Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a very familiar passage of scripture, though not everyone may know that it is scripture.  ECC3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  ECC3:02 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  ECC3:03 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  ECC3:04 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  ECC3:05 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  ECC3:06 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  ECC3:07 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  ECC3:08 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.  It seems best to print the verses all together and look at them individually.  There really is a season for everything, and though we don't always acknowledge it there is a purpose for everything.  We may not always see it, but the purpose is there.  There is a time to be born and a time to die.  It is what we do between those two that matters.  Planting and plucking are variations of the same.  We plant gardens and wait for the harvest.  The time to kill we often are to good at, but the time to heal we often forget.  I think we have to be very careful about when we say it is time to kill, though.  A time to kill may apply more to killing for food than killing each other.   Sometimes things must be broken down before they can be built up again.  We may have to break down old walls and habits to build up new works of God.  There are indeed times when tears and mourning are appropriate, but through Christ there is even more reason for joy.  This world is not the end.  The contrasts continue in the next four verses, and we can see all this in the world today.  Nothing stays constantly good or bad, but God remains the same through it all.  We just need to ensure that through it all that we are working for His glory under His leadership.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.  Solomon decided after all his seeking for purpose that man should eat, drink, learn to enjoy his labor in his soul.  We are not created to live simply to chase material things, but we can still enjoy the things that we acquire, as long as we do it under God's leadership.  As long as we recognize that all things come from Him then they do not become an end unto themselves.  Solomon said he saw this enjoyment of things as they were intended to be used as being from the hand of God.  How much or how little we have is not what creates problems.  It is when we are not content with what God has blessed us with that we begin to have problems.  Verse twenty five says, For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?  I think Solomon was saying that no one was going to be in a position to find happiness in the things of this world than he was, and after all his attempts to find happiness, he finally realized that it came from being content with his needs being met by God.  We as followers of Christ need to learn that lesson.  We are never going to find happiness in the things of this world outside the will of God.  Solomon with all his riches couldn't, so we should not be surprised if we cannot.  Verse twenty six says, For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.  I believe Solomon was saying that those who follow God have the wisdom to be content with what God provides and to use it for His glory.  The sinner, on the other hand, is ruled by acquiring or keeping the things of this world in an attempt to find happiness.  This pursuit of material things to find happiness and purpose outside the will of God only brings dissatisfaction to the soul.  We must put it all in God's hands if we are going to find peace and joy.

Ecclesiastes 2:21 says, For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.  Solomon said that those who lived and worked wisely would eventually leave what they had attained to someone who had not worked for it.  He saw this not only as vanity, but as a great evil.  Of course he knew he couldn't take the things of this world into the next, but he felt it was evil to leave everything to someone who could waste it all away.  If Solomon had been using his wisdom and wealth to benefit his subjects, those he was to be a righteous king over, he might not have had this problem.  He could have seen what his labor accomplished and not have had to be upset that he would have worked to leave everything to another.  Solomon was still focused on himself and not on what God had done for Him.  When we begin to feel that everything that we have gained in life is due to us, it can become a source more of stress than joy.  We wonder how we can keep it and control it.  If material blessings are seen to be from God and are put under His control, this will not be the case.  Verse twenty two says, For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?  As Solomon continued to look back on his life, he saw little of value in it.  If we live our lives only to amass the things of this world, ultimately we are going to look back the same way.  As followers of Christ, we are called to do everything for the advancement of His kingdom, not to look at all the blessings of life as being for our own purpose.  Verse twenty three states, For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.  I believe  Solomon was saying that when our total focus is on gaining and keeping the wealth of the world, there is never any rest.  We end up working by day to gain it and worrying at night how to keep it, and it all passes to someone else when we die.  That is indeed vanity, or nothingness.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 says, Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.  Solomon seemingly had it all, but nothing brought satisfaction.  Wisdom didn't, nor did his works.  When we look at our lives, we may feel that if we can just learn a little more, or accomplish a little more, that we will finally have fulfilled our purpose.  Solomon found this not to be true, and so will we.  Verse eighteen says, Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.  Solomon hated the business of this world, which was his labor under the sun.  Whatever he accomplished was going to be left to another to care for or benefit from.  The same is true today.  We realize that whatever we accomplish or attain in this life is going to be left to another, or at the return of Christ, just left period.  We should not allow the things of this world to cause us to feel frustrated.  All things under the sun, or of this world as we would say, are temporary. In verse nineteen Solomon continues,  And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.   Solomon said he had no way of knowing how those that would benefit from his labor would use what he had acquired.  That much we can be sure of.  The things of this world are no longer ours once we die.  If we are looking to them to bring everlasting purpose to life, we are going to be disappointed.  We may be happy to leave a lot to our children, but if everything we worked for was of the world and not for God's kingdom, we will be disappointed, and so will they if they do the same.  Verse twenty says, Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. Solomon was very unhappy in his quest for purpose in life, and so will we be if we look to the things of the world for happiness without following God's plan for our life.

