LIVING THE BETTER LIFE, UNDER THE SON

“...As a Recent Graduate”
Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:1a
Bob Bonner
June 13, 1999

This past week we have seen the graduation of many of our young people, some from junior high, some from high school and a few from college. Most of them will enter into these lazy hazy days of summer for a brief reprieve from the workloads and pressures of school, and then it’s back to it in the Fall. 

But there will be a difference for them come Fall, for the junior higher heading into high school, the demands of courses will be tougher and require more work than they did in junior high school. In addition, the opportunities for extra- curricular activities will increase, which in turn will demand more personal discipline for the student to accomplish the same high goals in high school that he or she had in junior high. 

For the senior high graduate who plans to head off to college, it is the same, relatively speaking. More difficult courses, more opportunities, more freedom as well as greater demands for self-discipline if the student wishes to accomplish his or her goals and continue on toward an exciting vocation. 

Obviously, for those graduating from college who are heading into the work force, along with those who chose not to go to college but to go straight into the work force, life has awaiting you a wide variety of opportunities. But it is also a make it or break it time as it concerns personal discipline and your ability to prove yourself to be worthy of someone’s hire. From here on out, you will be developing your own personal resume or track record that you will not be able to correct or erase. It will be a track record that can only be added to, one that will determine the potential for any future career advancement. This resume will be based on your effectiveness as a worker, your character, your ability to follow directions, etc.

This morning we are going to be looking at a passage of Scripture that was especially written just for youth who are heading into the work world. For adults there are some excellent reminders and maybe some new teachings concerning our approach to work and to ministry as well. But primarily, these verses are written to point the young person headed down the road to success as a worker.

I invite you to open your Bible to Ecclesiastes 11:1. Allow me to bring you up to speed as to the context of our passage and how it fits into the overall flow of thought surrounding the section of Scripture in which it is placed. 

We have been in a block or segment of Scripture since chapter 8. One of the major themes throughout this section has been the emphasis on God’s sovereignty and His omniscience. In contrast to God’s sovereignty and omniscience, we have been confronted with the repetitive expression of man “cannot know” or “can know” something. In fact, in our passage for this morning, chapter 11, Solomon will tell us four things we cannot know, and one thing we can know.  Hence, the subtle charge to the reader throughout these final chapters is, since God knows everything and is in control of everything, and we know relatively very little and have little power to change anything around us, God who does have all the power and knowledge, therefore, deserves our worship and He is worthy of our complete trust.

In this broader section of Scripture, beginning with chapter 8, Solomon has covered various subjects. Some of the subjects covered since chapter 8 have dealt with family life, political life, economic life, and one’s time of death. There is, however, one subject that Solomon has not said anything about since chapter 4 and that is the subject of one’s work. Previous to the end of chapter 4, Solomon has written three times about the matter of one’s work. In each of those three different speeches about work, all of the instructions were directed primarily to adults. It’s not that youth couldn’t learn some things from those passages, but simply put, the target readers being addressed were adults. However, our passage for this morning is addressed to the youth, those graduates who are marching toward adulthood.

In teaching about work, in verses 1-10, Solomon chooses to use the agriculture industry as his point of illustration. In the beginning, he talks about those at the top of this industry, those who make their profits through sales and distribution via export.  Then later, he goes back to the foundation of the industry, those responsible for production, the basic farmer who takes some of last year’s harvest and sows it with the hope that it will produce enough to live on and to sell to either some larger buyer up the ladder of the industry or in the local markets.

With the agricultural industry in mind, let’s see what the this inspired wise man Solomon has to say about work to the recent graduate, that young person who is pushing toward adulthood. We read in verse 1, “Cast your bread [literally the word there is “grain”] on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.” This statement is a reference to commercial shipping and the exporting and importing of goods for profit, specifically the shipping of grain. 

Grain is the finished product of a harvest that in this case can be used as an export item in trade for more valuable foreign imports. The picture Solomon is painting here is of a grain producer, casting his grain on the water in boats, being sent to different parts of the world. It is an investment venture that assumes a lot of risk. The goal is to get his shipment to a foreign market place where it will be sold for a good price, and that money used to purchase rarer goods to be imported back home for an even greater profit. A lot of things can go wrong along the way. Storms, pirates, a not so good price for the grain, etc. The business of exporting a product was never a sure thing. Furthermore, in those days, the turnaround time was often as long as three years. That’s why Solomon adds, “After many days, you will find it.” So, you really have to be a forward thinker and planner if you are going to make money.

Sometimes, because of all the risk that is involved and because of the demands and discipline it takes to plan ahead, people would rather bury their talents than risk reinvesting them and possibly lose money. Solomon’s point here, to the young, is : Utilize your assets; don’t hesitate to take risks.  You never get anywhere or make any difference in this world if you hold things so tightly that no one gets any benefit out of what you possess. 

