Ecclesiastes 3:9-15: Meaning in Every Moment

Meaning in Every Moment: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

Our Scripture reading this morning comes from Ecclesiastes 3:9-15, so I’ll be reading a selection of verses from that passage. It says: 

⁹ What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. ¹⁴ I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵ That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

May God bless the reading of his Word.

 Many of you probably know the stories of Ancient Greek mythology; stories of Zeus on Mount Olympus and Hades ruling the Underworld. Tales of Hercules, Medusa, Icarus trying to build wings and fly up to the gods. But do you know the Myth of Sisyphus? The myth focuses on a king, named Sisyphus, who angered the gods. As punishment, the Greek gods condemn him to roll a massive boulder up a hill. And every time Sisyphus neared the top of the hill, the boulder would roll back down, forcing him to start again for the rest of eternity. This endless cycle became a symbol of futility, frustration, and meaningless labor.

 Do we often view our lives through the same lens? Do we view life as a cycle of futility, frustration, and meaningless labor? Do we question the purpose behind our efforts? Do we wrestle with the meaning of it all? The Bible, however, offers a radically different vision. God gives us tasks, not as punishment, but as participation. God gives us work as His beloved children. The Christian life does not trap us in a meaningless cycle; it leads us on a purposeful journey. When we walk with God, we find meaning in the mundane and discover that even our suffering leads us towards glory, because God redeems our scattered lives and lost seasons.

 But in order to maintain this perspective, we must gain a heavenly perspective. A perspective focused on what God has done throughout history and continues to do in our lives. It requires trust in God’s plan. Which brings us to the main idea of today’s passage:

Main idea- Trusting God’s eternal plan gives life purpose and joy.

 The book of Ecclesiastes serves as a brutally honest commentary of life’s fleeting nature. Chapter 1 identifies the author as “the son of David”. So, while not explicitly stated, we see this traditionally attributed to Solomon; who God granted unparalleled wisdom, and a long life full of riches and honor. So, he writes from the perspective of someone who has lived a full life; he had tasted wisdom, wealth, pleasure, and toil. But after experiencing all life has to offer, he then states, in chapter 1, that everything is “vanity”, everything is “meaningless”. Apart from God, everything we pursue serves our ego. Apart from God, everything eventually fades away, dies, and ultimately means nothing. Chapters 1 and 2 wrestle with this thought, examining the futility of human effort and the inevitable patterns of life. Chapter 3 begins with the famous “a time for everything” poem. Verses 1–8 acknowledge that every season of life has its place; a time for birth, a time for death, and time for everything in between. But how do we view everything in between? How do we think about the different seasons of life? It’s in light of all the ups and downs we experience, that we come to our main text. Verses 9-11 begins showing that…

I. God Gives Life Purpose, 9-11

When life becomes increasingly difficult, when tempted to despair, we wonder if life has meaning, and we beg the question, as we come to v.9…

A. Do Our Lives Have Purpose? 9

“⁹ What gain has the worker from his toil?” We all work every day, whether in our occupation or our roles in the household. We carry the various responsibilities, and sometimes burdens, that come with these roles. And Ecclesiastes asks, what’s the point? Why do we continue in our labor? What do we have to gain? And that’s not a cynical question to ask. That’s a cry from the soul, an honest plea for understanding. We see this kind of desperation all throughout the Psalms. Psalm 6:2-3 says, “² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. ³ My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long?” It’s the question every weary heart asks when the alarm rings in the morning. Sometimes, it rings again and again, when we don’t seem to have the strength to get up that day. When working long hours becomes expected, when efforts feel fruitless, when trials do not end. “O Lord—how long?” What’s the gain? What’s the purpose?

If you find yourself asking these questions, that’s okay! David asked these questions. Solomon asked these questions. At some point, we all do. Let these questions drive you to the answer. That longing for answers and relief reminds us that we were not made for endless toil. It reminds us of our need for a savior. It invites us to lift our eyes from the grind of life and fix them upwards towards God.  

