June 4 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 35—Ecclesiastes 11:1–6

¹Cast your bread upon the waters,
     for you will find it after many days.
²Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
     for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
³If the clouds are full of rain,
     they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
     in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
⁴He who observes the wind will not sow,
     and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

⁶In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Devotional:

This passage is the "beginning of the end" of the book of Ecclesiastes. 11:1-6 is the first of two poems that ring the bell of the book's conclusion. Our text summarizes Qoheleth's insight on two themes that have loomed large throughout the work, namely, divine sovereignty and human ignorance. Human ignorance is central to the poem, and the sustained use of the phrase, "You do not know" (cf. 11:2, 5 [2x], 6), once again illustrates the author's "in-your-face" style of persuasion. The source of human ignorance is traced to the unknowability of "God's work who makes everything" (11:5). We are confronted with the sovereign will of God who determines what happens and what does not happen in the life of an individual, the history of a nation, and the history of humankind (cf. 3:14). In light of the author's blunt determinism nothing seems more appropriate but to lift our hands in the air and exclaim, "Oh well, so what?!" But as we said before, Qoheleth is neither a nihilist nor can his message be reduced to "Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be…." He calls us to remain active in seeking opportunities and facing the challenges which life will throw our way.

A closer look at the composition will help us to better grasp the argument. The text has been carefully arranged in chiastic form in that 11:1-2 thematically corresponds with 11:6. These verses demand a readiness for action, and they use literary images that echo each other. 11:1-2 (which clearly forms a unity) and 11:6 describe distributive actions ("casting," "giving a portion," "sowing," "[not] withholding the hand"). In this way, the poem has been framed with overtly similar textual features.

As we move inwards towards the center of the poem, 11:3 and 11:5 also reveal conspicuous thematic comportment. Both verses speak of two phenomena beyond human control. This leaves us with 11:4 as the matrix of the composition, and the message is, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" There are many things we do not know, so many things beyond our control, and God alone is in charge of the world, but despite the uncertainties of life, the text holds out the implied reward. As the pithy saying of 11:4 states, failure to act and take risks will result in emptiness of hands, for nothing comes of nothing. "Observing the wind" and "regarding the clouds" may depict the idea of waiting for ideal circumstances before engaging in activity. The language may even be stretched to refer to a fearful gaze that stifles the observer. Indecision is a luxury that no one can afford.

How often have you remained idle or inactive because you were waiting for ideal conditions, and you did not want to deal with the difficulties involved in a situation less than perfect? "The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets'" (Prov. 22:13). Wherever we look, the great accomplishments among humans have never been produced under ideal conditions. The greatest discoveries and advancements in history came in the context of hardship and considerable risk.

The same is true for spiritual matters. Too many professing Christians show no engagement or initiative in the life of the church or elsewhere because the "time is not right." Some other work or concern is more important than to sacrifice time and effort for the kingdom of God. But the kingdom too has never been advanced under ideal circumstances. God has always asked for sacrifice and "risk" on our part, and one look at the Savior confirms this. "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." What will you sow today, and what will you reap?

The author of these devotionals, the Rev. Martin Emmrich, is an ordained OPC minister (Westminster OPC, Corvallis, Oregon) as well as the author of Pneumatological Concepts in the Epistle to the Hebrews, a book on the teaching of Hebrews on the Holy Spirit. We are happy to make these devotionals on Ecclesiastes and other passages of Scripture available to you.