What happensPermalink
The chapter opens with a poem describing the appointed times of human life, from birth and healing to death and destruction. God has placed eternity in the human heart, yet people cannot comprehend His work from beginning to end. They should do good and enjoy the work and gifts He gives them. Seeing wickedness where justice should prevail, the Preacher trusts that God will judge the righteous and the wicked, though humans and animals alike die and return to dust.
Why it mattersPermalink
Life’s changing seasons lie within God’s enduring work, beyond complete human understanding. This limitation calls for humility, reverence, and grateful enjoyment. Injustice appears to triumph under the sun, but God’s judgment remains certain. Death humbles every creature and exposes humanity’s inability to master life, directing people to fear God and faithfully receive the work before them.
Key versePermalink
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.