All life events are under God's control and happen at the times He has appointed. Solomon sums up life in the next seven verses by splitting 14 pairs of contrasts into 7 sets of life activities. The number "7" has the spiritual meaning of "completeness". The word "season" refers to a fixed time. Nothing happens by chance. The only event which is not ordained is our own salvation. God leaves that decision to us.
3:2a A time to be born, and a time to die;
We have no control of when we are born. We have no control over our gender or who are parents are. We have no control over our looks, shape or size. Each life, no matter the length of it, plays a part in God's ultimate plan.
We read in Genesis of Isaac's appointed time to enter the world. Genesis 21:2, For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
The knowledge that this couple were up in years, emphasizes that God is complete control and things do happen in His time. His time is not always when we think it should be, nor does it always surround events we consider normal.
David addresses God in Psalm 139:16, Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
and again in
Psalm 90:10, The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
The reference "fly away" means to pass on. In the flesh, we are all appointed to die and we are reminded of this in Hebrews 9:27, And it is appointed for men once to die, but after this the judgment,
We should make absolutely sure that we are spiritually ready for that day and that we have prepared ourselves in such a way that we have no doubt in eternal life with our Savior.
David calls on God by first acknowledging that He is in control of David's life and his need for Him. This is how we should all approach the Father, Psalm 31:15, My times are in Your hands; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persectute me."
James sums up life this way, James 4:14, whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
3:2b a time to plant, and a time to pluck that which is planted;
Jesus spoke in the NT of planting and harvesting. There will always be a time of planting and a time of harvest as long as the earth exists. The time of the end is referred to as the time of "harvest" of souls.
Matthew 9:37-38, Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