So while v.9 asks us “Do our lives have purpose?”, vv.10-11 assures us that

 B. God Makes Life Beautiful, 10-11

^"10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

Everything that keeps us busy, whether its our occupation or our roles in the household, comes from God. God gives us everything that we experience. “I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man”. He has given us this business of life to be busy with. But don’t despair, because God assures us, in v.1 , that it all has a purpose, saying “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” That word “beautiful” also translates to “appropriate” or “fitting”, meaning everything serves a purpose. Not just some things. “Everything”. We see some gifts from God as beautiful; New job, new baby, a new life in Christ. Other things don’t appear as “beautiful”. The loss of job, the loss of a loved one, those living far from Christ. Because of sin, things do not always appear beautiful. They feel dull, devastating, and dark. But God makes “everything beautiful in it’s time.” Because God redeems not just some things, but all things. Romans 8:28 says “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God redeems “all things” for our good and His glory. Only when we live to serve God do we gain purpose in the different seasons of life, even in the darkest of seasons. And it doesn’t say we make life beautiful, it says “God” makes life beautiful. The gain does not come from us or from toil itself. It comes from God. The God who redeems us. Who saves us. Who comforts us. Who weeps with us. Who removes the sting of death. Who provides resurrection and eternal life. The God who “makes everything beautiful in its time”. When we labor in faith, when we carry our burdens fixed upon Christ, God does not waste our toil. He redeems every moment in its time, for His glory and our good, even if you can’t see it right now. 

So again, if you struggle to understand the season of life God has you in, that’s okay! Let your questions drive you to the cross. Because there, in the suffering of the Son of God, we see the ultimate gain from the ultimate toil. God makes the darkest day of human history the most beautiful day imaginable. When the enemy thought he’d won, Christ died for our sins and rose in eternal victory. He secured our salvation through His toil. He did not labor in vain. And neither do we as His church. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” That’s the answer. That’s the gospel answer. Abound in the work of the Lord in every season, even in times of great sorrow, even in death. Even if you can’t see it now, He will make it beautiful in its time, because we share in Christ’s victory over sin and death. So, don’t measure your gain by your circumstances. Don’t measure your gain by what you do. Measure it by what He’s already done for you. He secured your victory through His finished work.

Sometimes, it’s very hard to think that way. Because by nature, we want to see progress for our efforts. When things feel uncertain, we want to know the whole plan. We want answers, and we want them now. V.11 says, you can’t have the answers, at least not all of them, because “he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” We have this longing for something more. This eternity-sized hole that God has placed in our hearts, but we try to fill it with temporal things: things that do not last. We strive for meaning and answers apart from God. But here, it says that we “cannot find out what God has done from beginning to the end.” We want to know how we got here, and where we’re going. We want to know the whole plan.

Dutch Christian holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boom, described life like a tapestry. She said, “Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery, there is a crown.” You see, from one side of the tapestry, the different threads appear chaotic. But when we turn over that same tapestry, we see how those threads create something beautiful. Here, we see a woman who experienced a holocaust but could see God’s hand weaving meaning and beauty even in the chaos.

Likewise, the thread of our lives often feel chaotic. With eternity in our hearts, we long to see how things fit together. But that’s why He’s given us that longing. So that in our search for answers, we will come to Him. You cannot fill this eternity-sized hole in your heart with temporal things or your own understanding. You must fill it with the eternal God. From God’s perspective, life does not consist of chaotic threads. He sees the other side of the tapestry, He crafts all the seasons of life together and makes them beautiful. He sees the beginning and the end, the sorrow and the joy, and He weaves them together with perfect wisdom. What looks like randomness to us is radiant design to Him. So, when life feels tangled and knotted, do not despair. Let your longing for “seeing how all things fit together” lead you to deeper intimacy with the One who holds all things together and makes life beautiful.

