Ecclesiastes: Turn, Turn, Turn

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Let’s talk about the Book of Ecclesiastes. Many of us from an earlier, more hip generation, may have become familiar with Ecclesiastes when the song,  “Turn, Turn, Turn” (written by Pete Seeger in 1959) was released by the Byrds in 1965. 

The word “Ecclesiastes” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word koheleth, which means “one who convenes an assembly,” or simply a preacher/teacher. 

The Book of Ecclesiastes, on its surface, is a bummer. There are 12 chapters, and if you just skim over them, the message that you might get is that life is meaningless and we’re all going to die. Dig a little deeper and you may realize that the message is something more akin to:

“God does what He will, and all beings and all of creation stand subject to him. Rather than striving in futile attempts to gain meaning on our own terms, what truly is significant is taking pleasure in God and His gifts and being content with what little life has to offer and what God gives.” (The Gospel Coalition)

Who wrote this delightful book? Its authorship has traditionally been accredited to Solomon who reigned c. 970–931 BC. The Preacher/Teacher/Author describes himself as the son of David and as someone who was exceedingly wise with a very prosperous reign. Sounds like Solomon, doesn’t it?

But some scholars believe that the author was a writer who lived after Solomon. They point out that the term “son of David” could refer to anyone in the line of David. They also note that there are many words borrowed from Persian, and therefore, Ecclesiastes could not have been written any earlier than 450 BC. 

Today, let’s not worry about the authorship of Ecclesiastes. Instead, I encourage you to take a few minutes to meditate on these familiar verses (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8):

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

  • a time to be born and a time to die, 

  • a time to plant and a time to uproot, 

  • a time to kill and a time to heal, 

  • a time to tear down and a time to build, 

  • a time to weep and a time to laugh, 

  • a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

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

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

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

  • a time to keep and a time to throw away,

  • a time to tear and a time to mend,

  • a time to be silent and a time to speak,

  • a time to love and a time to hate,

  • a time for war and a time for peace.”

The message here–it was hard to miss–is that there’s a right time for everything. The struggle for most of us is to recognize when the time is right. 

There’s a lot more to Ecclesiastes, and although the book begins and ends with “All is vanity,” that doesn’t mean that our lives are hopeless or useless. We do not know what the future holds, and we will sin and make mistakes.

But know this–God has given us our lives for a purpose. He still forgives us when we ask. And He has good things in store for those who love Him.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”                                       

Jeremiah 29:11

 

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10

 

Amen.

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2 thoughts on “Ecclesiastes: Turn, Turn, Turn”

  1. Being in my late 60s, I’ve often thought about writing a book about rock lyrics and Christianity. There are some parallels (and non sequiturs too).
    The un-churched may be carrying some mis-conceptions based on mis-construed lyrics that have been playing on an 8-track loop in their heads( for decades).

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