In this article, I’ll give a commentary on Ecclesiastes 3 6. This is the principle of “gain and loss.” It applies almost to all areas of life. There is a time when everything smiles at us; where everything seems to go on good wheels; where all the doors open for us; where all we succeed; where all the opportunities come to us. This period is related to the period of joy. This period is favorable when it fits according to the time, the will, and the way of God.
“A time to get and a time to lose. “ Ecclesiastes 3 6.
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3 6
When the time ” of gain or prosperity ” comes, we must be careful not to let ourselves be dominated by the love of goods and pride. On the contrary, here is what should be our attitude: ” (v.10) When you eat and be satisfied, you will bless the LORD your God … (v.11) Be careful not to forget the Lord, your God, to the point of not observing his commandments, his ordinances, and his laws … (v.12) When you will eat and be satisfied when you will build and live beautiful houses, (v.13) when you will see multiplying Thy fat and your little cattle, increase your silver and your gold, and increase all that is yours, (v.14) take care that your heart does not swell and that you forget about it. Jehovah your God … (v.17) Be careful not to say in your heart: my strength and the power of my hand have acquired me these riches. (v.18) Remember the LORD your God, for he will give you the strength to acquire them … (v.19) If you forget the Lord your God. You go after other gods, if you serve and prostrate before them, I formally declare to you today that you will perish … (v.20) because you will not have listened to the voice of the Lord, your God. ” – Deuteronomy, chapter 8 (Holy Bible).
We Must Be Prosperous for God and Our Neighbor
To be prosperous is not bad in itself, but it is the use we make of our prosperity that is likely to be bad: when it leads us to pride, greed, egoism, to vanity. When we are prosperous, we must be prosperous for God and our neighbors. True prosperity must bring us closer to God and make us realize that it is God who blesses us and not that it is the fruit of our personal efforts.
The Devil of our day holds many people in greed, ease, corruption, and illicit abundance by dangling them a semblance of prosperity. And so, they take their wealth, their property, and their money for their god. They do not fail to use this money for worldly purposes: the pleasures of this world, excess in luxury, and investing in things that ruin their lives and cause them to lose their souls. This kind of prosperity does not come from God.
God does not bless man to mislead him. Never! On the contrary, when God makes us prosperous, it is to make us channels of blessing for others and directs us to use our treasures for our moral, spiritual, and social welfare in accordance with its principles … God does not give prosperity to mislead his children. The blessing of God must contribute to the salvation of our souls and not ruin our souls and our whole life.
True and Holy Wealth Comes from God
Let us not be so obsessed with the idea of enrichment. True and holy wealth comes from God. Is it not written that “gold and silver belong to it” (Haggai 2: 8). Is it not ” God’s wish that we are prosperous in all respects as prosperous the state of our souls “? (3 John 2). However, consider this warning: “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation, into the devil, and into many foolish and pernicious desires that plunge men into ruin and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all evils, and some, being possessed, have gone astray from the faith and cast themselves into many torments. ” – 1 Timothy 6: 9-10.
God is not against wealth. But he warns us not to make wealth an obsession. But God’s wish is that we are in good health in abundance. That we honestly earn our living. That our activities prosper humbly in the legality. That our income abounds. May the joy of living to be our sharing. That we have a fulfilling life. Yes, God only wants the good, the happiness of his creatures. However, what is pleasing to God is that we seek ” first the Kingdom of God and what God asks. He will give you all the rest in addition “(Matthew 6:33, Bible version of The Sower).
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3 6 When the Time of Loss Is Coming
Just as there is a time for prosperity, there is also a time for a loss. Yes, in the life of man, there are times when we lose something: “the time of loss.” This is the period, when everything seems to be letting go, where nothing succeeds us. Where our income goes down, where our activities do not work as they should. Where it is difficult for us to reach our financial goals; where our ambitions seem to meet with failure. Where some doors seem too close to us; where we realize losses … This period, logically, must lead us to the time of the delay or the balance sheet, the deep reflection. It must bring us back to God as we have said, and not lead us to despair, to discouragement.
This is the time when the weakest think about suicide or deny the existence of God, or even take tortuous, illicit ways that only worsen their case and ultimately endanger their lives.
We Must Remain in the Time and the Will of God
When the time of the loss comes, we must remain in the time and the will of God. In these moments of loss, the devil uses this to create in us the guilt, the idea of cursing God [as was the case where the wife of Job asked him to curse God: see Job 2: 9]. Satan uses these moments of weakness to push us to question the justice, the goodness, the fidelity, the mercy of God in order to destabilize us.
This moment of loss refers to the moment of suffering, difficulty, pain, distress. This loss can be material (property, possessions), professional (work), sentimental (disappointment), social (the death of a loved one).
The Bible does not remain indifferent to this principle. We recommend reading the following scriptures: 2 Corinthians 9: 8 / Philippians 4: 12 / 1 Timothy 6: 17 / Deuteronomy 28 / Job 20: 4 – 29 / Psalm 37:16 / Psalms 66: 12 / Proverbs 3: 9-10 / Proverbs 15: 6 / Proverbs 21: 5 / Proverbs 30: 7-9 / Ezekiel 16: 49 / Malachi 3: 10-11.