Don't Wait To Live Series

Don’t Wait to Live

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

Rev. Brian Bill

November 9-10, 2024

Have you ever wondered why Election Day in the U.S. falls on a Tuesday in November? It’s actually due to the needs of 19th-century farmers. In 1845, Congress set the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November as Election Day. At that time, most Americans were farmers who often had to travel long distances to vote, making a weekday necessary.

Tuesday was ideal, as Sundays were reserved for church, and Wednesdays were market days. November was chosen because it was after the harvest but before harsh weather set in.

Imagine that, back then Sundays were reserved for church!

Our country has changed a lot, hasn’t it? We’ve gone from peaceful agrarian lives to fast-paced lives filled with anxiety. We’ve gone from being churched to being largely unchurched or dechurched. Some are just done with church and others identify themselves as “none” when asked about their religious affiliation.

As we’ve been walking through Ecclesiastes, we’ve been working at understanding Solomon’s world so we can apply God’s Word to our world today. This chapter is filled with observations about the common things of agrarian life – bread, water, disasters, clouds, rain, trees, wind, sowing, reaping, pregnancy, morning, evening, light, darkness, and youthfulness.

Ray Ortlund writes, “As Solomon moves toward his conclusion, his pace quickens, and his tone becomes urgent. Life is to be lived to the fullest – cheerfully, reverently, deliberately! The wise refuse to settle for a grim existence; they come alive to the radiant goodness of God daily surrounding them, but they also reckon solemnly with death and eternity.”

Last weekend we looked at some common sayings which have their source in Scripture. Today, we’ll see some additional axioms that have their source in Ecclesiastes 11, showing again how relevant God’s revelation is.

• Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

• When opportunity knocks, answer the door.

• Prepare for the worst but work for the best.

• Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

• Don’t put all your eggs into one basket.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 11: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. 3 If 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. 4 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. 6 In 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. 7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. 9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.”

Notice the phrase “you know not” in verse 2 and the phrase “you do not know” used three times in verses 5-6. Solomon is saying life is uncertain and situations are often unexplainable. Here’s our main idea: Be oriented for action because life is often uncertain and unexplainable.

1. Do what you can with what you have. Listen again to verse 1: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” The word “cast” means, “to let loose” or “send forth.” The word “find” has the idea of “attaining.” It’s difficult to know what exactly Solomon has in mind here. It’s unlikely he is referring to throwing slices of bread into a pond, much like we might do when we feed ducks. This was a common proverb of the day which referred to something that looked like a wasteful expenditure. Someone put into words what many of us are thinking, “Why would I throw my bread into water? If I did find it after many days, I don’t think I’d want it anymore.”

Here are some possible interpretations.