Buffalo Nickels Facing the Wrong Way
Notes
Transcript
There’s an Andy Griffith episode. Barney once to invest and so he tries to jump into the record making company. An agent for a record company comes into town to make a record of North Carolina blue grass music. Barney keeps floating the term diversify, so that he wants to put his money in many different things, so that he can cover his bases. Andy then sells Barney a nickel where the buffalo is facing the wrong way, which it isn’t, but Andy almost gets Barney to pay a couple dollars for it.
It’s a funny episode, all the shenanigans that Barney goes through to try to diversify and them protect his investments.
Diversification can be very good. Maggie and I have some investments, and we picked a guy to handle them who would wisely diversify our investments. However, sometimes diversification is not the right option. In our passage today, Solomon talks about good diversification and bad diversification.
Let’s read the passage.
Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Everything is meaningless!”
We are coming to the end of this passage. One more sermon left. And Thanksgiving between us and that sermon.
As we consider all the ways that God has blessed us and thank him for his blessings, let’s consider wisdom in diversity and wisdom in remembering God.
Will you pray with me?
1. Wisdom in Diversity
1. Wisdom in Diversity
Solomon begins his section with a discussion of economics.
Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
This is a popularly quoted verse for charity. Mostly because of an unfortunate King James translation
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
It is the basis for the old proverb: Cast your bread on the waters and it shall return to you. Many people have taught that if we help others, we shall receive back more than what we gave.
Which sometimes happens, and many times doesn’t.
I’m not up here to talk about charity or the many ways that our God blesses us when we obey him in helping others.
And neither is Solomon.
Solomon is talking about economics. In these verses, he is discussing a merchant. Travel over the sea is not safe. The ship can capsize in a storm, everything could be lost.
However, the same can happen on land. So, send some by land, send some by sea, diversify. Dabble in this trade and dabble in that trade, so that hopefully, the merchant can make something.
Solomon turns to farmers a little later.
Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
He urges the farmers to diversify their use of time, planting many different types of crops. Not being content with their first crop planted, but adding a second and a third, even if it means taking more hours in the field right now, so that hopefully, there will be return.
There is wisdom in diversity. Having all our bases covered.
That’s why during fellowship meals I take a little bit from everything: I want to cover all my bases, just in case one thing doesn’t taste good, I still have others. And I don’t want anyone to think that I am avoiding their food.
2. Because Everything Is Uncertain
2. Because Everything Is Uncertain
There is wisdom in diversity because everything is uncertain.
Solomon explains the world:
If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
Calamity will come. We just don’t know when it will come.
It seems like all farmers or ranchers have Weather Underground on their phones. It’s a great app. You can see weather predictions for the next 10 days. So, we are fairly sure what is going to happen. Yet, we really don’t.
We don’t know when a tornado is going to come through. We don’t know when a hail storm is going to wreck our crop and not touch our neighbors. We don’t know when our combine is going to break down. We don’t know when a sudden freeze is going to kill our calves, or our cattle will stumble upon poisoned water.
The world is uncertain.
There are several reasons why the world is uncertain.
First, we don’t understand the work of God. He is the creator and he is orchestrating history to bring about his purposes. So, sometimes, bad things are allowed because good things will come.
I think about Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and then falsely accused and thrown into jail. But, God used those horrible events to bring Joseph into a position where he could safe the world around from starvation as Pharaoh’s second in command.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
But, the world is in chaos because of our sin as well.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
I remember one famous preacher condemning the sin of New Orleans, saying that they experience the devestation of a horrible hurricane because of their sin. It was the judgment of God.
No. I cannot agree with that. The hurricane didn’t come because of the sin of New Orleans. But we have hurricanes because of our sin. All of humanity’s sin. Why did a hurricane blast through North Carolina? Because of my sin.
Diversity is wise because everything is uncertain.
3. Death Is Not Uncertain
3. Death Is Not Uncertain
Well, I shouldn’t say everything.
Death is not uncertain.
Solomon writes:
Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
He gives a contrast between seeing the sun, which means being alive and days of darkness, which means death.
He is saying: enjoy life while you are alive. Remember that you will die and this life will be gone.
He then jumps into an amazingly poetic description of growing old and dying.
