II. HIS DEEPER OBSERVATIONS 3:1-10:20
A. God's Design for Life 3:1-22
1. He gives life's order of events. (1-11)
a. Solomon concludes that all the events of life are divinely appointed. [v1-8]
1) birth and death
2) planting and harvesting
3) killing (death by disease) and healing
4) breaking down and building up
5) weeping and laughing
6) mourning and rejoicing
7) casting away and gathering stones
8) embracing and not embracing (hello and goodbye)
9) getting and losing
10) keeping and casting away (Biblical authority for "cleaning house")
11) rending and sewing (grieving and repentance)
12) silence and speaking
13) loving and hating (Christians should hate: Ps. 97:10, evil; Prov. 6:16-19, the things that God hates)
14) war and peace
b. He observes that God has given man an eternal perspective so that he can look beyond his daily routine, but....
c. Still, God has not revealed all of life's mysteries to man. [v9-11]
2. God is the giver of good gifts of life. (12-13)
a. Man is unable to understand God's plan...
b. We are earthly, and temporally minded, so...
c. There is nothing better for him to do than to resolve to do good and enjoy the gifts of God in life.
3. God gives the perspective of future judgment. (14-21)
a. God's work is settled, and it cannot be added to or taken away from. [v14]
b. God ordained the cycles of life. [v15]
c. God will judge and it shall be righteous judgment. [v16-17]
d. Man and beast will suffer the common fate of death, but man will face the judgment. [v18-21]
4. Conclusion: (22)
a. Serve God faithfully and enjoy what we receive from God.
b. Knowing that God is in sovereign control of life, we can submit to Him and be at peace.