Cast Thy Bread upon the Waters

adapted from PCC Prayer MeetingExhortation on 20 August 2010


“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt findit after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

The Book of Ecclesiastes is not likely to be one youwill turn to if you are looking to find some encouraging promises in the Wordof God.

In fact, the book has such an apparently negativetone that many thought that its theme is “vanity of vanities”—that life ismeaningless.

Well, that certainly is not thetheme of the book. I would suggest that the theme of the book must havesomething to do with the phrase that keeps repeating over and over again in thebook, namely, “under the sun.” This phrase occurs 27 times in this book, and inalmost every chapter, viz.: Ecclesiastes 1:3, 9, 14; 2:11, 17-20, 22; 3:16;4:1, 3, 7, 15; 5:13, 18; 6:1, 12; 8:9, 15, 17; 9:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 10:5. Theonly place in the first 10 chapters in which it does not occur is chapter 7.And even there, the concept is alluded to though the exact words are not used.

So what is the theme of the book? Well, perhaps thebest way to phrase it is “vanity under the sun.” The word ‘vanity’ occurs 28times in this book. What Solomon is saying in this book is that life consistsin more than what can be seen under the sun. If you live merely on thephysical, visible, sensual plane, your life would be a vanity. Solomon shouldknow that. He wrote this book in his evening years after repenting ofbacksliding and of squandering his life away in the pleasures of this world.

This explains why this booksounds so negative. Solomon is seeking to warn others of following the path hetrod. He is saying, “Don’t go that way. I have gone through it, and I haveexperienced the miseries and regret. See to it, rather, that you live beforethe face of God keeping His commandments in His fear and bearing in mind thatone day you have to stand before Him in judgement.”

Now, this may still sound quite negative. But reallythere is a silver edge, for there is an implicit promise in all that Solomon issaying. And that implicit promise finds expression in the only explicit promisein this whole book. Where is the explicit promise? It is Ecclesiastes 11:1—

Castthy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Well, the Lord helping us, we want to study thispromise under our series on the great and precious promises of God.

Let’s consider this promise under two heads. First,what does it mean to cast bread upon the waters? Secondly, what does it mean tofind it after many days?


1. Casting Bread

Solomon says:

Castthy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

What does that mean? Well, actually commentators arenot sure.

Some suggest that Solomon is alluding to thepractice of planting rice since rice grows on wet, muddy field, flooded withwater.

Others suggest that it is an allusion to the ancientpractice of casting seed on the flood plains of the Nilewhen the water is flooding the river valleys so that when the water hasreceded, the seeds would be spread far and wide.

I wonder if it might refer tofeeding the fishes in the lake or pond with your leftover bread—that way aftermany days, you will find the bread in the form of fat juicy fishes.

But whatever the case might be, it is clear thatSolomon is speaking about doing good to the poor. Verse 2 is clearly on thesame subject: “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest notwhat evil shall be upon the earth” (Ecc 11:2)

Perhaps Solomon is suggesting that while helping thepoor may seem like a wasteful casting of bread upon the waters, it is notreally so.

What is this principle to us? Well, naturally, itreminds us to be merciful towards the poor. Over and over again, the Scripturesremind us to do good to the poor rather than to invest in the rich.

The Lord himself says:


 
“When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not … rich neighbours;lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thoumakest a feast, call the poor…; and thou shalt be blessed…” (Lk 14:12-14)

Let us, beloved brethren and children remember to doso. The poor have a special place in the heart of the Lord, and so they musthave a special place in our heart as the sons and daughters of God. We must notbe tempted to think that it is foolish to do good to the poor since there areno conceivable benefits of doing good to them. Let us rather learn to cast ourbread upon the waters.

And let us realise that theprinciple of casting bread on waters also extends beyond doing good to thepoor. It really extends to all that we may do which is intuitively right andyet may not seem to have any immediate benefit. Speaking a word of grace inseason. Giving a gospel tract to a neighbour. Giving a sum to help anorphanage. These are just some ways of casting bread upon the waters.

