Ecclesiastes 11:1–6 (2)

Opener: This is an incredible section of Scripture that we will be looking at tonight. I have been wrestling with this text for weeks and I hope that what I have prepared will be edifying for the group.

Background/context

Look at Ecclesiastes 11:1–6 in your Bible and follow along.

Cast Your Bread on the Waters

1 Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

6 Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

From Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 we will see three wisdom principles, so that you may be bold even though you are totally ignorant about the future.

I. You are called to SEND FORTH your resources in the midst of risk

Look at vs. 1, where we see the main thrust of this section. Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

In the beginning of that verse, the verb “Cast” here is a command that the author is giving. The Hebrew word can mean ‘send’, to ‘send out’, ‘dispatch’, or simply ‘Cast’. And notice the word, “bread”, which can be translated ‘food’, ‘bread’, ‘mana’, or in a broader sense your ‘assets’, ‘goods’, ‘resources’, ‘merchandise’.

So, Solomon is calling us to action. He is saying to “cast your bread”; “send your resources”; “dispatch your assets” on the surface of the water.

What does it mean? And why is it important? Solomon, throughout the book of Ecclesiastes is telling you that this world is broken; his anthem theme is - “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (1:2) And we saw the proof that all is vanity under the sun from chapters 1-7. I don’t know about you, but when we read and see the repetitiveness of life, the emptiness of striving after pleasures(2:1-3), the vanity in pursuing great accomplishments (2:4-17), the lack of control we have in this life (3:1-9;4:1-16;10:1-15), and the looming sentence of death regardless of age… Someone might want to through their hands in the air and say ‘what’s the point’. Well, The point is - Solomon is helping us by giving us wisdom; what is the wisest way to live in the midst of vanity and is glorifying to God.

And Look Solomon knows that when it comes to our resources we can be prone to fear and not know what to do with them, so he gives a simple command - be bold and send your resources forth.

Look at the end of vs. 1, for you will find it after many days. So this could be referencing a business endeavor where Solomon is sending out a ship upon the surface of the water like we read in 1 Kings 10:22, “For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.” Notice that the investment was not an immediate return, but after many days.

Another place we see this enterprise reference is in the illustration of the Proverbs 31 woman when it says, “She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar” (Prov. 31:14). Notice again the blessing and imagery of an enterprise that brings food or (same word for bread) from afar.

So, if verse 1 is giving the sense of business and enterprise wisdom - then with your resources, you are to be proactively sending them out (this could be investing or giving), but to be clear it is unwise to be inactive even when we perceive risk. Your motivation should not be how do I protect, guard my resources, and get comfort in this life (We don’t live for the here and now, but for the eternal life that we already have in Christ). If we know that God is truly Sovereign then we certainly should not be driven by the fear of loss. But be bold – Send forth your resources entrusting yourself to God! --That brings us to outline point number 2.

{ #1# Let me ask you – Would you be characterized as someone who wisely utilizes their resources in business investment and liberality in your giving? Or would you be someone who doesn’t do anything in either investment or giving because of risk? How can you grow with this perspective Solomon gives? }

II. You are called to ACTIVELY DIVERSIFY your assets

Look toward the beginning of vs. 2, Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, This is another command, meaning ‘you do this’, So with your assets you are to “divide” (also translated give) your “portion”, (such as food, goods, money, property, etc.) “to seven, or even to eight,” Why would this be wise?

Look at the end of vs. 2, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. Look, We live in a sin cursed earth where the possibility of a famine striking, hurricanes hitting, a pandemic sickness spreading across the globe, or you lose your livelihood next week. misfortunes and risks are many, so let me ask you what are some wisdom principles we can gain from verses 1 & 2?

[timeless principal: diversify]

[Application] A practical application for you may be taking a look at the income that is coming into your bank account and look to diversify it into other investments. Also, what about giving? A practical application would be to proactively look to give in many ways such as bringing food to a fellowship group, offering a meal or service to a widow in the church, invite the college age kid who has no family intown to dinner.