Ecclesiastes 2:14 says, The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.  I believe Solomon was saying that God gives us light to walk by, if we are willing to look to Him.  Those who will not follow God are find themselves wandering around in the darkness.  We as followers of Christ have been given the Holy Spirit to guide our steps and light our path, and if we refuse to allow Him to do so, we are indeed foolish.  We will never find happiness in the darkness of sin.  Whether wise or foolish, though, ultimately death comes to both.  Verse fifteen says, Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.  Solomon seemed to be questioning what advantage there was to living in wisdom when both the wise and foolish die.  If we look at life as being only this time on earth, that might be a valid observation, but we know we have life everlasting and God expects us to use our time here wisely.  We cannot live life as though everything here is all that matters.  Verse sixteen says, For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.  We may remember a few people throughout history for things that they did, whether good or bad, but for the most part, we soon pass into oblivion in the eyes of the world once we die.  As followers of Christ, though, we can be certain that we will never be forgotten by Him.  He gives us light and purpose in this world and everlasting life in the one to come, if we only accept it.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 says, Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.  Even if we enjoy out labor completely, one day that labor will end, even if we work until we die.  Everything we do in this world will pass away also.  If all our hope is in the things of this world, but we of all men, like Paul said, are most miserable.  We, like Solomon, need to understand that there really is no profit to anything under the sun not done in accordance with God's will.  One day, we will leave all this behind and will go to God with the good works we sent before.  The main thing that will matter is not silver and gold, but being in the presence of God.  Verse twelve says, And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.  Solomon was again reflecting on the wisdom and folly he had tried to gain purpose thorough, and asked what man who came after Him could do more.  There are many rich people in the world today who seem to think that they can find happiness through engaging totally in the riches, wisdom and center entertainment of this world.  They never are really satisfied, though. We, as followers of Christ cannot live the same way.  If Solomon, with all his riches could not find happiness through them, how can we expect to?  Verse thirteen continues, Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.  Hopefully we will be as smart as Solomon and choose wisdom over folly, but when we look at what is going on in the world today, I am not sure that most people do.  We don't have to walk in the darkness be Jesus gives us light for our path.  We simply have to follow in His wisdom and light.

Ecclesiastes 2:7 says, I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:  Solomon was not just a newly rich person.  He not only had servants, but he had them born in his house.  As King of Israel, he was called to lead the people of God, not shear them like sheep for his own pleasure.   We need leaders today, especially religious leaders, who are more interested in even the lowest of people, and not just Christians, than they are of their own personal wealth.  Solomon had more cattle than anyone in Jerusalem before him.  There is no doubt that he was a very rich man, but he was also very dissatisfied.  Verse eight says, I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.  Solomon was still looking for purpose in life, and now he looked to silver, gold, treasures, and entertainment.  Amassing treasures and looking to be entertained was not what Solomon was supposed to be doing.  He was supposed caring for God's people.  God's work must come first in all that we do. Verse nine says, So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. today are the same.  We can never hope to be as rich as Solomon, but through it all, his wisdom remained with Him.  He wasn't acting without considering what he was doing.  God gives us the wisdom to know what we should do, and also the wisdom to know when what we are doing is not right.  Verse ten says, And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.  Anything Solomon wanted, he got.  He felt this was his right, but his people did not fare as well.  Again, God does not bless us for our own selfish desires, but to help us reach the lost world.