"A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
Ecclesiastes 3:3-4
How many times might you have read this passage? What do you see in this text? How much do we learn from this text? What is this text saying? Is this all about the "seasons" in our temporal life? Or, could there be an even deeper spiritual meaning?
Listen to what a guy who lived in 1841 got out of it: (Of course, this poor guy missed the opportunity to be enlightened by the "Beatles" deep and life changing philosophies)
"The work of grace upon the soul may be divided into two distinct operations of the Spirit of God upon the heart; the one is to break down the creature into nothingness and self-abasement before God; the other is to exalt the crucified Jesus as "God over all, blessed forever," upon the wreck and ruin of the creature. And these two lessons distinct, and yet so far combined as to tend to one center– the glory of God in the salvation of the soul. The blessed Spirit writes with power upon every quickened vessel of mercy– "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
J. C. Philpot - 1841
This excerpt is from a sermon preached on just this passage alone. Ever read this passage in Ecclesiastes and see what this man did? He saw this passage as representing Christ and the Cross and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the human soul. As Christ said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. We must be killed (die to ourselves) and be born-again to new life; we must be broken before we can be built up; we must weep over our sin so that we can find joy in our salvation; we must mourn when we struggle with the old nature, so that when God's grace prevails in our life we are so filled with joy in Him that we want to dance in the street! The irresistible grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit does this in a man.
Dang, I love these "dead" guys.
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
Ecclesiastes 3:3-4
How many times might you have read this passage? What do you see in this text? How much do we learn from this text? What is this text saying? Is this all about the "seasons" in our temporal life? Or, could there be an even deeper spiritual meaning?
Listen to what a guy who lived in 1841 got out of it: (Of course, this poor guy missed the opportunity to be enlightened by the "Beatles" deep and life changing philosophies)
"The work of grace upon the soul may be divided into two distinct operations of the Spirit of God upon the heart; the one is to break down the creature into nothingness and self-abasement before God; the other is to exalt the crucified Jesus as "God over all, blessed forever," upon the wreck and ruin of the creature. And these two lessons distinct, and yet so far combined as to tend to one center– the glory of God in the salvation of the soul. The blessed Spirit writes with power upon every quickened vessel of mercy– "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
J. C. Philpot - 1841
This excerpt is from a sermon preached on just this passage alone. Ever read this passage in Ecclesiastes and see what this man did? He saw this passage as representing Christ and the Cross and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the human soul. As Christ said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. We must be killed (die to ourselves) and be born-again to new life; we must be broken before we can be built up; we must weep over our sin so that we can find joy in our salvation; we must mourn when we struggle with the old nature, so that when God's grace prevails in our life we are so filled with joy in Him that we want to dance in the street! The irresistible grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit does this in a man.
Dang, I love these "dead" guys.
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