Eld Ko Swee Chay

Introduction

In Ecclesiastes 10:16-20, Solomon emphasised the importance of responsible leadership for a land to be blessed; and on the other hand, when rulers are pleasure-seeking, the people suffer. Furthermore, this passage warns against slothfulness, which will undoubtedly lead to severe consequences; highlights the love of money to satisfy carnal desires; and cautions against cursing people in power, for words have a great impact and tend to find their way to unintended audiences.

In Ecclesiastes 11:1-4 Solomon encouraged believers to live a God-pleasing life, a life of generosity and faith, to do good to others and give freely, to know and embrace the unpredictability and uncertainty of life, and not to overthink and procrastinate but to take decisive action promptly, and trust in the sovereignty of God.

Be a trusting Sower (Eccl 11:1)

¹ Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

The Hebrew word for “bread” (or “bread-corn”) could also be used for “grain” from which bread is made. The metaphor is sowing seeds of kindness and goodness to others without worrying about the outcome. It encourages generous giving without expecting a reciprocal return. “Cast the bread on the water and let the water carry the bread to whoever is hungry.” In a spiritual sense, we are to spread spiritual seeds far and wide (upon the waters), eventually trusting to see their fruit in redeemed lives. This verse teaches us about faith, trust, and the principle of reaping what we sow, emphasizing the importance of investing in acts of generosity and kindness for Christ’s sake that may bear fruit in due time, God willing.

Be a generous Giver (Eccl 11:2)

² Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

The mention of “to seven, and also to eight” suggests giving to many, and a level of abundance and generosity beyond just the basic requirement. This speaks of liberal giving; don’t hold back and give what we can give now, for we do not know what evil will happen to the earth, meaning we do not know whether today will be our last day on earth. In this context, there is no reason to hoard excessive wealth. So, when we are doing good, be generous to help not just one or two but as many as we can by the grace and provision of God. In 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Paul says “¹⁸That they (referring to the rich) do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; ¹⁹ Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Be an Embracer of life’s unpredictability (Eccl 11:3)

³ If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

When clouds are full of rain (water vapour), they empty themselves by pouring down rain on the earth. But who can tell when that will happen? Even with modern technologies and advanced monitoring instruments, the weather forecast is often wrong. Trees will fall toward any direction without notice, and wherever they might fall, that is where they will lie. This verse tells us that man cannot understand how clouds function, when the clouds will become rainy, and when and where the trees will fall. Solomon used natural events to remind us of the unpredictable nature of life and to teach us that we cannot predict any event that will happen in our lives. Despite our best efforts, we cannot change or regulate some factors or circumstances that influence our lives either positively or negatively, but God is ultimately in control. We all know that there are certainly unforeseeable circumstances such as loss of job or loved ones, chronic or terminal illness, financial crisis or stock market crash, wars and the latest tariff tsunami and trade war that have the potential of testing our faith and who we trust if they directly impact us.

As Christians we are to lean on God and trust Him alone to care for our present life and future. We are not to behave like the world in trying to manipulate the present or predict the future so as to gain the upper hand. By the grace of God according to His Word we must do our best to serve God and continue to cast our bread upon the water and leave the outcome entirely to God.

We must learn from the example of Job. When he was afflicted with catastrophic losses in rapid succession: his ten children, possessions, and health, he could have reacted angrily and cursed God. Instead, Job responded with prophetic words that man would deem illogical. “²⁰ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, ²¹ And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. ²² In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:20-22). Despite challenges, adversities and afflictions, Christians must never blame God and sin against Him.  

Be a no-worry Worker (Eccl 11:4)

⁴ He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

A farmer who observes the wind will not sow because he worries that the wind will blow his seeds away. Likewise, a farmer who looks at the black clouds will never plant, for he worries that the rains will spoil his harvest. This highlights the danger of being overly cautious and waiting for perfect conditions before acting by those who “observe the wind” or “regard the clouds”. The implication is that if one keeps waiting for the perfect moment, he may never act. For the child of God, he has the heavenly Father caring for him. He needs to trust and keep casting the bread upon the water and not make excuses to not do good. Solomon cautioned us against over thinking, being overly cautious and worrying about things we have no control over, leading to indecisiveness and procrastination, and resulting in inactivity, like the farmer waiting for perfect weather conditions to sow and plant. 

This practical insight is especially applicable to our spiritual life and service to God. We will never begin if we keep waiting for the perfect time and place for personal Bible reading and study. If we wait for a perfect church to join or a perfect ministry to serve or participate in, we will never join. To observe circumstances instead of having faith and trust in God shows unbelief, foolish worrying and fear, and idleness, and is a sin against God.

Solomon was not teaching us to ignore facts and data, circumstantial factors and events happening around us or to not worry at all, but to get on with our daily activities and duties while trusting in God to cast the bread and bring some good in people’s lives.

Conclusion

The Christian life is in God’s hands. All types of adversities and troubles will come but we must trust God who promised never to tempt His children above that which their faith can bear because He is faithful. In this context, Solomon instructed us to not be perturbed by this reality of life, but to live a life of generosity and faith. We are to sow the spiritual seeds to many people far and wide, trusting that God will give the increase, seeing that we will reap what we sow. We are to do good by giving liberally to many people, for we know not what evil will happen to the earth. We must stop worrying, procrastinating and doing nothing.  AMEN.