Make a reflection paper on the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. State an exegesis of the pericope/s.

Provide a
section for an explanation on the relevance of this bible passage to contemporary people. Follow the
format.

I. Bible Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

3 There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 
    a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 
    a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 
    a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 
    a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 
    a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace.

9 
What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human
race. 11 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. 12 I know that there is nothing
[a]

better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and
drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does
will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that
people will fear him.
15 
Whatever is has already been,
    and what will be has been before;

    and God will call the past to account.

II. Textual Interpretation (Exegesis):

A. Contextual Analysis (What is the context of the passage? Why it was said by whom?

The passage written by Solomon emphasizes the statement that there is time for everything and
every activity that human beings tend to do. In Ecclesiastes 3: 2-8, Solomon gave us a list of seven pairs
of activities that are contradictory to each other. There is time to be born, and there is time to die.
There is a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, and so on. Every pair in
the passage tends to have a combination of positive activity, along with its negative counterpart. The
passage keeps the repeated word “time” as if it entails that there is a distinction between every
activities, and every activity should not be done within the same time. “ 11 He has made everything
beautiful in its time.” This is the concept of seasonality. As we know, there are particularly 4 seasons;
spring, summer, winter, fall. These seasons occur one after another. Spring becomes summer. Summer
becomes fall. Fall becomes winter, and winter becomes spring. In the passage, God has appointed the
time and seasons, and as well as the different events in our lives, whether it is sad or happy, easy or
difficult. God exalts and humbles the same person. God has the ability to rise nations up and bring
them down.

Solomon also reiterates what we must to today here in this world as human beings. “12 I know that
there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them
may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” Pastor Jacob Gerber, on
his commentary on the passage, states that Solomon is actually commending the pleasures of life as
gifts from God. Recognize these as God’s gift to man. Human beings cannot slow the earth’s rotation
and lengthen a day. Human beings cannot slow the revolutions that the planet takes around the sun
and lengthen a particular year, or speed it up as they may wish to do. We are not able to control what
happens in life, but only God is in control. It is challenging to maintain our faith in God when there are
horrible things happening in this world, but God has got it all under control. Solomon ask us to put our
trust in God, as he did stating verse 14, “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing
can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.”

B. Message of the Passage

The message from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15 is mostly geared towards time, and change and the
relationship between the two. Indeed, there is nothing more permanent in this world than change.
Time changes and changes are only apparent over time. This is evident as God appoints the times and
seasons in the passage. The contradiction of activities in the passage connotes that there is an
appropriate time to do such activity, and it can’t be done within the same time. Just as how there are 4
different seasons, and for every season, there are different things to do. We can’t wear jackets and
long pants on a summer time. This is how the passage emphasizes that appropriateness of activities
within a particular time. Change is something that we humans live around. Seasons change, and we
human beings also change, in terms of age, personality, and faith.

The passage teaches us that change is good. Change helps us to learn to adapt to new situations,
gain new skills, and overall, develop as a person. Change challenges us by causing more trials and
tribulations in life, as God wants to make our hearts more like his. Change is good, but God does not
change. We, as humans, should trust God because He is in control of whatever is and whatever will be.
God has already set everything for us so we must take time to enjoy ourselves, as it is God’s gift to us.
We should make the best of each event and of each season of change, because God has already made
everything beautiful in his time, even the saddest and most painful things, as these are temporary and
subject to change, over time.
    

C. Comparison (Parallel Bible Verse)

In Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13, “12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do
good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this
is the gift of God.” Solomon utters the truth that God has indeed a purpose for all of us in this world,
and it is to recognize God’s gift for all of us. Similarly, the idea is congruent to the passage from the 2 nd
chapter of Ecclesiastes, verse 24-26 that states, “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink
 and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who
can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and
happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the
one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” In here, it can be understood
that only a life lived with God has purpose or meaning. True happiness and joy is found in God and in
God alone. Without God, life is meaningless and chaotic.

Solomon also emphasized the fact that God is in control over our life and all others. With this, human
beings should put his trust in God, as everything has already been planned for us by Him. “Whatever
will be has been before”. Same idea can be said in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” If we put
our trust in God, and abide His purpose for us, and love him eternally, we are reassured of His promise,
the promise of all good things to happen to those who do good.

III. Reflection (Eisegesis): (How does the passage relate to yourself?)

The passage relates to myself by helping me realize God’s sovereignty over my life, and the life of
others. Indeed, I can’t control what happens in my life, all I can do is prepare for what’s about to come. I am
reminded that everything will happen, in God’s time. God is the only who can control all activities “under the
heaven”. In my life, it is easy for me to get disappointed on any shortcomings, or when things don’t go
according to my plan, or to the way I want it to. I tend to force things to happen even when it should not.
Although, the passage enlightened me on my views in life, particularly, as to how there is a time for
everything, and an appropriate time to do something. Solomon reminded me that I only live once, so I should
make the most in everything that I do, and put my trust in God. Solomon emphasized that my life is God’s gift
to me, so I should be able to take pleasure in it. I should enjoy all things that God has given to me, like my
family and other loved ones. Redeem the time that I’ve lost by just sitting at home and logging on to
Facebook. I should be grateful in receiving these gifts, and offer these things back to God in grateful service
and unwavering love.

IV. Relevance (What is the relevance of the passage to contemporary people?

People nowadays will, at times, overreact when what their plans and what they want are not met. This
is especially true to tertiary students who are just starting to decide on their career path. The passage tells us
to not be disappointed on the difficult times, because this is only temporary and God has a better plan for us
all, as He knows the perfect time for everything. This can be strengthened by the concept of seasonality.
Seasonality teaches us to appreciate things because we know that each time and each season is so fleeting. In
a way, the seasonality of things can comfort those people in times of difficulties, as they are reminded that it
only temporary and will eventually pass.

Rubric for Reflective Analysis on Church As Church of the Poor

Criteria 10 9 8 7 Score

Content: Accuracy The content is The content The content The content
clear, concise and conveys 1-2 conveys 3-4 conveys 5 or
conveys confusing confusing more confusing
transparent information. information. information.
information.
Content: Reflection The content The content The content The content
displays authentic displays only 1-2 displays only 3-4 displays 5 or
and genuine unrelated unrelated more unrelated
expression of expression of expression of expression of
emotions and emotions and emotions and emotions and
reflection reflection reflection reflection
Content: The content The content The content The content
Relevance shows seamless shows only 1-2 shows only 3-4 shows 5 or more
presentation. irrelevant inputs. irrelevant inputs. irrelevant inputs.

Mechanics Follows the Follows the Follows the Does not follow
format and format but has 1 format but has 3 the format and
contains no – 2 grammatical – 4 grammatical has more than 5
grammatical errors and errors and grammatical
errors and misspelling misspelling errors and
misspelling misspelling