QT 28/01/2025 Tue. Ecclesiastes 11. Risks. Remember. Recreation. 冒险。回忆。娱乐。

QT 28/01/2025 Tue. Ecclesiastes 11. Risks. Remember. Recreation. 冒险。回忆。娱乐。

QT 28/01/2025 Tue. Ecclesiastes 11. Risks. Remember. Recreation.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/eccl11

Ecclesiastes 11:1–2
[1] Cast your bread upon the waters,
for you will find it after many days.
[2] Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. (ESV)

Paralysis of Analysis is a problem for many people today. While life offers few guarantees, many would like to work diligently and wisely to increase the chances of success. However, in any risk-benefit analysis, the weight of each of the factors might be skewed towards inaction rather than diligent entrepreneurship. Therefore, Qoheleth invites readers to act rather than not act.

Casting bread upon waters is a risky adventure, likely to involve huge risks of losing what you originally had in your hands—the bread. However, it would seem that Qoheleth rather have readers do something with calculated risks, rather than doing nothing at all. In fact, the risk taker might still find that bread which he had cast on the waters previously.

Ecclesiastes 11:2–6 continues to speak of the mystery of when or what disaster might befall human (11:2), the unpredictability of rain (11:3), the unforeseeable things in agriculture (11:4,6) and the incomprehensibility of "the work of God who makes everything" (11:5).

In spite of these, the Qoheleth advised that in doing charity, which would frequently result in monetary loss, there should not be delay or procrastination because "you know not what disaster may happen on earth (11:2). In fact, you can't assume that the opportunity to give (or whatever that you wish to do) would still exist tomorrow—the recipient might not be able to receive anymore, the giver no longer can "give a portion to seven, or even to eight" (11:2) or whatever the size of the gift in the future.

Next, Qoheleth reminds readers to Remember God and enjoy what He had provided. Only then can any person, young or old, accept human limitations, fear God, be sensitive to difficulties of life and death, and enjoy life fully (11:8–9). While he encourages recreation (11:7–9), he had previously warned readers not to go down the path of accumulating wealth as an end-goal in itself. Instead, be sensitive to the needs of those around where God had placed us.

Ecclesiastes 11:10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. (ESV)
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REFLECTION: Being negative about things would in all probability increase the toxicity of our thoughts and blind ourselves to those risks that are worth taking, make us fail in remembering good things around us, and incapacitate us to enjoy recreation. Would you take Qoheleth's advice?

He believed in God's providence (11:5) and therefore would believe that God oversees what we do and would always accomplish His will for us, regardless of how the rest of the actors act in the world. The wisdom of God's Word in Ecclesiastes would propel you forward courageously.


QT 28/01/2025 星期二. 传道书 11.
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/ecc/11

传道书 11:1-2  当将你的粮食撒在水面,因为日久必能得着。2 你要分给七人,或分给八人,因为你不知道将来有什么灾祸临到地上。

过分的分析一件事导致瘫痪是当今许多人面临的一个问题。虽然生活几乎没有保证,但许多人都希望勤奋而明智地工作,以增加成功的机会。然而,在任何风险收益分析中,每个因素的权重都可能偏向于无所作为,而不是勤奋创业。因此,教师(科希勒)请读者行动起来,而不是不行动。

把面包抛在水面上是一个冒险,很可能会冒着失去手中面包的巨大风险。然而,教师(科希勒)似乎宁愿让读者冒着计算好的风险去做一些事情,而不是什么都不做。事实上,冒险者仍有可能找到之前投在水面上的面包。

传道书 11:2-6 继续讲述了人类何时或遭遇何种灾难的神秘性(11:2)、雨水的不可预测性(11:3)、农业中不可预见的事情(11:4,6)以及 “行万事之神的作为” 的不可理解性(11:5)。

尽管如此,教师(科希勒) 还是建议,在做慈善时(虽然经常会造成金钱损失),不应该拖延或推诿,因为 "你不知道世上会发生什么灾难(11:2)。事实上,你不能假定明天仍有机会施舍(或你想做的任何事)--受施者可能无法再接受,施舍者也不能再 “分给七个人,甚至八个人”(11:2),或无论将来礼物的大小如何。

接下来,古希腊提醒读者要记念上帝,享受他所赐予的一切。只有这样,任何人,无论老幼,才能接受人类的局限,敬畏上帝,体察生死的困难,充分享受生活(11:8-9)。虽然他鼓励娱乐(11:7-9),但他之前曾告诫读者不要把积累财富作为最终目标。相反,要敏锐地观察留意上帝是如何满足我们身边人的需求的。

传道书 11:10 所以你当从心中除掉愁烦。从肉体克去邪恶。因为一生的开端,和幼年之时,都是虚空的。
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反思:对事物的消极态度很可能会增加我们思想的毒性,使我们对那些值得冒的风险视而不见,使我们无法记住身边的美好事物,使我们无法享受娱乐。你会采纳教师(科希勒)的建议吗?

他相信上帝的主权(11:5),因此他相信上帝会监督我们的所作所为,无论世界上其他人如何行事,上帝都会实现他的旨意。《传道书》中上帝的话的智慧将推动你勇敢前行。