When people are young, they are at a point in life that, should they lose what they have in a risky business venture, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. They could always start over and recover their losses. Whereas, it would be extremely risky, maybe too risky for retired persons to risk losing their entire retirement income at a time when they could not make it back. Hence, Solomon is saying to the young person: “Cast your grain upon the water, now’s the time to get after it rather than be cautious with your assets.”

Obviously, Solomon’s point is more far reaching than just the subject of money. This is simply a metaphor to refer to all of the stewardship of your life when you are young. Solomon is charging us to take risks to invest those things God has put in our care, our talents, time, monies and intelligence into something worthwhile. It could be as simple as a business venture. It could be something as eternal as the souls of men and women. Whether those assets be musical, physical, intellectual talents, or money, God has blessed you with talent, so invest it. Use it, as a ministry for Christ. As a follower of Jesus Christ, don’t bury what He has given you. Take a risk...invest your talents.

However, having said that, Solomon quickly gives another point of warning for the investor. He says, in verse 2, “Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune [literally, “evil” or “disaster”] may occur on the earth.” With the shipping metaphor still in mind, Solomon is saying “Divide up your shipment so that it doesn’t head for the open seas in just one boat. You never know about storms, pirates etc. Spread it out in 7-8 different boats or several different business ventures. In short, he is saying, invest smartly. Don’t throw all of your eggs into one basket. Don’t just rush off into investing all you have in the first opportunity that comes your way.  Spread it around in different ventures, so that if there is a disaster in one industry, it won’t hurt all of your life’s investment.

This is true of money and ministry. Jesus Christ has called all of us to make disciples for Him. That requires us to invest our lives in the lives of others. But don’t invest all of your time and skill in just training one or two people, because some great disaster, like death, disillusionment and drifting away from Christ can occur and you end up with having worked in vain. Even Jesus had more than one disciple. He had 11, and a Judas. Imagine if Judas had been the only man in whom Jesus had invested His life and message. We probably wouldn’t be here today. Imagine if the only person the Apostle Paul had invested his life in was Demas. Demas fell in love with this present world and turned away from Christ. How significant and profitable would Paul have felt about his ministry here on earth if Demas was the only one he had spent time discipling?

I learned early on that you first invest heavily in those people you know and know well. As they begin to prove themselves and produce and build into other’s lives, then you move on to investing in the lives of others. A lot of people want your time, but you need wisdom as to in whom Jesus really wants you to invest your life. You do the best you can to care for all, but you save your significant time to invest in those whom God has shown you to be faithful. Again, that’s the litmus test of a quality disciple, according to Paul’s words to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:2... “faithfulness.”

Similarly, when it comes to the investment of our money, I learned from my father that you invest your hard earned cash first in areas that you know the most. Those areas that are tried and true. Then you look to other areas. Secondly, you spread your investments around in different ventures that have different levels of risks and liquidity.

Hence, for those starting out young in ministry start investing your life in a few lives that you know and trust, then begin to spread out your equipping into the lives of others as those first disciples begin to take off on their own. Or, in the area of finances, choose more than just one place to invest, so that if the stock market takes a major hit, or the real estate industry goes in the tank for ten years, you don’t have a total loss because you have some CD’s generating money in your bank. Very simple but good advice for the young entrepreneur. Whether it is your life skills, time in equipping others or your personal finances, take the risk to invest and spread it around.

But having said that, there are still some people who hesitate to invest their lives or their money in anything or anyone because they are afraid of getting burned. They just aren’t sure if they can trust a person or product or the circumstances surrounding their investment. They always want to learn just a little bit more before they put their money down or their life on the line. As a result, some of us become paralyzed from doing anything due to the fear of the unknown. Because of that, Solomon explains, in verse 3, “If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth;...”. Rain clouds are a good thing if you want crops to grow. Nothing is more devastating to the agricultural industry than a drought. So do you risk planting your seed in the ground, grain that you could actually use to eat this year, knowing that if you don’t have enough rain you can lose it all? Or do you hold off, until you now when there will be enough rain? If you knew when the clouds were going to be full, then you would know exactly when to plant your seeds. But, will you ever know if there will be enough rain? The weather is unpredictable, causing the farmer concern as he considers sowing his seed. Solomon will point that out next.

But now he moves to another concern, that of the loss of life or time or damaged field due to a fallen tree. He says, “...and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.” Sometimes people are afraid to go to work on the freeway in Portland because it’s dangerous. They may get killed. So to play it safe they stay at home, and if they continue to do so they will go broke and or starve. 

