throw the title I will find the road
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Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 Throw. I will find the road
This is today's text. “You throw your plants on the water. I will find my way back in many days. Give it to seven or eight. You do not know what calamity will come upon the earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2) This is one of the most difficult words to interpret in the Bible. The scholars who studied this verse came to this conclusion while pondering what the basis for this verse was. Solomon was a king who knew Egypt well. It is said that he said this while thinking about what is often happening on the Nile River.
As you know, during the flood season, the water rushes from the upstream and carries the soil and builds up fertile soil downstream. If you sow this seed in the Nile, it will later sprout and bear fruit in that fertile delta loam. So I thought that if I threw a plant on the water, it would be retrieved after several days. In other words, it seems to disappear, but it has made a huge profit.
The word for ‘throw’ in today’s text is ‘Shalach’ in Hebrew. This does not mean planting seeds. It means 'throw it'. That seems like a waste. It is a word that has no hope of reaping. However, it means that if you throw a plant over the water, you will surely get it back. Some people have interpreted this verse like this.
1. Throw even bad ground.
2. Throw in the bad season.
3. Even if it is a sacrifice for me right now, throw it.
4. Throw even if it takes a long time to reap.
5. Throw even if calculated and short-sighted people will laugh at you.
6. Throw even if there is no chance of reward or praise.
7. Throw it even if it feels like pouring water into a broken poison.
8. Throw even if you keep failing and have no income.
Folks, even if it seems reckless to throw a plant into the water, one day you will surely find it back. Solomon clearly testifies to us about this through the Word of God. So what specifically can you throw to find your way back?
1. Prayer
When we pray, it seems like we are hitting the air, there is no answer, and even if it seems to disappear, it is not. You will find the road. Moses is the greatest figure in the history of Israel. Moses was born when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Fortunately, I went to the palace and lived there. But at the age of 40, I thought of looking back at my people. At that time, Moses prayed that he would become a person who liberates the nation. Acts 7 makes it clear to us. “When I was 40, I thought of looking after my brothers, the children of Israel” (Acts 7:23).
Moses prayed like that at the age of 40 and ran out of the palace. Then when he saw the Egyptians and the Israelites fighting, he got angry and struck the Egyptian with his fist, and he died. He buried the body in the sand. And the next day I went to the place again. This time it was a fight between the Israelites. Moses said, "Why do people of the same race fight each other?" Then they say to Moses. “Yesterday you killed the Egyptian, and today you are going to kill us?”
Moses was heartbroken. It was found out that he had killed the Egyptian. Because of this, the king of Egypt tried to kill his enemy Moses. Moses hurriedly fled into the wilderness of Midian. And 40 years have passed there. Moses is now 80 years old. Moses' life seemed to end here.
But it wasn't. God appeared to Moses. God answered the prayer Moses prayed when he was 40 years old. And he gave Moses the mission of liberating the nation. It shows that praying will bring you back even if it seems like you throw it into the water. Jesus also said: “If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, believing that what he says will come true, it will be done for him. Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it. And it shall be so for you” (Mark 11:23-24).
Ladies and gentlemen, I just prayed and put it away, and it was not likely that my prayer would come true. However, if you look later, you will find that the prayer was fulfilled without falling to the ground. Our mother, Master Kwon, who went to heaven, prayed like this before. “God, please give our family a building so that we can get a monthly rent. And please share the material and give it to me so that I can live while evangelizing.”
My family members laughed as they heard the prayer. In our circumstances at the time, it was unlikely that that prayer would come true. That's why I gave you a pincup like this. “Hey, you’re too greedy!” However, such a prayer later miraculously came true. So, they shared the material, gave, and evangelized, and they lived in abundance. At the time, it seemed like a vain prayer, but it was fulfilled without falling to the ground. These days, I smile and say to the people in my household. “You should pray like that too.”
Gentlemen, we pray to God because we cannot do it in our own strength. In other words, prayer presupposes that there is no possibility. When we throw a plant into water, there is no hope of finding it back with human thought. However, the text says that after several days they will find it again. Even if you pray for the first time, it may not seem like it will come true, but eventually, after several days, your prayer will be answered.
