09/20/2017 THE CHANGING SEASONS
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…. [Revised Standard translation]
BIBLICAL COMMENTS
There are a number of books in the Bible that some have labeled “wisdom literature.” These books include the Book of Job, Psalms, the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The word “Ecclesiastes” is a Latin transliteration* of the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Koheleth.” “Koheleth” means “Gatherer” but is traditionally translated as “Teacher” or “Preacher.” See, www.wikipedia.com.
In Ecclesiastes 1:1, the Kohleleth or Preacher/Teacher identifies himself as the son of David, Solomon. The “words” of the text are in the form of an autobiographical narrative. The subject matter appears to be “the meaning of life.”
According to The Teacher/The Koheleth, everything has a season or a time.
After considering the seasons and many things about human life—birth, death, the search for wisdom, the desire for advancement, the vanity of wealth and honor, the attempts to please our appetite for things, the search for virtue and wisdom, and after much study, teaching, the Teacher gives us his conclusions about “the whole matter.” In essence, he gives us what he has learned from studying everything as follows:
Fear GOD, and keep HIS commandments….
Ecclesiastes 1:13. Why? Because only GOD remains the same. We can find comfort and hope in knowing that HE is the same—yesterday, today and tomorrow and that HE is in control.
*A transliteration is a conversion of a word or text from one script to the alphabet of another script.