Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ec 1 1:1-2 and following. Indeed, it would seem that the surface of the water is the least suitable place to spread bread (v. 1). But this bread is the Word of life and the waters speak to us of the world in its state of trouble and agitation. And this is where the Lord calls us to spread the gospel, liberally (v. 2), without looking at difficulties (v. 4), without asking ourselves questions (v. 5; John 3:1-10), and relentlessly (v. 6). And if we then tend to take some credit for it, let us remember that it is “God who does everything” (v. 5 end). V. 3 evokes grace, the substance of the gospel (Isaiah 55:10-11). But the announcement of the judgment is also part of it. “Rejoice, young man, in your youth… walk in the ways of your heart…” This is the philosophy of many carefree young people. Well! The end of the sentence is apt to make them think: “…but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment” (v. 9). Yes, God will ask you to account for each of your folly. Who and what did you live for? Not everything is limited to the earth. There is a God and that God is judge. Friend reader still unconverted, may this warning lead you to Ec 12.1.
1° “Throw your bread on the face of the waters, for you will find it after many days” (v. 1). The child of wisdom must spread without distinction and seemingly without purpose, his own bread, which serves his food, on the face of the waters. The latter seem the least suitable medium for this, and one might think that by doing so the wise man has lost his bread. This proverb obviously applies to the Word. The confused state of the world does not seem to be made to receive it; the absolute ignorance where we are of the place where the waters will carry it, could commit us not to spread it indiscriminately, but what we have to do is to entrust ourselves to divine Providence, to a will that has its purpose and direction and does not require that we know them. She wants us to spread this Word of life without counting. It will come after many days that this act of obedience will be rewarded and we will find out what God intended it for. We will come back into possession of what we had entrusted to the One who makes His Word fail in the right place. As always, the Preacher here does not exceed a limited earthly time and says: “After many days”. We can count otherwise, for we reap for eternity the fruit of the Word sown in this world, on the surface of the waters. This is how Paul was certain to reap the fruits of his labor at the coming of the Lord Jesus. Be that as it may, here we find the result of trust in God’s Providence, for how would we find what we have thrown on the waters, if God did not bring it back?
2° “Gives a portion to seven, and even to eight; for thou shalt not know what evil will happen on earth.” When, on the other hand, we have to distribute ourselves, their food to men, with the intelligence of their needs, we have to do so liberally. It is obvious that this word goes beyond the material meaning, as happened during the multiplication of the loaves. It is necessary that the seven, the full number, receive their portion and, as for the 7000 men, that there be rest for an eighth. A hidden power, a divine power is the only one capable of satiating the crowds and still finding in what remains food for others. This activity on our part, as far as service is concerned, is necessary, even urgent, because time is short; we do not know when famine will come to earth; the judgment is at the door, perhaps much closer than we suppose and then those who have not received their portion will be condemned to perish! If, as we have just seen, the wise man is exhorted to indistinctly put his resources at the service of all, wisdom also teaches him that the work of grace depends entirely on divine Providence.
3 ° “If the clouds are full, they will pour rain on the earth”. In Luke 12:54, 55, the cloud pouring rain on the earth is the image of grace, as is the wind of noon the image of judgment. For all the vanity that fills this poor world, grace remains. For his part, God has reservoirs that he fills, springs that bring blessing to the earth. Whatever instrument God wants to use for this purpose by making him a vessel of choice for men, it is nevertheless true that the work is entirely of Him. All the awakenings are the obvious proof of this.
4° “And if a tree falls, towards the south or towards the north, at the place where the tree will have fallen, there it will be”.
Everything has its purpose in God’s purposes. That a tree falls towards the south or the north may seem pure chance. No, an unknown will of man gave direction to his downfall. This protection is withdrawn from the person who could benefit from it. The tree remains where it fell. Who will say the cause? On the side of the clouds the benefit is visible, on the side of the tree the goal is hidden.
5° “He who observes the wind shall not sow; and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know what the path of the spirit is, nor how the bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant one, so you do not know the work of God who does everything” (vv. 4-5). Wind and clouds are not under man’s control; it is God who gives birth to them. He is the one who does everything. We ignore the way of the wind, the mysteries of birth, truths that relate to what we said at the beginning of this chapter. To observe, to look to know the favorable moment for sowing and harvesting, is to lose the time of the action to which God calls us. We are only instruments in his hands and we would dare to pretend to control the wind and the clouds! “The wind blows where it wills,” said the Lord, “and thou shalt hear the sound of it; but you do not know where he comes from, nor where he goes: so is it with every man who is born of the Spirit.” We do not know “the work of God who does everything,” but that this does not prevent us from sowing or reaping.
