, killing and healing, building up and breaking down, mourning and dancing, war and peace, etc. These common events happen all around the world, and yet every single one of them is a part of God’s plan. He is fully aware of each event because He planned them all. God has total control over time. Theologians refer to this as God’s Providence. Solomon says, “for everything there is a season.” Every event in history is a part of God’s eternal plan. He is the Ruler of the Universe and the Author of History.
The second fact in this chapter about God’s sovereign plan is that He has a purpose for everything on this earth (Eccl. 3:9-15). Considering God’s control over time, Solomon explains that everything has a divinely appointed purpose. In verse 9, Solomon practically asks the question, “What’s the purpose of man’s existence?” To answer this question, he states that God has made everything beautiful in its time. Man can labor all he wants but can’t control time. But God is beyond time because He created it. So, the beauty of everything’s time is that God has planned it for a greater purpose.
In verse 11, we see that God has given man a desire for purpose. He has put “eternity into man’s heart.” That means we desire significance in the universe. We look at the big picture and wonder, “Why am I here?” We long for meaning because God has put this in our hearts. We’re never satisfied with the things of this world because they’re passing away. We’re bound by time, but our souls are set on eternity. Ultimately, this is a desire for God Himself. This desire to have meaning and purpose is not bad. Sadly, because of sin it has led people away from God. But God gave us this insatiable desire for Himself because God is the highest good and meaning can only be found in Him. In verses 12-13, Solomon concludes that man should use his life to please God and enjoy life as a gift from God. Instead of trying to find joy in this world, we can find it in God. Instead of trying to satisfy our desire for meaning with vanity, we can rest in the grace of God. Life can be joyful and good when we have a relationship with our Creator.
Then in verses 14-15, we see God’s purpose for everything. Solomon describes God’s actions. Everything God does is eternal and secure. Nobody can change what God has done. Nobody can add to or subtract from His power. Then Solomon says, “God has done it, so that people fear before him.” Spoiler alert! Solomon just gave away the ending. This is the conclusion to the whole matter. What is God’s purpose for everything He does with mankind? All of God’s actions are to bring people to fear Him. We’ll talk more about what it means to fear God later, but for now we will summarize it as knowing, trusting, and obeying Him. His actions should cause us to fear Him. His actions are final. Nothing can thwart His plan. No one is more powerful, more knowledgeable, or better than God. So, we should fear Him.
God is sovereign over time, and He has a purpose for all of time. He can handle everything in your life. So don’t worry about friends, finances, or your future. God is in control. Life does have purpose because God created it. Therefore, the purpose of life is to fear God. That means the purpose of your existence is to fear God. You were created to know, trust, and obey God. Sin has separated us from God, but thankfully Christ paid for our sins on the cross so that we can be forgiven and restored to a relationship with God. Do you know Christ as your Savior? Are you trusting in Jesus for salvation? Only He can reconcile us to God and provide true joy.