Similarly, if you are standing under a tree, thinking about plowing a field you hesitate, you study the wind to see if it is safe before you start plowing. But, if you keep looking at the wind to see if the tree will fall on you, or if you keep studying the sky to see if rain is coming before you plant, you will never get the job done of sowing the seed. 

Likewise, fear of dying, fear of failure, fear of the future and fear of the unknown will stop you in your tracks from doing anything worthwhile in your life. It will keep you from sowing and reaping. Solomon’s point: Lack of complete knowledge is no excuse for inactivity or for not going to work or not investing your life or assets in anything.

As it concerns ministry to others, if you reach out to serve someone, you are risking getting burned by them. You are risking getting taken advantage of and being hurt. You risk being rejected.  Because of those fears and the fears of the unknown as to where this or that relationship will take you, if you wait to inspect every person God brings your way so that you don’t get hurt, before you risk building into their lives, you will never disciple anyone.

Solomon is basically telling us that there are many difficulties and unknowns that we cannot predict that can turn great plans totally upside down. Only God knows the unknown. Only God knows what the outcome of an investment in your life will produce. God is behind doing things that you will never fully understand. He will make rich or great those whom he chooses. He may keep me and you small by the world’s standards, so that He can do something more important through us being small. My value and worth and yours is not built on how much money we make or how many disciples in whom we invest our lives. As believers in Jesus Christ, our value is based in who Jesus is and the fact that He has made Himself part of our lives. Our success is measured in our faithfulness, not the number or size of our accomplishments. 

Do what research you can, then get off the dime and risk getting involved, whether it be in ministry or something as mundane was working hard at investing your assets (not just your monies, but your physical talents, musical ability, mental capabilities, and spiritual gifts, etc.)

In a nutshell, Solomon is reminding us that life is unpredictable. Hence, don’t hesitate to start working, when you can’t be sure of the exact outcome. Trust God to take care of tomorrow and the results of the investment of your life today.

In verse 5, Solomon gives us an additional thought that affects our investment in ministry to others. He says, “Just as you do not know the path of the wind [literally “spirit”] and how bones {are formed} in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.” The word “spirit” refers to the spirit of the human being that is made alive by God. How that spirit and when that spirit fully combines with the soul and body we can’t fully understand. I can understand some of the gestation process, but for the most part, it is out of our control. Similarly, when it comes to discipling others and encouraging their growth, I really don’t understand why some people choose to grow or grow more quickly in their walk with Jesus than others. Only God knows that. I just have to invest my life faithfully for Christ in the lives of others and leave the results to Him.

Hence, Solomon’s point about work whether it is the ministry in others lives or your attempts to make money: Life is unpredictable. Hence, don’t hesitate to start working when you can’t be sure of the exact outcome. Leave the results to Him. You just be faithful and go to work.

Young person, most adults have had to learn this next lesson, found in verses 6-7, and many of us have had to learn it the hard way. It is an important lesson about work, if you want your life to amount to anything. Solomon says, “Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening,...” More literally, that last clause should be translated, “until evening, don’t let your hand rest.” The idea is one of non-stop continuation of work. Sometimes an immature person will quit early from a job because they got more done that day than they thought they would. Maybe they had scheduled that their days work would be to tape and prep a house for painting, and the next day they would paint it. But, instead of taking the whole day to prep the house, it takes only half a day. If that’s the case, don’t quit at 12. Keep working until the sun goes down. 

Why does Solomon say this? He explains further, “...for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” In the agricultural realm, you don’t know which of the seed, that which you planted in the first half of the day or the second half will be the best producer. So, you had better plant all of it, and in case some of that planting fails, you have enough time to plant more elsewhere to make up for any potential crop failure.

In the life of the painter, maybe you won’t have dry weather to paint the next day, so it’s better to get a jump on the job today. Who knows, maybe you could get the whole house done in one day, and be able to take on more work later. It’s the ol’ “make hay while the sun shines” idea.

Solomon doesn’t stop there in his point about working a full day. He goes on, “The light is pleasant, and {it is} good for the eyes to see the sun.” In other words, don’t go to work in the middle of the day, missing much of the daylight hours. Get up early and work the full day and enjoy the pleasant warmth of the sunlight. It’s healthy for your eyes and body to see the sunlight. Studies have proven that not getting enough sunlight, negatively affects metabolism and emotions. It harms the soul. Hence, learn to put in a full days work whether you think that you need it or not.

Hard work is a good thing, even when you face difficulties. Hence, Solomon says in verses 8-9a, “Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many.” In other words, you will have disappointing, difficult days at your work, stormy dark days when maybe very little could be accomplished. When they come, don’t forget them because they make the good days even better. Then he adds, “Everything [both the good days and bad days, everything] that is to come {will be} futility [or maybe a better choice of words would be “fleeting.”]. By that, Solomon does not mean meaningless or a waste of time or useless. That is not his point. His point is that everything that is temporal on this earth will pass and eventually matter little. So when bad days come or traumatic events happen, don’t get hung up on them. They are in the past, so let them go. Instead, Solomon says, “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.”

