Ecclesiastes 11:1-8 Finding Life

Finding Life

ECCLESIASTES 11:1- #10

INTRODUCTION: We have noticed a pattern in this sermon by the wise preacher: He so strongly wants to lead us away from a life of vanity, that he very nearly depresses us with his descriptions of the things that can and do go wrong in life. But, just about the time we are ready to throw up our hands, he turns us to the bright side by showing us how we can live joyfully in spite of the vanity of life under the sun. We must never forget this! The vanity of this life can and often does swallow us up. But it does not have to be this way.

In this lesson, the Preacher gives us a portrait of the way life ought to be lived regardless of the most dismal of times. In this final section, the Preacher is setting us up for his grand conclusion.

1. The Path to Life, 11:1-8
   1. The Preacher has introduced us to reality. There are two ways to live our lives. There are not three or four ways of choosing to live. When a young person is asked the question, “What are you wanting to do with your life?”, the question should not be just a choice of occupation, but how are you planning on living your life? Is your primary goal the attainment of earthly accomplishments? Jesus said it is either laying up for yourselves earthly treasures or heavenly treasures. So which will it be?
      1. Matthew 6:19-24. Listen carefully to the words. Jesus taught the same thing as the Preacher. There are two treasures to seek. There are two choices. You must choose one or the other. Jesus said, you cannot serve both. Only one can be your master. It is either God or pleasure. It is either living under the sun or above the sun. 
      2. The “rub” is that back in our minds we want to quietly decide to do both. And the problem with that is, you will then lose both earthly and heavenly treasure. Solomon had it all and found that the earthly pursuit was vanity, and then he lost his soul!
   2. So the Preacher commands us to do something with our “bread.” Therefore, the question is, What are we doing with our bread? That is, what are you going to do with what God has given you? Are we cramming every bit of bread we can into our mouths and the rest storing it up? The problem is storing up treasure on earth has no lasting value. “Cast your bread on the waters…” teaches us some important principles about finding life:

1. 1. 1. The spiritually successful person is a giver, not a hoarder. Now as soon as we say this, most people think in terms of giving money. And though that is certainly part of the point, it is not the whole point, nor even most of the point.

1. 2. 2. Paul said in 2 Cor. 8:5 that the true givers first give of themselves. This is a generous and liberal giving of oneself to others. It is a broad spectrum of giving, it is giving in a variety of ways. It is giving that does not keep an account of what is given: to seven and also to eight–give to all you can and then some. The beauty of finding joy in the giving of oneself is that it doesn’t matter if anyone is thankful or appreciative of your efforts because your joy is in others, not yourself. That is exactly the point of the Preacher’s exhortation—getting our minds off of self and on others!

1. 2. 3. It is a giving especially in things that do not appear to have any immediate personal benefit. When you “cast your bread on the waters,” the benefit is not readily apparent. Therefore, we are not to be greedy givers, always looking at how we may be repaid or immediately see the benefit. That attitude keeps us from giving. Some people only help those who help them. This is not God’s style of giving.

1. 2. 4. It is giving in spite of what evil one may perceive is going to come. It is giving in the worst of times as well as in the best. The Preacher says, “You really don’t know what’s going to come anyway, so give.”

1. 2. 5. It is this kind of giving that trusts God that “you will find it after many days.” Pro.19:17 “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” If the Lord asked to borrow from you, would you hesitate wondering if you will be repaid? We let God take responsibility for repaying, not man.

1. 3. Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect before you act. You can apply this principle in just about any area of life. It would apply in business and in personal investments. But obviously the area we ought to especially think about is in terms of doing good and especially in doing good to save souls. We are constantly losing opportunities because we are waiting for the perfect occasion. We start “observing the wind” and therefore we do not sow. Don’t say, “When I get married, get children, children leave, etc.”
      1. Pro.26:13 gives a similar warning: “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’” Therefore we see two things we must understand to live life the way we ought:
         1. Vs. 2: “…You don’t know…”
            Vs. 3: “Clouds drop rain…trees fall where they will fall…”
            Vs. 4: “Wind blows” wherever it will blow & storms come.
            Vs. 5: “…you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” These are things that all have an inevitable outcomes that we cannot change. What is it that we grumble about? Is it not about things we cannot change? And is it about things we simply imagine might happen?

