Ecclesiastes 11, Amongst the Mysteries of Life, Press On

We continue with proverbs from the Teacher.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, Generosity and diversity

Cast your bread upon the waters, 

for after many days you will find it again.

Give portions to seven, yes to eight, 

for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

One interpretation of this passage is that one should be generous and charitable, passing one's riches freely to others, watching that charity grow and multiply. Eventually charity may return to the original giver when they too go through tough times. Another interpretation gives business advice -- diversify! -- send your grain and products everywhere, spread out your work, so that some of your plans succeed.

Ecclesiastes 11:3-4, Clouds of rain

If clouds are full of water, 

they pour rain upon the earth. 

Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, 

in the place where it falls, there will it lie.

,

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; 

whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

There is nothing we can do about the oncoming rain -- it will come. And the big oak that falls will fall wherever it wishes. Some things cannot be controlled. But if you watch clouds (and worry too much about them) you will never plant. There is a time to dive in and commit. There is a time to plant (Ecclesiastes 3:2.)

Ecclesiastes 11:5, So much we do not understand!

            As you do not know the path of the wind, 

or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, 

so you cannot understand the work of God, 

the Maker of all things.  

We cannot control the wind. Similarly we do not comprehend the incredible complexity of the growing fetus. These are two examples of the marvelous works of the Maker of all things.

Often in Ecclesiastes, the Teacher uses the Hebrew ruah to mean "wind". This occurs in verse 4; a similar example is in 8:8. But the word is also used to represent "spirit" and so some translations connect the first line more closely with the second, saying that we do not know how the spirit (that is, the life of a newborn) moves or how that body is formed in the womb. Davidson thinks the NIV translates the passage accurately but Alter disagrees, translating the first two lines as "As you know not the path of the life-breath into the limbs within the full womb..."

Jesus in John 3:8 may be alluding to these two different meanings of ruah when he compares the mystery of the wind with the mystery of the new birth in the Spirit.

Ecclesiastes 11:6, So much we do not understand!

Sow your seed in the morning, 

and at evening let not your hands be idle, 

for you do not know which will succeed,

 whether this or that, 

or whether both will do equally well.

Here is more advice given in the belief that there is much we do not know.  We should just press on with our work, even when we don't know how our crops will really turn out. This is especially good advice,  for example, for the young couple who learn the wife is pregnant -- that is so scary! -- but the couple should take encouragement in the fact they had little -- really, very little! -- to do with that amazing developing baby. The following days of a newborn in a home or mcuh later, a house full of children -- all those times are scary but press on anyway!

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8, Darkness

Light is sweet, 

and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

However many years a man may live,

 let him enjoy them all. 

But let him remember the days of darkness, 

for they will be many. 

Everything to come is meaningless.

Light (and life) is sweet. Enjoy the strange gifts of life given you. 

From the Teacher's point of view, life is a brief period of light between two infinite periods of darkness.

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, Banish anxiety

Be happy, young man, 

while you are young,

 and let your heart give you joy 

in the days of your youth. 

Follow the ways of your heart

 and whatever your eyes see, 

but know that for all these things 

God will bring you to judgment.

So then, banish anxiety from your heart 

and cast off the troubles of your body, 

for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Enjoy the many gifts given you. When you are young, enjoy that youthful vigor!

As a father and grandfather, I see more advice here for young couples. When you are young, "banish anxiety" and "cast off troubles" and press on. Youthful vigor only lasts so long. Enjoy the days when you can watch your children in soccer games and run with them. Now I am 70 and so, 

I cannot move those mountains now, 

I can no longer run, 

(except sometimes in my dreams.) A beautiful song, September When It Comes, by Johnny Cash and his daughter Rosanne Cash captures the spirit of this passage, as the Teacher looks back on life.