Enjoy these days of your youth they will be some of the best days of your life. Look for what is good in them, not for that which was bad. Don’t be such a perfectionist about everything. Chill, and enjoy what you do have. As you work, don’t lose your zest for life. Learn to rejoice in both good days and bad.

Having given five clear admonitions to the youth about their work and the stewardship of their lives, Solomon cautions them with these words at the end of verse 9, “Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things”, meaning how you have spent your days working and what kind of steward you have been with the abilities, spiritual gifts, time and monies God has place in your life. The word for “judgment” is not referring to sending someone to hell, but rather this is a warning that God will hold you, young person and adult alike, accountable for how you have invested what He has placed in your charge. You will answer to Him one day as to what you did with what He gave you. God will hold you accountable for the stewardship of your life.

In verse 10, having already made his point of the importance for those young people who are reaching for adulthood to take seriously their work, Solomon concludes with one last bit of advice that can make work meaningful to one and all. He says, “So, remove vexation [those things that cause you irritation, grief, anger; those disappointments and perplexities] from your heart...”, in other words, those painful events that happen as you work and that hit at your soul, your emotions, don’t allow them to control your life and lead you into bitterness and disillusion. Getting fired, demotions, not playing first string when you think you are better than the one who is. Those are highly emotional issues that can become emotional handicaps which can prevent you from enjoying your work and life as you grow older.

He continues, “...and put away pain from your body, [avoid doing those unnecessary things that can damage your body for life...like playing non-professional tackle football at 25, so that you don’t permanently damage a back or knee] because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.” These youthful times won’t last forever, so don’t do something for 12 weeks or 12 months or 12 seconds that is physically too risky or dangerous and that can permanently make your physical ability to work miserable and steal your joy as well.

As best you can, avoid emotional and physical handicaps that will prevent you from enjoying the work of your youth. 

Life is a great adventure, full of good times, full of challenges, full of surprises and times of blessing as well as times of stress and sadness. These admonitions from Solomon are good words to everyone as how to make the most of your life, especially as it concerns your work. However, one of the ironies of life is that the youth have all of the opportunities lying ahead of them, great potential, but they don’t always have the wisdom to know how to direct their energies. I believe this is one reason that as an adult, George Bernard Shaw once said, “Youth is such a wonderful thing it is a shame to waste it on young people.” 

So, how does a young, inexperienced, lacking-perspective young person avoid the pitfalls that Solomon speaks to, and take advantage of opportunities that are his or hers? How does a young person avoid getting tangled up in the trap of living for mere pleasure, or being imprisoned by bitter feelings over hurts and let-downs? Solomon answers that in the first part of 12:1. There he charges the young person, “Remember your creator in the days of your youth...” Jesus, according to Colossians is the creator. He is the only one who knows what makes you tick and what’s best for you. He is the only one who can successfully guide you through the storms of life and over the smooth seas so that your boat, loaded with a life invested, doesn’t become shipwrecked on the hidden reefs of life. Hence, make Jesus Christ your guide and the future returns on the investment of your work will be great.

Rarely do we look at more than four points from a passage, but in this passage Solomon happened to just fire off eight of them in rapid succession. So allow me to wrap them all up into one concise statement. To those who are already working, and more specifically, those youth who are graduating to another level of work, Solomon has said, work hard, work smart, and don’t be afraid to take risks, entrusting the direction of your life and the results of your work to Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, when it is all said and done, it always seems to add up to being about you. The success of your life, is based on your work on the cross. Because of your death and resurrection, we have been permanently approved, forever loved and completely forgiven, and fully empowered by your Spirit who lives within each believer, to live as the children of God that He has adopted. Because of you, Jesus, your continually leading and guiding, we are free to find joy in our work and freedom from the fear of failure or not measuring up. Jesus, we once again confess you to be the master of our lives, tell you that we love you and seek your guidance as we serve you here on earth for your eternal purposes. Regardless of having a lot or having a little, we are content to know that we have you, our Savior, redeemer, and lover of our souls forever and ever. Thank you Jesus.  For our young people who are graduating and moving on, Lord Jesus, cause their ears to be ready to hear your voice and to respond accordingly. Cause them to remember these truths that we have seen from your Word today. And if there are any young persons or adults here this morning who have not or don’t know how to establish a vital relationship with you, create in them such a strong desire that they will ask me or someone else, “Can you tell me how to know Jesus?” Thank you Lord, for being our all in all. Amen.

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