1. 3. 1. 2. Success and failure in life is determined by things beyond our control. So instead of fretting over what might be, realize the hand of God in all that will come. Just as we do not know the way of the wind or how the bones grow in the womb, so we do not know what works God may accomplish. God can take the most feeble attempts and turn them into great successes. A simple visit on an unbeliever can turn them to the Lord. Or the simple question, “Would you like to study?” Cf. John 14:12-14; Matthew 28:20

1. 3. 2. And who will not love the admonition of verse 6? The Preacher says that you need to try everything. Sow your seed in the morning, and as the Hebrew indicates, continue making different investments of yourself until the evening. We have no way of knowing what will prosper. So just keep trying. Consider how valuable this is in the work of the Lord. The Preacher is saying, “Try everything; sow here, sow there; throw your fishing line in here and try over there. But most importantly, you must put your hand to it because there certainly won’t be any success if you “observe the wind.” 

1. 3. 3. There is another way to look at “sow in the morning and in the evening.” Start in the morning of your life and don’t quit even till the evening of your life. I am amazed at my generation. Many people are literally “done” by the time they are in the mid-fifties. In fact, they are “well-done;” stick a fork in them. It is like they have put a sign on their door, “Do not disturb; leave me alone; I’m tired; I’ve paid my dues.

2. Living Life, 7-8
   1. Now look at these words in verse 7. Let’s consider a few things: 
      1. Is this what life looks like for you? You can go back through all the negative things the Preacher said about life and then not hardly believe he wrote this verse. But you see, he is now talking above sun. He is talking about people who have not put their hopes and dreams in this secular, mundane, physical life. He is talking about people who have their minds set on things above; who do not serve their appetites. Instead, a person who sees life as sweet and pleasant, understands that every day is a blessing from God.

2. 1. 2. Second, this verse is a result of the attitude of a life lived according to the first six verses. Our outlook on each day of our lives does not attain this sweetness and pleasantness because we talk ourselves into feeling this way! No! The light is sweet and pleasant to the eyes because we are investing ourselves in God’s cause.

2. 2. How many times has the Preacher told us that there is nothing better than to eat and drink and enjoy the good in one’s labor; it is a gift from God. Remember, he wasn’t saying to go out and find happiness in things. He was saying rejoice in and enjoy what God has given you today; you will find it in the simple things, like what He gives you to eat and drink. Paul told us to learn to be content. Why don’t we see life as pleasant?
      1. “I’m waiting until I have the things I’ve always wanted. Then I’ll be happy.” Luke 12:15
      2. “I’m waiting for a person to fulfill my life: the perfect marriage partner, a child, the perfect boss, the perfect church.”
      3. “I’m waiting until I have achieved my goals and realized my dreams.”
      4. Most importantly, we lose “life” now because we are trying to “gain life.” The Preacher is simply teaching what Jesus said many years later:
         “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would saved his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” (Matt. 16:25-27)

2. 3. The answer is not found in the foolishness of the rich fool. Happiness is for today. Joy is available now. Joy is not something you suddenly get when you turn a certain age or attain a certain goal.
      Have you ever heard someone talk about their early years of marriage when they were struggling and had nothing. They will often look back and say, “We didn’t know it then, but those were the happiest years of our life.” Now, why didn’t they realize the happiness then? Because they were too focused on believing that happiness would be found down the road, when something changed like money, job, or maturity. What is really sad is that same person is still missing it: talking about how much happier they used to be, but didn’t know it. What about now! “Now” is when life is sweet and pleasant to the eyes!

2. 4. Verse 8 in the NRSV reads, “Even those who live many years should rejoice in them all.” Listen to this: Every stage of life has its unique challenge; has its hardships. The teen is thinking how much better it will be when he graduates or is on his own. The graduate is thinking how much better it will be when he gets some seniority. The experienced are thinking how much better it will be when they retire. The retired are moaning about how awful it is to grow old. (George Bernard Shaw said, “Youth is such a wonderful thing. It’s a shame to waste it on young people.” The Preacher is simply saying, That is dumb! We are to rejoice in them all. That is “above the sun” talk. You won’t do that without God! Listen! You won’t!

2. 5. There is one final thing. Lest we become disillusioned, while we can and must rejoice in all our days, remember there will be many days of darkness. This takes us back to 7:13-14. It is a reminder that the opposing days of good and bad are reminders that we do not know what will happen after us. These contrasting days keep our eyes turned toward God.
      
   6. Look at the words, “All that is coming is vanity.” That just simply means, all that is coming is going to go by very fast; it is fleeting. You are going to find that life is going to fly by. Therefore:
      1. Don’t waste it. You have one chance here to live your life for God; to make a difference for eternity. There will be no more chances. You have one chance to be content; one chance to have joy today; and one chance to see that the light is sweet and pleasant to the eyes. Quit wasting your one chance! 

2. 6. 2. How are you doing so far? Are you living the portrait of life the Preacher expects of you?

Berry Kercheville

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