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
I’ve talked with many people who have more grey hair than I do. And they talk about all the things that really got their heart pumping when they were young: food, special time with a spouse, etc, the pleasure just isn’t there like it was. Just as Solomon refers to in verse 1.
In verse 2, he talks about lights getting dark, speaking of fading sight.
The keepers of the house tremble, thats the lips trembling. Strong men stoop are the shoulders. Grinders cease because they are few, loss of teeth. Looking through the window growing dim, again lack of sight.
Doors to the street are closed and sound is fading: loss of hearing.
People rise up at the sound of birds, having to get up more during the night.
People afraid of heights and dangers in the streets. Those who are young think that they are invincible, few things bring fear or anxiety. But, the older we get, the more we realize the danger, the more anxious we can get about simple tasks.
Almond tree blossoms, those are white, so it speaks of white hair. Grasshopper drags itself along, there is no bounce in the step, in fact, it’s more of a limp.
Desire is no longer stirred, again, no pleasure in the sensual things of life.
Then death happens.
Solomon describes a lamp hanging from the ceiling on a chain, this golden bowl on a silver cord. The cord is broken and the bowl shatters, the light going out. Death.
He also describes a well with a windlass for bringing up a pitcher filled with water. The wheel is broken and the pitcher falls, shattered. The water of life is no longer flowing. Death.
He points back to creation, where God created man out of dust and breathed the breath of life into his lungs. Now, the dust returns to the ground and the breath, the spirit, returns to God.
We all die. Sometimes we go through the aging process. Sometimes we don’t. But, we all die.
No one can escape it.
4. Wisdom in Remembering God
4. Wisdom in Remembering God
Earlier, Solomon said that because everything is uncertain, we should have diversity in investments.
But, now, Solomon says that death is certain. So, there is no wisdom in diversity. We know what is coming.
We must have a singular focus. Instead of hedging our bets, we throw everything on the outcome we know is going to happen and the one who has promised to carry us through.
Solomon writes:
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
Unfortunately, many people will not remember their Creator. They willingly choose to ignore him.
A. Meaningless to not Remember
A. Meaningless to not Remember
They live a life and experience a death of meaninglessness.
After the entire section describing the aging process and the culmination of death, Solomon exclaims:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Everything is meaningless!”
Death is going to come. We know that.
There is something after death. We know that.
And the one who created all things will call all things before his throne to have them give an account.
John saw a vision of the end of time and the beginning of eternity. He writes:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
It is meaningless, to go through all of life, experiencing the blessings of God, seeing his love and knowing of his desire to have a relationship with his creation, so much so that he sent his only son to die for us that we might live. It is meaningless to go through life and never turn to him in faith.
Some say: It’s enough that I have my own faith. But, your faith is a statement that you will not follow the one true God. Meaningless. And if we allow anyone to think that their faith against God is okay, woe to us. That too is meaningless.
Some say: but, I’m not sure that this is all real. There is proof all around, abundance of proof, we just choose to disregard it. Meaningless.
Others say: I know this must be true, but I am not ready to turn to him yet. I want to live my life. I want to test things out.
Solomon writes:
You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
Death is certain. We just don’t know when it will be. So, why bet against a certainty.
Meaningless.
B. Joy in Remembering
B. Joy in Remembering
Instead of the meaninglessness of not remember, Solomon urges us to find joy in remembering God. In knowing Him.
So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
Joy comes in remembering our Creator. That’s the only true place where joy comes.
So many psychologists are labeling the next generation, the anxious generation. Why? They have no foundation to life. They have no identity. The first time anxiety entered the world was after Adam and Eve ate the fruit, when they willing chose to not remember their creator. Anxiety came.
Solomon says: banish anxiety and remember your Creator. He brings joy. He brings peace. He brings satisfaction. He brings purpose. And Jesus died that we might have all these things through a relationship with him.
If you don’t believe me, try it out. I dare you. If you want to know more about this, please talk to me.
If you have turned to Jesus, and you have experienced all these things. Rejoice and turn to someone else. Don’t let them think that joy, peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment comes through anything else but him. Sports won’t do it. Clubs won’t do it. Friendships won’t do it. Only Jesus. To him be all glory and honor, today and into all eternity.