This breaking down can refers to walls, buildings, and even nations. We see some examples of this in the following passages:
Isaiah 5:5, "And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down."
God was not requesting permission, rather, He was warning His people. God will warn peoples and individuals of coming judgment. It is up to us to obey and know that He will carry out that judgment if we do not.
Jeremiah 18:7-10, "The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it."
Obedience and prayer can stop God's hand from bringing planned destruction; rebellion and disobedience will forfeit the blessings God intended for you and your family, ministry, etc.
Wether literally, spiritually, or both, the old things must be torn down before they can be built back up.
4. A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
God's plan involves a time for each of these things. As a part of HIs plan, we will experience times of joy and times of sorrow.
John 11:35 says, "Jesus wept." Since we are to follow Christ's example, then weeping is a part of the life of a Christian. God doesn't want us to harden and become cold. He gave us emotions and sometimes they are best dealth with through weeping. Wether from hurt and grieving, or through our praise and worship.
Believers mourn the loss of life, but we mourn differently than unbelievers, or those who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope." We mourn with the hope that we will see our saved loved ones again.
Christ spoke these words in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted." We can rest assured that we can receive comfort on earth now, and after our Savior returns for us. The Holy Spirit is not only our Teacher, but also our Comforter, if only we will allow Him to be.
In keeping in step with Christ's example, we should always be there for one another...Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
Examples of the Holy Spirit comforting God's people followng persecution, can be found in Acts, 9:31, "Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied."
and after His return...
Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Dancing, leaping, and laughing are ways of expressing joy.
Psalm 149:2-3, "Let Israel rejoice in the Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them bring praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
Psalm 150:4, "Praise Him with timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!"
Psalm 126:2, "Then was our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'"
5: A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
Cultivation brought a time to "cast away" stones. They would move rocks from where they were going to plant. When it was time to build, they would "gather stones."
In war, the stones would be used to hinder the opposing side. We see an example of this in 2 Kings 3:19, 25, "Also you should attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones." Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all of the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it."
b. A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to embrace would be such as showing affection for a friend or loved one. It is not appropriate to passionately "embrace" in public, exercising no self-control.