Vv. 9-11 show us that God gives life purpose, vv. 12-15 tells us that

II. God Gives Life Joy, 12-15

And to…

A. Receive Joy as God’s Gift, 12-13

“¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”

Verse 12 tells us “to be joyful”. Worldly joy is often circumstantial; tied to success, comfort, entertainment, or personal achievement. The world says, “Be joyful…when things go your way.” It’s fleeting, fragile, and dependent on our circumstances. In contrast, biblical joy finds root in God’s character, not in our circumstances. It’s a fruit of the Spirit, as Galatians 5 tells us. And 1Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice always”. It’s not something we wait to do. Ecclesiastes calls joy one of “God’s gifts to man”, something we receive, not something we earn. Our joy comes from our connection to God. In John chapter 15, Jesus says “I am the vine, you are the branches”, meaning that believers are connected to Christ. And in verse 11, He says “¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy” That is, the joy of Christ, “may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Through our connection to Christ, He gifts us His joy. We share in His love and experience a fullness of joy the world cannot offer. So, our joy comes from our connection to the vine. Our joy comes from Christ.

Verse 12 continues, saying “to do good”. Worldly goodness is often self-defined and self-serving; measured by social approval, moral performance, or personal benefit. The world says, “Do good…when it feels good, or, do good… so that good will be done to you.” It’s subjective and transactional. In contrast, biblical goodness flows from a transformed heart rooted in God. Biblical goodness is sacrificial, aimed at glorifying God and loving others well. God is good, from His goodness flows His justice, love, mercy, and truth. We ought reflect all of those in how we live. Our goodness comes from God. And just as we saw that our joy comes from our connection to Christ, our goodness also flows from our connection to Him, apart from which we can do nothing. Connected to Christ, we bear much fruit. We “do good” as a response to God’s grace. Our good fruit comes from our connection to the vine. Our goodness comes from Christ.

So, when Ecclesiastes says to “be joyful and do good,” it’s not a call to shallow happiness or moralism. God calls us to receive joy as a gift, and reflect God’s goodness.

Verse 13 continues, “¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”. Ecclesiastes tells us to enjoy God’s provision. Don’t minimize what God provides for you. Don’t spend time comparing and coveting your neighbor’s provision, ignoring the gifts God has given you. Eat, drink, enjoy God’s provision. Jesus came eating and drinking, often sharing meals, celebrations, and feasts with His friends. Jesus shows us that we can give God glory in how we enjoy the provision He’s given us. “This is God’s gift to man.”

And notice, that even work itself is a gift. It says to “take pleasure” in all our toil. That phrase “take pleasure” more literally translates, “to see that its good”. Do we see our toil as “good”? Or do we see our toil as a curse? Or something that came about as a result of the curse? Part of the Genesis 3 curse was that Adam would work by the “sweat of His face”. Right? Labor became difficult and we feel the impact of this. We feel the strain of work.

But Genesis 2:15, before Adam sinned, says “¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Adam was made to work and serve God. Likewise, we were made to work and serve God. Work is not the curse. Sin makes us weak so that work feels hard, but we were made to work and serve. And Ecclesiastes tells us to “take pleasure” doing that. “To see that its good.”

We pray for that new job, and when we get it, it feels like a blessing. But over time, we start to dread that job. We forget that God gave us that job as an answer to prayer. We turn a blessing from God into a burden.

Maybe, God has blessed you with children and you know they are a blessing; but it’s work to raise children. And even for a brief moment, you get overwhelmed and forget. You forget to take pleasure in your toil because it becomes hard. We all do this to some degree, but Jesus shows us that in order to take pleasure, in order to see our toil as good, we must focus on the God we serve. Jesus says, in John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” Christ knew that He was sent to accomplish His Father’s work; to serve the Father in His life, and to serve the Father in His death. Christ found satisfaction doing the will of His Father, it nourished His spirit like food nourishes our bodies. He could take pleasure and see that His work was good, even as He endured the greatest toil in history on the cross, because Jesus knew He served the Father in His toil.  

Do we see our toil this way? Do we see our work as good and take pleasure in it, knowing that we are serving God? Following Christ’s example, we can take pleasure and work as Colossians 3:23-24 tells us to, saying, “²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” So take pleasure in the toil He’s called you to. God wants you to serve Him exactly where He's placed you for this season, God has purpose in where He has you. When we truly know that, we can then receive the gift of joy and take pleasure in the toil God has gifted us. Vv. 12-13 tell us to receive joy as a gift, vv. 14-15 tell us to… 

B. Trust God’s Eternal Plan, 14-15

“¹⁴ I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵ That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.”