2. Offering
An offering to God is like throwing it on the water. It seems to be wasting. So sometimes it feels like a waste. Moreover, it seems that if you come to a foreign land and make hard money, you will lose money if you donate a large amount of it as an offering. “After that, what do I eat or buy?” And there are times when I hesitate. However, the offering given to God is returned after several days.
So Luke says: “Give, and it will be given to you, and it will be given to you, pressed generously, shaken, overflowing, and given to you.” (Luke 6:38) In the Bible, there is a saying of 30 times, 60 times, 100 times. When God gives back to us, it gives back so abundantly. So those who have had this experience come to realize that investing in God is the surest investment.
I do not want our saints and our children to come all the way to Canada and live in poverty. Of course, I do not want to live apart from God because I have a lot of money. I want our members to believe in God well in this foreign land, receive material blessings from God, and live comfortably and abundantly. To do this, throw the substance into the water. You will find it back in a few days. And when you look for that substance, you find a lot so that your mouth opens wide.
3. Good deeds
The same goes for good deeds. God has promised to repay us for all that we have done to one of the least. A typical example is Tabitha in Acts 9. There was a funeral when Peter went to Joppa. Peter went. A woman named Davida died. But all the locals gathered. It turned out that she was a woman who did many good deeds for the people of the neighborhood while she was still alive. Especially in those days, when clothes were precious, they made a lot of clothes. That is why people were so sad that the woman who loved them so much died.
Peter knew that Tabitha was a man of good deeds. So I wanted to pray for Tabitha who died. So I knelt down and prayed earnestly to God. Then Peter cried out. “Hey David! Get up.” (Acts 9:40) Then Tabitha, who was dead, came to life. When Tabitha did a good deed by making clothes for others, it seemed like a waste. But Tabitha was able to get her life back by her good deeds.
We meet a lot of friendly people here in Canada. In particular, it is very impressive to see a lot of people come and help when your car breaks down and you stand on the road. In a way, “What is the use of doing good to someone you do not know? Isn't it just a waste of time and suffering?" There are times when I think. But the Bible says. “He who has compassion on the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deeds” (Proverbs 19:17).
4. Gospel
So is the gospel. While evangelizing to others, there are times when you think, “I don’t think this person will believe in Jesus.” I feel like I'm just wasting my time and I'm only feeling bad. But the Bible tells us to preach the gospel whether we listen or not. Later, God will reap the fruits of the seeds of the gospel.
I was an evangelist at Yoido Full Gospel Church, and at the age of 33, I met my current family member and we were married. After the wedding, I looked at the congratulatory money from the congratulatory guests with my family. Among them, my mother said, “Uh- this woman evangelist also gave me a congratulatory money!” and said. I said, “Do you know this evangelist?” When I asked, my mother laughed and told me the story.
While my mother was the head of the district, I was evangelizing diligently every day. I saw a Yakult woman on the road and evangelized like this. "Hey. Can you teach me how to make money?” At these words, the Yakult lady pricked her ears and asked. “What?” My mother whispered in her ear and said, “Believe in Jesus!” Then this man stuttered and passed by with a bad expression on his face. However, many years later, this woman became a female evangelist at Yoido Full Gospel Church. And thanks to my mother for evangelizing, she gave me a gift when I got married.
Today's text says: “You throw your plants on the water. I will find my way back in many days. Give it to seven or eight. For you do not know what calamity will come upon the earth.” Prayers, offerings, good deeds, and the gospel are found again after several days. Finally, I would like to end today's talk with a simple story.
Inside the pyramids of Egypt, you found a dried up seed next to the mummies. It was a seed that was at least 3,000 years old. The scholars planted the seeds just in case. Did it sprout? didn't it happen? The answer is, “It has sprouted.” What is the name of that flower? This is 'Dahlia'. Today's lesson. You can also plant it in this foreign land. If you throw it away, you will find it back several days later.