Title: Words of Healing (35) Overcoming emptiness...
Contents
Words of Healing (35) A person who overcomes emptiness (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6) 2002.05.08.
The son of David, the king of Jerusalem, and the evangelist Solomon said, “… vanity, vanity, vanity, vanity, all things are vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He repeats the word 'vanity' 37 times in Ecclesiastes. It is said that all life's toil under the sun is in vain. The word 'vanity' here means 'breath' or 'steam' and refers to things that exist momentarily, transiently, momentarily, then disappear and disappear. It refers to disappearing without any content, meaning, or substance. All of life's history of living and breathing under the sun is said to be collectively, essentially, like a brief breath, like a state of vapor.
The reality of nihilism
All the work of those who labor under the sun is in vain, their wisdom is in vain, their righteousness is in vain, their wealth is in vain, their honor and power are in vain, their pleasures are in vain, their youth and their strength in vain It is said that even life is in vain, and that after life is also in vain.
Solomon's nihilism is by no means the epitome of pessimism. Solomon's nihilism speaks of the absence of the ultimate meaning and purpose of fallen human beings who have departed from God. It is speaking of the result of human beings' true values and chaos that departed from God. A life apart from God speaks of the insufficiency of the heart longing for eternity. After all, it is the fact that life itself without God is empty. The reason is that human beings themselves were originally filled with the image of God (Genesis 1:27, 2:7).
Solomon tells everyone what a life in vain under the sun until now is. The stories so far have been mostly negative stories. It was mainly about a vain, dark, and unsuccessful life. He talked about the most foolish people, people who are too wise in the eyes of the world, but who do not know the reality of the truth, are the smartest in their opinion, but are very foolish in the eyes of God. However, this is the end of the critique of people in this world who do not understand the simple truth, and now Chapter 11 shows the active life.
command of overcoming emptiness
In fact, Solomon's words are a command to overcome emptiness, saying, "I have heard the end of things. Fear God and keep his commands, for this is man's duty" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). He said it was the decisive trick. The reason is that 'fear of God' is the foundation or everything of life. God Himself is the original fullness of life. Then, he said that the behavioral code of overcoming emptiness that appears in the fear of God is 'good deeds'. In the case of the text, “throw your plants on the water” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
This is God's command to overcome emptiness.
He said, "Throw your plants on the water." The word 'throwing' here does not refer to seeds or sprinkling, but to good deeds of a generous and affluent heart. In Job 22:24-25, “Your treasure shall be thrown into the dust, and the gold of Ophir upon stones by the river, and the Almighty will be your treasure, and your precious silver… ' is in line with the saying.
To understand this expression of inspiration, we must remember the fields around the Nile River in Egypt that flood each year with floods. Once upon a time, when the Nile River in Egypt overflowed, people quickly boarded boats and generously threw seeds into the river. The seeds they threw then sink to the bottom of the river. After a while the water drains and the fertile soil covers the seeds. Eventually, the seeds sprouted, and after that, I began to enjoy the pleasure of a bountiful harvest. At this time, the act of the farmers throwing the seeds into the water would be seen as foolish. But it was a creative and productive act that looked to a wonderfully blessed future.
When we illuminate this metaphorical expression of the Bible in the New Testament, we must consider the gospel movement of world missions commanded by the Lord Jesus. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the seed (seed) of life. It is the seed of eternal life. So, the Lord expressed the kingdom movement in the parable of sowing seeds (Matthew 13:1-9). The gospel of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ is good news of joy for all people (Luke 2:10, 11, 31, 32). The flower of eternal life will surely bloom and bear fruit in the heart (field) of the person who receives the seed.
Two things are essential to throwing the seeds of the gospel on the water. One of them is to devote all of oneself (body) as a missionary. He himself becomes a prerequisite for the preaching of the gospel. This is the direct way. However, this is not something that everyone can participate in. It is given to those whom God has specially called. They are the ones who are called to the mission of preaching the Gospel.
The second is indirect commitment. This is something we all do together. When it comes to Christians, everyone participates without exception. It is material donations offered together with prayer to God for the spread of the gospel. The text “Throw your plants on the water” should be caught in this context. This text can be illuminated in the context of helping others with material things.
This is a command to receive the blessings of reality, not emptiness.
1) They said they would look for the road after several days.
In the second half of Ecclesiastes 11:1, “… I will find it again after many days.” This means that after many years (hours) you will receive the inevitable blessings. It means that God responds with blessings 30 times, 60 times, and 100 times. It is a fact that is never nonsense. This is a real blessing, not an illusion. It's a kernel, not a shell.
