Introduction
The Preacher continues his study of wisdom, specifically economic wisdom, which will be followed by another commendation of joy next week.
Read Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
In the past 20 years we’ve witnessed to of the biggest financial disasters in our nation’s history. We saw the dotcom crash of 2000 and the housing market collapse of 2008. In both cases, the market was saturated with inflated prices creating a bubble of instability. If we were anything like the generation that survived the depression, we would take the little money we have left and put it in the safest possible location, only to be touched in an emergency.
But the Preacher encourages perseverance. Life remains filled with mysteries and uncertainties, but the sovereignty of God gives us the assurance we need that He will keep his promises. How we face those uncertainties determines whether we have any wisdom.
Take wisely calculated risks for God!
Invest Wisely (1-2)
The benefits of business and the advantages of having good business sense.
1 Not expecting us to get excited about soggy bread. Probably refers to food trade. The point is to take the risk of sending out bread in order to receive a good return.
2 It’s also a wise practice to diversify your portfolio of investments. This offsets the risk taken.
So the advice is essentially to make wise investments.
Have you played the stock market game www.howthemarketworks.com? Involve the family. It can be fun to try to figure out which stocks will go up based upon our current economy and the announcements companies make regarding their earning reports, etc. The goal is always to buy low and sell high. Spending money on stocks is a risk. And most experts recommend diversifying your portfolio. If one stock tanks, hopefully, your other stocks will provide stability.
Of course, the Preacher is stating a principle that has a broader application than our finances. In fact, our greatest investments cost more than our money. They cost our time and affection. Take wisely calculated risks for God!
The wisest investment of all is one you can’t lose (Matt. 6:19-21).
Jim Elliot He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
However, investing wisely takes patience and perseverance…
Don’t Be Lazy (3-4)
3 We can predict what will happen in nature. Clouds inform us if rain is coming. The direction of an objects fall determines where it will land.
4 Seems to discourage laziness based upon watching the weather. Lazy people are really skilled at finding excuses to get out of their work. “It looks a bit too windy to sow today.” Or, “I’ll have to reap when the sky clears up.”
The Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30).
The lazy servant is rebuked even though he didn’t lose anything. He gave back exactly what he received. That’s better than most people today who live on debt. We seem to be worse than the wicked servant when it comes to stewarding our resources. Here, the wicked servant was rebuked for doing nothing with the talent he had received. He was punished for being lazy and unambitious.
Although, the Preacher & Jesus use financial examples, the principles are universal.
The storms in our lives leave some paralyzed with fear. For others, they provide another reason to procrastinate. Either way, the work is neglected.
Disciples are called to make wisely calculated risks for God-daily (Luke 9:23-24).
Keller The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.
Laziness and…
Ignorance Is No Excuse (5-6)
“You do not know” (4x in 2, 5, 6).
5 You don’t know how life forms in the womb. The double meaning of רוּחַ as spirit/wind (cf v4, John 3). How personhood is formed. There are mysteries in creation because there are mysteries in the Creator.
6 Because you can’t know the outcome, you must continue to take risks which will increase your odds of success. Not knowing encourages risk!
Humans make new discoveries every day which ultimately serves to increase our sense of curiousity.
Ryken We know more, perhaps, than Solomon did about the growth of a child from conception to birth, but this knowledge does not diminish our sense of wonder. In fact, the more we know about life in the womb, the more amazing it seems. One whole new person (sometimes more than one) grows inside the body of another person.
Discovering about the mysteries of life should increase our awe in the Creator. If the mystery of our salvation is the greatest of all, then the greatest risk would involve evangelism.
Sow the gospel liberally, increasing the odds of success (Matt. 13:3-9). There is no full-proof formula for evangelism and missions. Every context is unique and the Holy Spirit provides unique gifts to specific members.
Take wisely calculated risks for God!
Conclusion
It’s in response to Christ’s accomplishment that we…
- Invest Wisely (1-2) Jesus invested every spare moment to do his Father’s will. Christ secured our greatest treasure.
- Don’t Be Lazy (3-4) Jesus spent every ounce of energy showing compassion to those in need. He continues to supply that same energy through his Spirit.
- Ignorance Is No Excuse (5-6) Jesus shed every drop of blood to satisfy the justice of God. He did this-not so we would do the same-but precisely because we couldn’t do the same.
Come behold the wondrous mystery until you share it liberally with others.