Let us, brethren and children, seek to live by thegrace and mercies of the Lord, always seeking to do good rather than beingcalculative and seeking an immediate and selfish profit in all that we do. “Hethat observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shallnot reap” (Ecc 11:4).

But now considerour Lord’s promise for those who cast their bread upon the waters.


2. Finding It

Cast thy breadupon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

We have seen how Solomon might have in mind the richharvest that would result from sowing seed in the flood plain or perhaps fromfeeding fish.

Whatever the case may be, writing under the inspirationof the Holy Spirit, he tells in no uncertain terms that we will find the breadwe cast in the waters after many days.

Now, of course, he is not speaking about findingliteral soggy bread that one may cast into the waters. He is speakingfiguratively. And he is no doubt speaking about what benefits we may expectfrom casting our bread.

Apart from the fact that it is more blessed to givethan to receive, we may not enjoy any immediate benefit of casting bread intothe waters. But God the Spirit has promised: “thou shalt find it after many days.”

Do a good deed, and you may not expect anything inreturn. But many days later, when you have forgotten about the bread you cast,you will find it again.

How will you find it again? Well, in the firstplace, very often those who benefited from our good deed return to give thanksor return to be a blessing.

Some of you may remember the story of Ignacy JanPaderewski. Paderewski was a very famous Polish pianist. One day in 1892, twogeology students studying in StanfordUniversity hit upon anidea to earn some money to help pay for their board and tuition.

They decided to engage Paderewski to give a concert recital. Themanager of Paderewski asked for a guarantee of $2,000 which was a big sum inthose days. Well, they agreed and so began to work hard to promote the concertand to get it going. But sadly, at the end of it all, they found they hadgrossed only $1,600; and that before paying for all the expenses.

Well, after the concert theboys told the great musician the bad news. They gave him the $1,600 with apromissory note that they would pay the remainder as soon as they could. Itlooks like it was the end of their college careers. They were in debt; couldnot pay the fees; and would have to go out to work to pay back the Paderewski.

But Paderewski refused to take the promissory note.He tore it into two; and handed back the $1,600 to the two boys. He instructedthem to use the amount to pay for the expenses and to keep 10% of the balanceeach for their work and to give the rest to him.

Years later, World War I came and went. Paderewski becamethe 3rd Prime Minister of Poland. He was striving to feed thousandsof Poles ravaged and starving because of the War. There was only one man whocould help him. His name was Herbert Hoover, who eventually became the 31stpresident of USA.Hoover was thenin charge of the US Food and Relief Bureau. Hoover responded to Paderewski’s plea andsent thousands of tons of food to Poland.

Later Paderewski travelled to Paris to thank Hoover. “That’s allright, Mr Paderewski,” was Hoover’sreply. “Besides, you don’t remember it, but you helped me once when I was astudent at college, and I was in trouble.”

Paderewski cast his bread upon the waters and foundthem after many days.

Beloved brethren and children, this could be thecase with you too. Indeed, it willbe the case for you, for God’s Promise cannot be broken. I am not sure ifPaderewski was a true believer though he was a Catholic. If he was not, theprinciple of recompense as taught in our text worked for him in this life.

But as the children of God who cast their bread uponthe waters you will always findit after many days. If you do not find it in this life, you will find it on theday when the Lord Jesus Christ rewards His saints.

Did not the Lord Jesus say:

“And whosoever shall give todrink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of adisciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Mt10:42).


Conclusion

Beloved brethren and children, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”

This is God’s promise. Seektherefore to be a blessing today. You have been blessed that you might be ablessing. It is more blessed to give than to receive. And if you would be ablessing today, you will receive your reward manifold after many days. God isno debtor to those who seek to magnify His name and to do good in His name.

Let us apply our text by taking heed to the words ofthe apostle Paul:

“9And let us notbe weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10Aswe have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially untothem who are of the household of faith.” (Gal 6:9-10).

“For God is not unrighteousto forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name,in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb 6:10)

May the Lordbless us as we learn the joy of casting our bread upon the waters. Amen. Ω