The Book Of Ecclesiastes Pt. 47 Are You Sowing To The Spirit Or To Your Flesh?

We are now moving into Ecclesiastes chapter 11. 

Be a blessing to others. Don't hoard everything for yourself. 

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2  Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2)  Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 

Solomon compares a farming technique from ancient times, to being a witness for Jehovah by sowing the seed of His Word.

"Casting" is the action of sowing seed, by scattering it upon the waters, or muddy fields, as rice farmers still do in many places. 

Solomon used an allusion to sowing rice, which was sown upon muddy ground, or covered with water. 

Cattle would tread the grains down into the fertile soil, to take root and grow. After many days (the growing cycle) the grains were found in a plentiful harvest.

The "bread" refers to grain that is sown, and this is joined with the idea of "giving a portion" to 7 or 8 people. 

This fact shows us that Solomon's picture is about more than sowing grains of rice in a wet place.

Sowing seed on the face of the waters, pictures sowing the seed of the gospel without any hope of a harvest. 

Do good even to those whose situation seems utterly hopeless. 

God's law mandates a provision for the poor.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11  If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8)  But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 9)  Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. 10)  Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 11)  For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. 

Solomon certainly knew the law of God. He was aware that Jehovah commands His people to assist poor brethren. We are not to have a hard heart toward them, because the poor will never cease to exist. 

Therefore, God makes opening our hand to help a poor brother into an act of worship. When we do what He commands, we are worshipping and honoring God.

Some Christians try to look around for a way to escape their responsibilities and God warns against this. 

All of our wealth and property belong to God and He allows us to be stewards of it. 

If we remember that we are stewards, to whom God has entrusted these things (whether much or little), then we will be more apt to help those in need. 

Jehovah will bless us in all that we put our hand to do, when we remember all that we have is His, and we are to be channels of blessing to others. 

A righteous man is generous, but the wicked man is not. 

Proverbs 11:23-26  The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 24)  There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25)  The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 26)  He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. 

Solomon also wrote the book of Proverbs, as directed by the Spirit of God. A man or woman who is right with God, and lives with a reverential love for God, focuses on doing good to others.

The wicked man does evil and can expect to suffer God's wrath for his sins.

Again, Solomon uses an agricultural analogy to speak  about hoarding for yourself, or allowing your resources to be used of God to bless others. 

The righteous man scatters his seed generously and enjoys an increase from God. 

The unrighteous man hoards his resources for himself, by withholding them, but his soul is impoverished. 

The righteous man's generosity to those in need is noticed by God. He is pictured as watering the thirsty souls around him, and giving of himself to help those in need.

The wicked man keeps it all for himself and is unconcerned about those in need.

Those who sow generously shall be blessed. 

Proverbs 22:8-9  He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. 9)  He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. 

Both aspects of sowing grain are seen in these verses. 

First we see a man who sows iniquity. He is a sinner doing the evil things sinners do. When it comes to the poor, he refuses to give any of his own goods to help a person in need. 

His sins make him an angry person but one day, he will die and face judgment for his sins.

The person who fears God and seeks to honor Him, has a bountiful eye. 

This means that he knows he is a steward of all that God has blessed him with. He is not afraid to help those in need, by giving of his own bread (resources). 

Instead of facing certain judgment, the man with a bountiful eye will be blessed by God. 

We must sow the good seed of the Word or God!

Luke 8:11-15  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12)  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13)  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14)  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15)  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

Hear the words of our Lord as He explains the Parable of the Seed and the Sower. The seed that is sown is the Word of God. 

This seed was sown by Moses, by the prophets, by the men who wrote the wisdom literature and by those who chronicled Israel's history.  

In the New Testament, the seed was first sown by Jesus Christ, then by His apostles and lastly, by Pastors, teachers, evangelists and Christians.  

Jesus' parable teaches that there are various responses to hearing the Word of God, but there is only one acceptable response: faith in Jesus Christ!

Christians are to sow the seed of scripture, or to water it.

1 Corinthians 3:5-8  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6)  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7)  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8)  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 

Paul speaks specifically about apostles sowing the seed of the Word of God. Paul said that he planted (sowed) the seed of the gospel of Christ. 

Apollos and others, came along behind and watered the seed, with more preaching of the Word (See Deuteronomy 32:1-3;  Ephesians 5:25-26).

The idea of watering the seed that has been sown, is that of reinforcing it by speaking, teaching or preaching more truth from the scriptures. 

They were united in their mission: to sow the good seed of the Word of God, so that men might be saved. 

God's Word comes down from heaven to do His work in us. 

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: 11)  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. 

Isaiah gives a beautiful picture of the Word of God  being like life giving rains that come down from heaven. These rains from God sustain all of life on earth. 

In like manner, the Word of God comes down from heaven as it is read, taught and preached. 

God promises that His Word will not ever fail to do what He wants it to do. It will accomplish all the things He wants done, wherever it is sent in the world. 

This picture of the Word of God being like pure rain waters from heaven, connects with what Paul is saying, and with what Solomon says about the liberal soul, contrasted with the wicked man. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Here is the Bible principle: You either sow to the Spirit or to your flesh. 

Galatians 6:7-10  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8)  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9)  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10)  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 

Those who sow to the Spirit, shall reap eternal life from God.

Are we sowing to the Spirit today, by walking with the Lord, honoring Him with our lives, reading His Word and growing in our faith, and being His faithful witnesses?

I pray that this is so. 

Those who sow to their flesh shall reap judgment and eternal condemnation. 

Are you sowing to your flesh, by disobeying God's commands, ignoring His Word, hoarding your resources for yourself, and living to satisfy your fleshly lusts?

I pray that you will see the folly of sin, and turn to Jesus Christ with repentant faith. He wants to save you, and He will save you if you repent of your sins  and call upon Him for salvation.  

May the God of Glory have His way in all of our hearts today!

Bob