V.14 says that “whatever God does endures forever”. Nothing can disrupt His plans. We don’t add to His plans. We don’t take away from His plans, “whatever God does endures…” So, if only God’s work endures forever, that implies that man’s work does not. The things of this world, the things apart from God, will not last. Isaiah 1:31 says “³¹ And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.” God’s work endures forever. Man’s work does not, in fact, it burns. Apart from God, it will not last. All men and their work will be tested by fire, and only what is of God will endure. So, are you serving God in your efforts or are you serving yourself? Only God’s work will endure.

Verse 14 continues, “God has done it, so that people fear before him.” The Bible speaks of fear differently than our culture does. In the Hebrew, it has multiple meanings. It can mean “to be afraid”. But it also means “to honor, to revere, or to respect”, the way a child should fear his father. Not “to be afraid” of him, but to respect and honor him, to listen to him, to obey his father out of love, knowing that if he doesn’t, the child deserves punishment. You see, God makes the work of His Son known, “so that people fear before him.” Meaning, so that they will respect and honor Christ.

But many hear the truth of God and scoff, they turn from God and go their own way. But as we said, man and his work will not endure, judgement will come. Brothers and sisters, we endure forever; not because we’re better than anyone else, but because God’s work endures. Christ’s finished work for our salvation endures so that we can have eternal life. Not because of our work, but because of His. And if you have not trusted in Christ’s finished work, I plead with you to do so, because only His work will last. Again, God’s work endures forever, apart from God, it will not last.

Verse 15 then tells us, “That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been;” You’ve probably heard the saying, “history repeats itself”. Well, this verse touches on that idea, that these different seasons of life will continue. They’ve happened before. And they will happen again, there is nothing new under the sun. Times of war and peace, celebration and sorrow, will continue. And again, we see that from God’s perspective, the future is just as certain as the past. Because God is not bound by time, nothing surprises Him.  He is in fact, the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. The Author and the Finisher. Everything accomplishes what God purposes.

But the verse ends in a curious way. “and God seeks what has been driven away.” So, what does this mean? What exactly “has been driven away” that God “seeks”? Well, at the core this verse, we see a God who seeks. A God who pursues. That even while God writes the entirety of history, He remains close. He seeks after “what has been driven away.”

 Ezekiel 34:11–12 tells us. “¹¹ For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” Verse 16 continues, “¹⁶ I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.”  

God searches and seeks out the lost. He seeks out the sheep that have been scattered. He rescues them from darkness. He brings back those who have gone astray. He gathers the weak and the broken. He seeks those who have been “driven away.” And to make it even clearer, the Gospels tell us that Jesus Christ seeks and saves the lost. He is the Good Shepherd. The one who gathers the sheep as one flock united in Christ. And while we may sometimes feel scattered, we know the Good Shepherd seeks His sheep.

We may feel lost and “driven away” in the chaos of this world. But this world is not our home. God continues to seek out and gather His sheep, but His plan does not end there.

Revelation 21:3–4 tells us the plan, “³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” What God does endures forever, everything else “passes away”. God will remove sin from creation, because sin is not of God. “Death shall be no more.” No more weeping, mourning, or pain anymore. He will remove every sorrow in the joy of His presence. So even in the mystery of time where past, present, and future seem tangled; God sees it all, with the future just as certain as the past. The same Shepherd who rescues in Ezekiel, who wipes tears in Revelation, is the One who redeems our scattered lives and lost seasons. He saves and “seeks what has been driven away.” So, when you feel like your story has unraveled, remember: He seeks, He rescues, He gathers, and like that tapestry, He weaves your life according to His eternal design; one that endures forever. He provides a hope that produces everlasting joy. Trusting God’s eternal plan, a plan accomplished in Christ, gives life purpose and joy.