Ecclesiastes 11
Chapter 11
1. Cast your bread
upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
2. Give a portion
to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
Chapter 11 begins with an encouragement towards giving to
those, who cannot return the favor. Of course, the writer is referring, not to
bread literally, but that, which will become bread in the future. He means seed,
such as rice, which is cast into shallow water and sinks into the ground. To
the unknowing eye, it would seem lost, but actually the planter is sure it will
produce in a matter of months. So the one, who trusts in God, knows well that
whatever is given in obedience to God for the benefit of others, He will
certainly return (v.1). Jesus taught it this way: “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the
blind… because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the just” (Lk.14:13,14).
Be generous in giving, as much as you are able. The
number seven implies completeness, which in this case means reaching the full
measure of your ability, in order to fully supply the need. “Even to eight” means to go beyond what
you are able, which suggests giving by faith, trusting God then to meet your
needs. Paul commends the Macedonians, who gave “in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their
extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For
they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord” (2 Co.8:2,3).
“Your abundance at
the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply
you need” (2 Co.8:14), Paul taught the Corinthians, as they were to give to
the need in Jerusalem. It was a difficult time in Judea, where the communal
lifestyle had broken down. Even those who were better off, no longer had enough
to help the destitute. Paul appealed to the Gentile churches for help, for the
day might come, when they would be in need. Solomon tells us that there is no
guarantee of financial well-being. Disasters happen, in which people lose
everything (v.2). We see again how beautifully the Scriptures coincide and
consistent principle is presented, as the Holy Spirit inspires Old and New
Testament writers.
Live life only for God, putting your trust
in Him
3. If the clouds
are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to
the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will
lie.
4. He who observes
the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5. As you do not
know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child,
so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6. In the morning
sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know what
will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
7. Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8. So if a person
lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the
days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
Situations arise that go beyond the people’s source of
security and then they are helpless. What
will be will be is the simple proverb that reminds us that we do not
control our own destiny. We are cautioned not to allow our lives to be
controlled by a phobia for security. We are to go on with life and trust God
for His care (v.3,4)…
Summer and winter, and springtime and
harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Our Creator and Lord has formed us from the womb. To
belabor the obvious, we had no control or knowledge of our formation: “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me
together in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from you, when I was
being made in secret… Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were
written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there
was none of them” (Ps.139:13-16). We owe God for our existence and for
every detail of our life. Along with the physical development, the soul is
created is every individual fetus (v.5). We are not capable of making decisions
for the basics of life, so we ought to recognize our dependence upon our
Creator. We were not made to be independent, self-confident or self-sufficient.
A Christian is one, who has surrendered to the control of his Master.
In verse 6, the preacher gives us the principle for
practical living and the counsel we need to carry it out. We are to pass our
life, day-by-day and from youth to old age, throwing aside our attempts to
control our own destiny. Since we are so limited in our knowledge, life is
lived by faith in God for our future. He ordains and we accept with
gratefulness His determined will. Because He desires our trust, He gives us
little knowledge of what will be. We see this principle of faith in the Bible
from the days of Abraham, who left Ur, not knowing where he was going. Philip
left Samaria by angelic order, not knowing the reason for a trek to the road
from Jerusalem to Gaza. Peter left Jerusalem, not knowing that the purpose of
his trip was to arrive in Caesarea, and Paul and his team crossed the whole of
modern Turkey without knowing their destination.
We are not learning from a disgruntled old man, as some
think, who is disenchanted with life, but from a wise sage, who can tell us how
to enjoy its values. He writes of what is pleasant and sweet, and encourages
the aged to live every day with a sunny disposition (v.7-8). Once the light of
his day goes out, his opportunities will be over. Jesus said, “We must work the works of him who sent me
while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work” (Jn.9:4). We have
been given our lifetime on earth to accomplish the purposes of God.
A special message for youth
9. Rejoice, O
young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your
youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that
for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
10. Remove
vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the
dawn of life are vanity.
I memorized verse 9 as a child and it is a warning for
youth, in order to make him aware of the consequences of living for himself. He
thinks that he has all of life before him to live as he pleases. He must know
that God will judge him for how he spends his youthful years. Spiritual
concerns are not only for the mature and the aged. The young man will answer to
his Lord for his egotistical ways. He is shown that he is free to go his own
way and seek his own happiness, but in the end there will be consequences. This
is a key verse, let us consider it with all carefulness. “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.” Spend your
youth, seeking the things that make you happy. “Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.” Make
your plans as you see fit and follow your heart. Go after the things that are
before your eyes. “But know that for all
these things God will bring you into judgment.” However, you will not
escape judgment, if you live out your youth for yourself.
The pursuit and practice of youthful diversion, throw the
young person’s inner life into disarray. He is not happy in his lust for
pleasure and he is carried into all kinds of upheaval that unravels his
spiritual being. The preacher counsels him to “remove vexation from your heart”. The strain on his body in his
quest for recognition and fame can be painful. The preacher advises, “Put away pain from your body”. The
desires that the youth undertake early in life are painful for the body and
bring unrest to the soul. It is vanity. This is a book that young people
especially should study before they seriously begin their preparation for life.
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