Ecclesiastes 11:6, commentary and pictures

The seed is the message of truth, the gospel, and sowing it is sharing that message by words, example, conduct and service to others. Morning and evening mean at every opportunity, at different times and in different places and ways, in public worship and in ordinary daily life. No one knows beforehand which effort will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both shall be alike good. The verse therefore commands diligent, steady, persistent work without withholding the hand, sowing broadly and in more than one way or place rather than stopping because the result is uncertain. The outcome belongs to God, who alone gives the increase, so workers are to do the work and leave results with Him, trusting Him to water what is sown and bring the harvest. For this reason labor is to continue in faith through darkness, discouragement, rejection and lack of visible fruit, even when met with prejudice or with no appreciation or response.

Seed and Sowing Imagery

The seed is the message of truth, the gospel to be carried to others. Sowing that seed is sharing the message through words and example, through conduct and through self-sacrificing service to others. It is done by making opportunities in different ways, including carrying the gospel to neighbors through books, papers, and Bible readings, and through notices, leaflets, and tracts even when the work is costly. The results of such sowing may appear feeble or remain unknown to the workers, for a seed may lie hidden for a time in a worldly or selfish heart before it grows.

Morning and evening mean at every suitable opportunity, in the morning and in the evening, without deciding in advance that a time or place is unsuitable. Sowing beside all waters means sowing broadly in different places and ways, in public worship and in ordinary daily settings, in public and in personal ministry. It includes speaking tactfully about eternal matters when among unbelievers in the ordinary settings of life, making nature, the seasons, and everyday events starting points for sacred truth. It includes visiting neighbors, lending books, and telling them the truth, and it extends to every nation by every means of access, such as railroads and steamboat lines that connect with every part of the world.

No one knows in advance which effort will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both shall be alike good. The outcome of one effort or another is unknown, and either or both may prosper and bear fruit. Therefore good work and help to others are not to be withheld because the return is uncertain or because efforts may be met with prejudice or go unappreciated and unanswered. Diligent and persistent labor without holding back the hand is required across a wide field and in more than one place or way, rather than waiting for certainty about which effort will bear fruit.

Diligent Unceasing Labor

The verse commands diligent, steady, persistent work without withholding the hand, keeping on sowing morning and evening rather than stopping because which effort will prosper is unknown. Steadiness is required even when people resist, fail to appreciate the effort, or give no response, and at every opportunity in the canvassing sharing of truth through publications. As a farmer trusts for a harvest from seed that appears given up, work is to continue even when its results cannot yet be seen.

Because the outcome is unknown, sowing is to be broad and manifold, in more than one way and place, with repeated efforts and more than one opportunity pursued instead of limiting help to one effort or to those who appreciate or repay it. In carrying light to other nations this means risking means and laboring patiently in several fields despite discouragement, trusting for the increase. Ministers are to keep sowing the gospel seed continually across a wide field rather than waiting to know which effort will bear fruit.

Labor is to continue even when results cannot yet be seen, when efforts seem fruitless, and when souls saved or resources returned are not visible. Like seed that remains hidden in the heart for a time before growing, good seed may show nothing for a season until the Spirit brings it to life and makes it bear fruit. Therefore faithfulness in sowing in public and personal ministry is required through darkness, discouragement, and disappointed hopes.

Uncertainty about which effort will prosper is no reason to stand idle, wait for certainty, or claim to decide in advance which time, place, or effort is suitable. It is not given to workers to determine that one effort will bear fruit and another will not, or that both will prosper alike, for that decision belongs elsewhere.

Trusting God for Harvest

The harvest does not belong to the sower, for as one plants and another waters, only God gives the increase and makes the work prosper, so the duty of workers is to do the work and leave results with Him. Whether sown by words, example, conduct, or by notices, leaflets and tracts even when costly, and whether sown everywhere beside all waters with use of railroads and steamboat lines that reach every nation, no one knows which effort will succeed or whether all will be alike fruitful. Even when only a few respond, the work is to continue by faith rather than by sight, trusting the Lord to water what is sown.

Seed sown in the heart may remain hidden for a time with no visible result, as a farmer's seed appears given up, before the Spirit of God brings it to life and makes it bear fruit to God's glory. It may lie for a time in a worldly or selfish heart showing nothing, then be nurtured and grow as God's Spirit works upon that heart. So teaching God's word is like sowing, for even when its effect is not immediately visible, lessons of divine truth can remain in memory and later bear fruit through the Holy Spirit. Human knowledge and skill cannot change the heart, arouse darkened minds, or quicken the soul to discern the sinfulness of sin and feel need of a Saviour; only the mysterious quickening influence of the Spirit can water the seed and bring fruit.

