Elder Ko Swee Chay

Introduction

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 in Ecclesiastes 11:1-4 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.

In Ecclesiastes 11:5-6 Solomon highlighted that man is unable to know the unfathomable works of God. Notwithstanding this, the children of God should work hard, diligently and responsibly, in sowing spiritual seeds and doing the works of God and leave the result to the gracious hands of God.  

Be an accepter of God’s unfathomable works (Eccl 11:5)

⁵ As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Solomon highlighted two great mysteries that remind us of the unfathomable works of God, which are beyond human comprehension and understanding. 

1. “what is the way of the spirit” – refers to how the spirit or soul comes into the baby in the mother’s womb; or how the soul is united with the body; or how the soul goes out of the body at death. These are mysteries. Spiritual rebirth is an even greater mystery. We do not know how the Holy Spirit moves to convict and convert the heart of a sinner to humbly and sincerely believe and accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. Jesus says, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8).
2. “how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child” – “the bones” which are the principal part and support of a body, signifies the whole body. No one can deny that the formation of the foetus, the gradual growth of various body parts in the mother’s womb, and the physical birth of a baby at an appointed time are all too marvellous, great and inscrutable mysteries. This highlights the miraculous process of human creation, emphasising the intricate design and divine hand behind every life. King David praised the Lord for His marvellous works, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Ps 119:14).

Solomon emphasised that man cannot fully understand or grasp the works of God, the Maker of all things, just as man cannot know how the Spirit works and moves, or how a baby is formed and grown in the mother’s womb. This verse encourages humility and reverence towards the Creator, acknowledging that He is an Almighty God and that many aspects of His work are beyond human comprehension. This verse reminds us there are things we don’t know, that are out of our control, and solely within the domain of God’s sovereignty. As born-again children of God, the important things for us to take note are that we should not waste time searching for answers we can never find, and we must not let what we don’t know disturb what we know from God’s Word. It is okay not to have all the answers because God’s works and ways are beyond our understanding and reasoning. All we need to do is to acknowledge the power and greatness of God and the limitations of human understanding, to surrender our life to God, to live our life according to God’s Word, to have faith and trust in His wisdom and goodness and His plan for us, to do our part in all areas of our life, our works and our service to Him.  

As we navigate a world filled with rapid changes, unforeseen challenges and life’s complexities, we are to accept the unfathomable and inscrutable works of God, and to live wisely, responsibly and joyfully. We are to place our hope and trust in God’s unfailing wisdom and providence, knowing He is ultimately in control and working all things together for our good (Rom 8:28).

Be a diligent and faithful servant of God (Eccl 11:6)

⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

The morning and evening works mark diligence and continuousness - “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; ….” (2 Tim 4:2a). “withhold not thy hand” means not idling but active working. Spiritual seeds, the Word of God (Luke 8:11), should be sown not only to many people far and wide (Eccl 11:1), but also untiredly from the morning to the evening, for the sower doesn’t know which of the seeds he sowed will succeed, either this (in the morning) or that (in the evening), or whether both will yield good results.

Solomon encouraged us to do good and always share the Gospel, as opportunity arises, each day throughout our life, and under all conditions and circumstances. This speaks of hard work and continuous effort, diligence, perseverance, and faith in our ministries and our service to God no matter what. We do not allow our inability to comprehend and know the inscrutable works of God and our ignorance of the future distract us from our responsibilities and lead us to indolence and apathy. We should not be perturbed and discouraged by the things that we don’t know or can’t control, we just leave them to God.  We should just be a diligent and faithful servant of God in our calling and do the appointed works wisely and responsibly to the best of our abilities. We are to leave the result of our works, success or failure, in the hands of our gracious God. Trust God that there is no uncertainty as to the end in the work of God – “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal 6:9); it is “God that giveth the increase.” (1 Cor 3:7b).

We all know that serving in the ministries of the church is a calling that requires commitment, patience, longsuffering, diligence and perseverance. When things don’t go our way, or when we don’t see the result we want, or when faced with disagreements, conflicts, and difficulties, some may take the easy way out by quitting and stop serving. But this is not a God-pleasing God-honouring way. God wants His children to have a right mindset and attitude in serving Him: fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in truth with all our heart (Jos 24:14a, 1 Sam 12:24); whatsoever we do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Col 3:23); be a faithful servant of God (1 Cor 4:2); be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another (Eph 4:32); let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (Phi 2:3). God also gives a warning to those who serve wickedly and encouragement to those who serve rightly, “The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.” (Pro 11:18).

Conclusion

Solomon reminded us that how the Spirit works and how a baby is formed and grown in the mother’s womb are beyond human comprehension and understanding. He emphasised that human minds cannot fully grasp God’s plans and actions. It is therefore futile to spend time and effort searching for answers regarding things in God’s domain. We are to humbly acknowledge and accept that we cannot fully understand the works of God due to our human limitations. We must trust in the sovereignty of God and in His divine plan, surrender to His will, focus on and be responsible for whatever we are appointed to do, and work diligently and faithfully, even when we cannot fully comprehend His ways. Let us do God’s work together with God’s people in God’s way according to God’s Word diligently and faithfully for God’s glory. AMEN.