Turn, Turn, Turn
Submitted by Ted Mock
October 2, 2024
Ec 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
In my daily Bible reading this morning I was in Ecclesiastes, reading and making notes in a Bible for a young man named Sam, who is a musician. When I came to chapter three, the first eight verses reminded me of a popular song from my youth. The title of the song was, “Turn, Turn, Turn” and was sung by a folk rock group, The Byrds. It was written by Pete Seegar in 1959 and recorded by other groups, but the Byrds took it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1965.
I am not trying to promote Rock music, and as a teen I heard many sermons against Rock and Roll and was not allowed to listen to it. But like many teens at the time, I still heard plenty of the popular songs when I was around my friends. You should have seen the look on some of my friends faces when I told them that the number one song was taken directly from the Bible.
The reason I wrote about it in the margins of Sam’s Bible was to make a point that even pop culture is affected by God’s Word. The power and influence of Scripture cannot be bound. Written thousands of years ago, it still impacts every aspect of our modern world.
I concluded my remarks with, “There is nothing more powerful than this Book you hold in your hands!” I trust that one day, when he reads this portion, he will be encouraged to use his musical gift for the Lord.
Consider – Of all the times and seasons of our lives, the end purpose is that we be conformed to the Image of the Lord Jesus.
