Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6; v. 1— Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
The cliche is: “What goes around, comes around.”
This was the practice of the Egyptian farmers along the Nile River. In the spring the Nile would overflow it banks and flood the valleys. A farmer would then cast his seed on the top of the flood water. When the river receded back to it’s banks, the seed settled down in the rich soil that was left behind. Weeks later a bountiful crop was harvested.
Let’s make a N.T. application of this text for us today…
I. The REQUIREMENT— “Cast thy bread…”
INVESTMENT ALWAYS PRECEDES DIVIDENDS. Obviously, no casting of seed, no reaping of fruit!
A hiker was thirsty for a drink came upon an abandoned house. There he found a pump, and proceeded to pump, but no water came forth. Then he saw a small jug with a cork at the top and a note attached. The note said to pour the contents of the jug into the pump to prime it. At first the thirsty man was tempted just to drink the water in the jug, but he decided to follow the instructions. It worked and the pump brought forth a satisfying drink of water. Before going his way, he refilled the jug with water for the next thirsty person. He added to the note, “Believe me, it works. You have to give before you can get anything back.”
A. The BREAD (seed) is the Word of God - Mt. 4:4; Luke 8:11
Isaiah 55:10-11— For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
B. The WATERS are multitudes of people – Rev. 17:15—The waters which thou sawest… are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
C. The PORTION - v. 2. Seven is God’s perfect number. Eight is many in number. We must give out the “bread” to as many people as possible because we don’t know what evil times lie ahead.
II. The RETURN — “…thou shalt find it after many days.”
A. The SURENESS of the return—“thou SHALT find it…” One preacher said, “When your bread comes back, it will come back buttered!
B. The SEASON of the return — “…after many days.”
PARTIAL SERMON: see PDF for full version