6° “In the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand rest; for thou shalt not know what will succeed, this or that, or whether both will be equally good” (v. 6). This sentence is intimately linked to the previous one. We have to sow morning and evening, in opposite times; to sow without distinction of the time. One or the other – and who knows? God knows – maybe even both will bring the expected harvest. To do so is not to lack foresight, but simple trust in the direction of Providence, and dependence on the action of grace.
7° “The light is soft, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun; but if a man lives many years, and rejoices in all, let him also remember the days of darkness, for they are in great numbers: everything that happens is vanity” (v. 7:8). There are pleasant things in this world; the Preacher is far from denying it. One can rejoice in the light that highlights and enhances them; but as we age we see that our past has had days of darkness in large numbers. Thus one passes one’s own life, the last word of which is “Vanity”; useless thing, of which nothing remains, which leaves without a trace, finally buried in oblivion! This sentence brings us to the next verse. “Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and may your heart make you happy in the days of your adolescence, and walk in the ways of your heart and according to the looks of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.”
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Know how to take risks:
- Spiritual seed, the blessings of
Ps 126:5-6 Those who sow with tears will moisten with songs. 6 He who walks weeping, when he carries the seed, returns with joy, when he carries his sheaves. Pr 11:18 The wicked man makes a deceptive gain, but he who sows justice has a real salary. Esa 32:20 Blessed are you who everywhere sow along the waters, and who leave the foot of the ox and the donkey unhindered! Gal 6:8 He who sows corruption for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh; but he who sows for the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
- Diligence(virtues of the business world)
Pr 10:4 He who acts with a cowardly hand becomes impoverished, but the hand of the diligent enriches. Pr 13:4 The soul of the sloth has desires that he cannot satisfy; But the souls of diligent men will be satiated. Pr 22:29 If you see a skilful man in his work, He stands with kings; He does not stand with obscure people. 2 Pet 3:14 Therefore, beloved, in waiting for these things, strive to be found by him spotless and irreprehensible in peace.
- Last judgment, judgment according to the works
Ps 62:13 To you too, Lord! goodness; For you give back to each according to his works. Jer 17:10 I, the Lord, feel the heart, I probe the kidneys, To give back to each according to his ways, According to the fruit of his works. Mt 16:27 For the Son of man must come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he will give back to each according to his works. 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, that each one may receive according to the good or evil he has done, being in his body.
- Warnings, moving away from evil
Ps 34:15 Get away from evil, and do good; Seek and pursue peace. Ps 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He keeps the souls of his faithful, He delivers them from the hands of the wicked. Rom 12:9 Let charity be without hypocrisy. Abhor evil; attach yourself strongly to the good. 1 Thess 5:22 abstain from all kinds of evil.
From all the above, we note thatnonetheless, if thelife of the one who fears jehovah is to be full and complete, he must be able to pick all the luminous flowers of joy that spring up next to his path, to find “laughing waters” in the rocks he climbs, and to rejoice not only in the “shining purples” of the armed and stubborn thistle, but in the delicate beauty of ferns, the pure grace of cyclamens, and the sweet breath of fragrant herbs and flowers that haunt these severe heights. If he wants to be a man rather than a Stoic or an anchorite, he must add to his sense of duty a great pleasure of all beauty, all grace, all innocent and noble pleasure. For the good of others too, as for himself, he must take with him “the joyful heart that does good as medicine,” for without it he will do neither all the good he can, nor himself. become perfect and complete. And this is proof, I think, of the good divinity, no less than of the broad humanity, of the Preacher that he insists a lot on this point. It not only invites us to enjoy life, but gives us compelling reasons to enjoy it. “Even,” he says, “if a man is to live for many years, he must enjoy all of them.” But why? charm; days of death through which he sleeps quietly in the dark calm of the tomb, beyond the contact of all happy excitement (Ec 11:8). Therefore, the man who attains the Principal Good will not only do the duty of the moment; he will also enjoy the pleasure of the moment. He will not work during the long day of life until, exhausted and tired, he does not have the power to enjoy his “many possessions”, or no time for his soul to “please the happy”. As long as he is “a young man,” he will “rejoice in his youth, and let himself be comforted by his heart,” and will pursue the pleasures that attract youth (Ec 11:9). As long as his heart is still fresh, when the pleasures are the most innocent and healthy, the easiest to achieve and not allied with anxiety and care, he will cultivate that joyful disposition that is a primordial safeguard against the vice, discontent and gloomy irritability of a selfish old age. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow ” The young man must remember his Creator and enjoy his good years, before old age and death come (Ec 12).
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.