Ecclesiastes 11

Order of Service

• Prayer Requests
• Opening Prayer
• Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
• Discussion
• Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 11:7-10
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: Living Wisely Under the Sun

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11

I. Act Wisely Despite Uncertainty — Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

A. Two principal interpretations of casting bread upon the waters

1. Give generously to others and blessing will return in time
2. Diversify resources as a wise investment strategy

B. Seven and eight signify completeness — give fully, don't put all your eggs in one basket

C. Both interpretations are consistent with broader Scripture, including Jesus' Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Rich Fool

II. Acknowledge What You Cannot Control — Ecclesiastes 11:3-5

A. Rain clouds and falling trees illustrate the inevitability and randomness of life

1. Clouds producing rain — predictable and inevitable
2. Where a tree falls — random and unpredictable

B. Two errors to avoid

1. Paralysis from focusing only on unpredictability
2. Arrogant overconfidence in a single outcome

C. We do not fully understand wind, spirit, or human development in the womb — echoes God's questioning of Job

D. The word for wind and spirit is the same in the original language; the ESV footnote reflects this translation difficulty

III. Act Anyway — Ecclesiastes 11:6

A. Contrary to what the preceding verses might lead us to expect, the Preacher calls for action, not resignation

B. Plant your fields; give generously; diversify — live actively but humbly

C. Uncertainty calls us to wisdom, not inaction

IV. Enjoy Life with Realistic Expectations — Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

A. Light and the enjoyment of each day are simple gifts worth savoring — stop and smell the roses

B. Long life is a blessing, but it will include many sorrows; suffering is not an anomaly but a normal part of life

C. Timothy Keller notes that American culture is unusual in treating suffering as strange or unexpected

V. Rejoice in Youth While Remembering Judgment — Ecclesiastes 11:9

A. Two possible readings of following the heart

1. Negative reading — a warning that self-indulgence invites God's judgment (consistent with passages like David and Bathsheba)
2. Positive reading — a call to enjoy what God has commanded us to enjoy; failure to rejoice in God's gifts may itself invite judgment

B. Asceticism for its own sake is not more righteous; the Westminster Shorter Catechism affirms that we are to glorify God and enjoy him forever

C. Augustine's distinction: created things are to be used as windows pointing to God the ultimate giver, not enjoyed as ends in themselves

VI. Put Away Vexation and Keep an Eternal Perspective — Ecclesiastes 11:10

A. Youth and all of life's pleasures are hebel — fleeting, ephemeral, passing away

B. Enjoying small gifts can reduce vexation and anxiety

C. A true eternal perspective causes many day-to-day worries to diminish — political anxieties, news cycles, personal frustrations

D. Romans 8:18 — the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed