Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

There's no such thing as a 'sure thing'.  We've probably all learned that at least once; hopefully it wasn't learned while your home or life's savings was on the line.  Imagine the business venture that can't lose, the stock that can't fall, the horse that's for sure.  These things and more blind us to common sense and wisdom.  In our minds we count our profit before we invest and we forget about what Solomon calls 'time and chance'.  Suddenly we are an example of the fool who lost it all in a moment. 

Solomon advises to cast your bread on the water.  This is the idea that shipping your grain in many directions would pay off in time.  It was a venture that didn't have immediate payoff.  It involved planning, trust and time so shipping to numerous buyers was better.  There would always be the chance a buyer would take the grain and not pay, or the grain could be lost for some reason.  This could be a painful and expensive lost, but not a financial disaster if it went many directions to many buyers.

There are some teachers that teach this is about generosity.  Even then, it is the same idea.  Being generous and providing for others with no expectation of pay is an investment that will bring a return in eternity.

The diversity of a investment to seven or eight different ventures might not yield as much as it could but will be safer and deliver more consistent returns while minimizing risk.  This is what a mutual fund is.  This is wise because we don't know what calamity might come.

Ecclesiastes 11:3-4

Clouds carry the rain as they are designed.  It's a given they will empty themselves on the earth.  Yet, no one knows where and when.  One time the rain falls, waters the crops and creates a great blessing.  The next time it floods and washes away the seed causing a disaster.  Neither situation is controlled by man.  By all appearance, it is time and chance.  Yet we know nothing happens that has not been given the nod of approval by God.  Why?  We don't get to know that, nor would we likely understand if we did know. 

In a similar thought, the tree that might fall in this storm could not be anticipated.  Man cannot predict is being uprooted nor when and where exactly it would fall.  We don't have control of these things.  Should we then even concern ourselves with these things?

The farmer who is overly analytical of the wind would never sow.  The wind might blow some of the seed away and never hit the furrow.  Later might be better, he would surmise, but tomorrow has its problems and worries to present to him.  The clouds may bring a rain so harvest is delayed.  Rain might destroy or damage the harvest.  And so it goes with the worrisome farmer, accomplishing nothing because he is paralyzed by fears. 

"If we are always waiting for favouring conditions, we shall resemble the farmer who is ever looking out for perfect weather, and lets the whole autumn pass without one handful of grain reaching the furrows." (Spurgeon)

Ecclesiastes 11:5-6

God's ways are beyond our understanding, predicting or anticipating. 

• The wind is a mystery. 
  • The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)
• The development of a baby in the womb is a mystery. 
  • ¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. (Psalm 139:13-15)

These ideas the preacher brings forth brings us to submission to the Lord.  There is nothing we can do to change these things.  We are brought to humility and submission.  From there we either worry ourselves to an early grave or learn to trust Him in all things.

Therefore, do the work of the morning while you can.  This you can control.  Do it on time, efficiently and with all your might.  When the evening comes, do that work also, efficiently and with all your might.  This you can control.  As for all that you can't control, worry won't change it.  Failing to do your work well for fear it won't turn out right, guarantees a minimized return. 

Do hard things.  Do them well.  Let God take care of all the things you can't control.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

Light is figurative of life; the Hebrew word translated to 'sweet' is also translated to home.  Life is sweet as honey.  The eyes are the window to the soul.  We are to take this sweetness of life in and enjoy it all the days of our life.  If God blesses us to live many years, we will inevitably experience the rhythm of life.  This is to be always moving toward the darkness; aging and moving towards the day of our death. 

We look back and remember our youth.  There seemed to be nothing but carefree days, birthday cakes, Christmas presents, vacations and the love of grandparents and others who have since gone home.  In our mind, in our memory, days were longer, the candy was rare but amazing, the food tasted getter, the fruit sweeter, the snow deeper, the sun brighter, the pond was big and fish jumped on the hook.   Life was sweet.  At some point we came to realize the stresses of life; raising a family, education, job, finances, relationships and it goes on and on.  Darkness crept in when we weren't looking.  All that is before us seems meaningless, obscure, undefined.  It's just so hard to make sense, fit it together into something meaningful. 

We used to be young, longing to grow up and be old enough to do all the things we wanted to do. Suddenly we are older and longing for youth, feeling too old to do the things we wished we'd done.  

To look back too long is to live in the past longing for the 'good ole days'; a meaningless effort in, and of itself.  To look forward too long and dwell on death is to live in darkness, passing on the remaining life and light you have today.  This is equally meaningless and wastes life.  A balance of appreciation of the past while recognizing death is inevitable brings balance.  Both help us appreciate this day; both can help us find joy for the time we have in this life. 

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

We could probably all tell a story or two of following our heart in our youth.  Many of these endeavors didn't end well.  We were impulsive and wild at times, without boundaries.  The advice to 'be happy in your youth' is then tempered with the knowledge that whatever you do you will be accountable for to God.  This is like your mom telling you to have fun as were heading out, and she'd add, "not too much fun."  Or Dad saying, "Don't do anything illegal, immoral or unethical."  This often went in one ear and out the other, but we know it to be good advice now.  The things we hotly pursued didn't add a lot of value to our lives. 

The advice is to 'banish' and 'cast off' these things.  This is the undue stress and emotions and the physical ailments of our body.  We might sum it up by saying, "Don't do things that leave emotional and physical scars that you will carry into your dark years."  We can easily see that 'meaningless' here can mean youth and vigor are fleeting. 

If we don't have an eternal perspective and all we see is this world, this life, it's hard to find meaning and joy and life and light.

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor 15:19)

He went on to say that if there isn't a resurrection then we need to eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.  This sounds very much like Solomon.  But, because we know Christ did die for our sins and did rise again, we can know a larger worldview, a larger perspective that makes this world and life seem but a short journey.  In the same chapter, Paul arrives at his conclusion: 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

When we have that larger, eternal view, our work and life is no longer meaningless.

©2018 Doug Ford