In Ecclesiastes 11:2, “… For you do not know what calamity will come upon the earth.” Verse 3 says, “When the cloud is full of rain, it pours on the ground; and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, it will remain there where it fell.” It is the fact that once a disaster has occurred, everything is empty, empty, and empty.
Therefore, the act of 'throwing plants on the water' means not to miss or lose a crucial chance. Giving all of our strength when we can do the gospel movement for the Lord is the key to preparing for disasters, or even winning over them.
On the day of disaster, everything leaves me. On days of disasters such as wind, flood, cold, chungjae, and other wars and diseases, all of our plants disappear. However, those who have completed their work in the time of peace will experience the blessing of being restored after disasters. That is why people who work when they are working are not people of emptiness who have nothing when they are not working, but people who find their way back 30 times, 60 times, and 100 times.
The 13 colonists who fought for independence during the American colonization struggled in battle. At this time, General Blancher Lafayett came across the United States with his own troops and helped them. They helped with joy, without asking for any reward. 140 years later, when France was at war with Germany, the United States thought about it and helped it shine in world history.
Where is the beginning of an active life?
Today's text talks about the first part of an active life. Where is the beginning of an active life? How would our patterns of life change if we decided to live actively in our thoughts? I am doing In other words, the lazy person becomes diligent, the discouraged person has a new heart, the person who has not exercised should exercise a little, and I also have to start a new life and work hard. Mostly it will be a decision of a new life.
To sum up the meaning of this "newness" in one word, it has the concept of grabbing. In more philosophical terms, self-maximization. I think this is what an active life looks like. In today's text, Solomon speaks of the opposite in the text. In other words, he concludes that the beginning of an active life is not to arm, grasp, strengthen and harden the self, but to give and share. Solomon, for example, is now old. So what would be the most active thing he should do for the rest of his life? Do I need to learn something harder?
What's more important than that is the thought that I have to give something now. So Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He writes the book of Ecclesiastes until he reveals all his teeth. Why? It is because of the desire to help more people to live a more beautiful life and a life without regrets, and to contribute and give, even if it is the last time.
It is said that there is one thing that people regret when they die. "I'm giving more, but I'm leaving everything behind, but I didn't know this, and I did things that were too bad before God, and I lived fighting with people.." It's that kind of heart. “How am I going to live the rest of my life now?” “I will live by sharing and giving.” This is what today's text says, and that is what an active life is all about.
This is verse 1. “Throw your food on the water, and in a few days you will find it back.” If you throw a plant, or bread, on the water, it will be retrieved after several days. What does this mean? This word itself is an Israeli proverb. It's just quoting a proverb. You can think of it as a proverb that holds true throughout the Arab and Middle East. There is still this proverb, "Throw your bread on the water! And one day it will come back to you."
Once upon a time, there was a prince in Iraq who went missing while he was boating on the river when he suddenly got caught up in the rapids. The search operation failed, as many soldiers had now found the prince who had been washed away into the great river. After a few weeks, I finally found this prince. Fortunately, the prince was alive. As he was drifting away, he found a large rock in the middle of the river, and climbed up on it and survived. But the question is, how could they survive in a river where there is nothing to eat even after several weeks have passed? is to do The prince is hungry and exhausted, and a leather bag is floating in front of the rock. What is that? After thinking with all his might, he got it and brought it back up on the rock. When he opened the bag, he found that it was full of bread. I was hungry so I ate it.
After a few more days, it was time to get hungry, so the leather bag came to the surface and made a living on the bread in it. When the king heard this, he was so happy that he said, "Who is this who sent this bread? Find it." So I looked at the sack, and on the corner of the sack had the name "Mohamep Bet Hassan" written on it. So I went to find out who this person was, searched everyone around the river and finally found this guy called "Mohambet Hassan". Finding it, the king asked, "Why did you throw bread into the skins?" I asked, but the man replied, "Isn't it even in the proverb? "Throw your plant on the water, and it will surely come back." I did an experiment to see if that's true." That's it. are you back? Didn't you come back? It's back. After hearing this story, you will understand the meaning of these words.
It seems like it will disappear and disappear once you throw it into the water right away, but it is not. “What you call good deeds always comes back. You will find them again after many days.” Does the one who receives it pays back? not if you do. Also, are you coming soon? Nor is it. It cannot be guaranteed. However, it means that one day it will surely come back through a mysterious process. Therefore, it is said that “the best investment is to live by sharing and giving”.
Take a look around you. The giver can live abundantly. In our opinion, a life of grasping seems to be a life of substance, but it is the opposite. A life of giving is a life of substance. The second formula of biblical matter. The first formula is that matter comes from God. The meaning of this formula is that the giver has more abundant grace. So, how many people should you give? is a problem.