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Answer
King Solomon emphasizes that human existence is a continuous cycle of beginnings and endings, births and deaths, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain. Across fourteen contrasting times and seasons of life, he concludes that God reigns over them all (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). God intentionally orchestrates each moment to weave the intricate tapestry of our lives “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”, (Ecclesiastes 3:11). As believers, we must rely on Him to blend the threads and fibers according to His divine purpose “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”, (Romans 8:28).
Paired with “a time to kill, and a time to heal” is “a time to break down, and a time to build up” “a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;”, (Ecclesiastes 3:3, ESV). In the original Hebrew, the words translated as “break down” mean “to cause to fall or collapse, tear down, pull down.” The contrasting term “build up” refers to “develop, enlarge, construct, or increase by degrees or in stages.”
Solomon’s “time to break down” and “time to build up” allude to the processes of destruction and reconstruction. As a master builder and developer of ancient architectural marvels, Solomon would have been well acquainted with the necessity of demolishing and removing old, decaying structures before erecting new buildings in their place.Their place. In the construction process, there is an appropriate time for both breaking down and building up.
In the Old Testament, Jeremiah’s prophecies forecast the breaking down and building up of peoples, nations, and kingdoms “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”, (Jeremiah 1:10). He foresaw a future time when God would rebuild and plant so that His people and their land could be restored (Jeremiah 31:27-29).
In a spiritual sense, believers experience seasons of breaking down the old way of life and building up the new. Christians are to “put to death” or destroy the flesh—the “earthly nature.” We must do away with or tear down our old way of life and “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:5-10;ESV). God has given us spiritual weapons “to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5;NLT).
The process of sanctification involves the Holy Spirit working within us to rebuild and reshape us according to the pattern and image of Christ (Romans 8:29-30). The apostle Peter describes the process: “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” “ye”Also, as living stones, you are being built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” , (1 Peter 2:5, NLT).
Those who are filled with pride are bound to face times of destruction: “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18; NLT; see also Proverbs 18:12). The Bible mentions a wide road that leads to ruin for those who do evil (Matthew 7:13; Isaiah 59:7; Isaiah 28:22). “Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve. Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never build them up again!” declares Psalm 28:4-5 (NLT).
The fate of the ungodly is to be torn down and destroyed, while the mission of the body of Christ, the church, is to build up (Ephesians 4:11-12, 16; 1 Corinthians 14:12). God has given His servants authority not to tear others down, but to edify one another (2 Corinthians 10:8; 2 Corinthians 13:10; Romans 14:19). Our words should not be “corrupt,” but should be “helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” , (Ephesians 4:29). Paul taught, “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11; see also Romans 15:2).
There are times when God must break up the fallow ground of sin in the believer’s heart «Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. », (Hosea 10:12). He often uses painful seasons to discipline us and bring us back to Him in repentance (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:5-11). He does this because He loves us. James says that the result of the Lord’s discipline is stronger, more steadfast faith (James 1:2-4), as well as the breaking down of sin’s hold over us (John 8:31-36).
Just as there is a season for every matter under heaven, there is a time to break down and a time to build up. In times when you feel torn asunder, when everything seems to be falling apart, remember and trust that God is rebuilding your life on the firm, unshakable, and everlasting foundation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49; 1 Corinthians 3:10-17; Ephesians 2:19-22).
