What if
Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
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.
Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
I’ve been looking at the Wisdom books of the Bible, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the book of Job and this passage from Ecclesiastes has been rattling about my head.
(The Bible Project does a really good overview of them, I've included a link below.)
The book is attributed to King Solomon and contains reflections on the human condition, the nature of life, and the pursuit of meaning and fulfillment. The passage above focuses on the uncertainty of life and the importance of acting despite our not knowing, or the lack of certainty in future outcomes. For me, these verses examine our ever-present fear of “what if this or what if that” happens. This makes me think, how deeply do we place our trust in God and His plan for our lives, and reveals if we’re honest, how much more we need to mean it when we pray “thy will be done”
These verses can be broken down into sub-themes that cover.
1. Risk and Investment: The author encourages diversification and for us to be proactive in our investments or endeavours. The advice to "ship your grain across the sea" and to "invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight" implies spreading your risk by not placing all you’re your eggs in one basket. By doing this we take “calculated risks” in business and life. However, the author also acknowledges the unpredictability of outcomes, suggesting that unexpected disasters can happen despite our plans to remove risk.
2. The Unpredictability of Life: The passage also emphasises the inevitability of unpredictability in life, as none of our plans are ever guaranteed as absolute certainties. The author with the aid of vivid imagery illustrates the uncontrollable nature of events, such as the unpredictability of rain from full clouds or the arbitrary falling of a tree, (to which many have pondered that if no one is present to witness the fall, does the tree make a noise?) These are meant to highlight the futility of trying to predict or control every outcome in life.
3. Productivity and Diligence: We are encouraged to be diligent and productive despite a lack of certainty in the outcome. It advises us to continue our work—sowing seeds in the morning and not being idle in the evening—without being frozen by uncertainty about the outcomes. It emphasises the importance of industriousness, stating that we should be active and productive even though we are constantly faced with the uncertainty of the results, especially as success might come unexpectedly or in ways we didn’t anticipate!
Overall, these verses advise against excessive hesitation and overthinking due to uncertainties in life. They encourage a balance between careful decision-making and taking action, understanding that while we cannot fully understand the ways of the world or the plans of God. Diligence and perseverance in our endeavours must always take precedence over the uncertainty of the unknown and that inner voice that cries out “what if”. Then we can start to mean and accept it when we pray, “Thy will be done”.
Have a great week, and God bless,
Trev.