[does anyone have any others to add or encouragements about this]

Look at vs. 3,The author is about to launch into a building case on the reality of your ignorance. It started in the middle of vs. 2, When the preacher says “for you do not know”; this statement is repeated three times in this section. This is the first point about our ignorance on the earth. Notice verse 3, If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. Think, if you were a farmer in the days of Solomon, you (the farmer) would have invested everything you had into the seed for next years harvest. If there wasn’t enough water reaching your crop it would die. And If it rained too much your seed would drown or get washed out. We can see that, hey, if the clouds are full then rain might come down, but we can’t control the weather patterns nor avoid the damage that may come. The simple observation Solomon makes in this verse just points to our inability to control or avoid natural events.

Look at the middle of vs. 3, ‘a tree falls’,

I searched on google how many trees there are in the world and they honesty don’t know, but maybe close to about 3 trillion trees. Now imagine how many of those are falling right now… That’s a weird thought. But you understand that he is getting at the same point. Natural events happen and ‘there it lies’ -God is meticulously sovereign over nature.

Our subpoint (B) in our outline is, “The inability to time circumstance (Ecc. 11:4)” Look toward the beginning of vs. 4, He who watches the wind will not sow this is the man characterized as someone who is not taking action. He watches the wind – Why? The text doesn’t say why, but it does suggest that the activity, ‘to sow’, would have normally been performed, but is not being done. This farmer knows that if his seed gets blown off the fertile ground the crop may not grow and flourish like planned. But how can someone perfectly time wind? You might be sitting on the sidelines a long time just watching wind.

Trying to time something financially, that could cost you big, will breed anxiety in the heart and cause inactivity in your deeds.

Look at the end of vs. 4, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. The perfect time to harvest a crop is not when it is wet, because wet grain will mold unless after the harvest it is dried out before storing. Do you see how this man is inactive because he is trying to time things? In contrast Wisdom commands us, from verses 1, 2, and 6, as a call to action in the midst of all these risks and unknowns.

You may know people that say – I am waiting for the housing market to crash so I can jump buy a great deal… well those people were saying that back in 2018 thinking for sure 2020 covid would have done it, now look at today. Or maybe you heard – I will start giving when I am at a better position in work.. Are you watching the wind on some things?

Look at vs. 5,here is the climax of our ignorance Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, Stop there, if we weren’t already sold on the fact that we aren’t able to know which misfortune will strike (vs. 2), or if you weren’t sold on the fact that you can’t control natural events, or know the perfect timing of things… Here is the most relatable “you do not know” statements. The baby in the womb. Note that the ESV translates “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child” This is because the Hebrew word that is for wind is also the word translated spirit. When that baby is forming in the womb it is a little soul with flesh and bones. Look at the end of vs. 5, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

This is the pinacol; this is the uncontested, pride crushing, conclusive perspective that you should have when thinking about unknow-outcomes, risks, and misfortunes that may occur on the earth. “you do not know the activity of God” – God, not you, is the maker and sustainer of all things. He knows your frame; listen to David in Psalm 139 (NASB95)

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

5 You have enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

VS.13 For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

You who are listening and thinking through what has been said should consider studying and being grounded in the concept of the Sovereignty of God. –

[Feedback]

Our last point:

III. You are called to WORK DILIGENTLY

Look at the beginning of vs. 6, Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, Here is another command given; it a call to work. “in the morning and in the evening” – give the sense that you are to be working diligently. Look at the middle of vs. 6 for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good. That is the reason why you are to work diligently because, again, “you do not know” the outcome. There are many proverbs on the sluggard and the slack of hand who are regarded as a fool (Pr. 6:6-9; 12:24; 21:25). Those are just a few. Proverbs 12:24, “The hand of the diligent will rule, But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.”

Conclusion: Beloved, if you haven’t considered how you are utilizing your resources for God’s glory this would be a text to continue to study. And if you are one who gets paralyzed with anxiety when it comes to the unknowns, risks, and the worst case scenarios start to run through your brain – then remind yourself in the moment of Gods sovereignty. His steadfast love and faithfulness have never failed you and never will. Christ has promises to be with you. And now Wisdom calls you to Send forth your resources, Diversify, and be Diligent.