God often leaves workers in uncertainty about results so they will rely fully on Him as the source of strength, live in full dependence by living faith every moment, cherish humble hope, and stimulate faith and energy from Him. That uncertainty keeps them from hurrying people or expecting too much too soon, with assurance that with His power their work will not fail. Therefore labor can continue in confidence that God's promise sustains the harvest, trusting the Lord to water what is sown and to bring the increase, pressing on through darkness, discouragement and disappointed hopes even when souls saved or resources returned cannot yet be seen.

Persevering Through Discouragement

The verse calls for continuing good work and help to others even when met with prejudice and when efforts are not appreciated, repaid, or responded to. Good work is to be carried on steadily and generously without withholding the hand because people may resist or fail to appreciate it, and help is not to be limited only to those who appreciate or repay it. Since no one knows which effort will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both shall be alike good, uncertainty about the result is no reason to stop laboring but reason to sow in more than one way and pursue more than one opportunity.

Small audiences and seemingly limited opportunities are not to be despised, for every opportunity is to be used to work for the salvation of others while trusting God with results. One sermon may lead someone to devote abilities to reaching many people, so persistent generous sowing wherever there is opportunity can multiply far beyond what is seen. Truth is to be distributed widely and persistently like seed sown in different places and at different times, through books, papers, and leaflets that carry truth where a minister cannot reach. Even a leaflet given to one who seems unlikely to accept it may reach one ready to accept it, because human judgment misjudges who is most ready and cannot know in advance which effort will bear fruit.

Sowing is to continue in faith and purpose through darkness, discouragement, disappointed hopes, rejection, and lack of immediate evidence of saved souls or returned resources. Uncertainty about souls saved or resources returned is no reason to stand idle, and workers are not to give in to idleness, weariness, or discouragement but to press on patiently and put lives and energies fully into the work entrusted to them. They are to sow the seed of labor faithfully and generously and share the truth as it is in Jesus while there is opportunity, trusting the Lord to bring the increase. Persevering in well-doing in this way leads to a harvest of blessing.

Fear to venture and run risks in giving light to other nations, and refusal to spend unless immediate returns and saved souls can be seen, is slothful neglect and criminal unbelief. It is better to work and keep at work and keep spending without holding back for fear of loss, even when spending brings no visible result and part of the means seems completely wasted, than to do nothing. Money selfishly retained will soon lose value and be discarded when eternal realities appear.

Faithful sowing of eternal truth is to be kept up at every suitable opportunity, in formal worship and in ordinary daily settings, because no one can know which effort will bear fruit or whether several will. Such sowing may involve sorrow and prayerful concern, but it can ultimately lead to rejoicing over the harvest. Those dedicated to God put their lives and energies into the work and continue without indolence or discouragement, trusting that well-doing will bring a harvest of blessing.

The verse teaches working by faith rather than by sight, spreading the message widely and persistently even when only a few respond and results are uncertain, trusting the Lord to water what is sown. Sowing the seeds of truth beside all waters, in the morning and in the evening, includes every opportunity such as visiting neighbors, lending books, and telling them the truth, ever pointing people to the way of truth without holding back. This is done in humility and trust beside Christ with assurance of His abiding presence to the end, walking beside Him while continuing in that trust.

Work that appears wasted may help one with little ability or few advantages who lives faithfully by the light and means given and enters the kingdom. Those who enjoyed greater light and advantages and opportunities may nevertheless fail to live up to them and be left out. Since the outcome belongs to God who sees what people cannot, the duty to work for others continues even when effort seems unlikely to help or its results are unclear.

Fields and Methods of Sowing

The verse applies to gospel workers sowing in public ministry and in personal ministry, keeping on sharing eternal truth at every suitable opportunity whether in formal worship or in ordinary daily settings rather than deciding in advance that a time or place is unsuitable. Believers are to sow broadly by speaking tactfully about eternal matters when among unbelievers in the ordinary settings of life, as Jesus made nature, the seasons, and everyday events starting points for teaching sacred truths, and his followers are to do likewise. The results are unknown, for one effort may bear fruit and another may not, or both may prosper alike, and faithfulness is required even when results are not yet visible or efforts seem fruitless. Faithful sowing may bring sorrow and prayerful concern, but it can ultimately lead to rejoicing over the harvest.

The verse calls canvassers to persistent work, to sow at every opportunity and not hold back, but to keep sharing truth through publications and labor steadily because the outcome of one effort or another is unknown and either or both may succeed. Sowing means carrying the gospel to neighbors through books, papers, and Bible readings, distributing truth widely and persistently in every available way even when results are unknown. Bible-filled books, papers, and leaflets carry truth to places a minister cannot reach, and even a leaflet given to someone who seems unlikely to accept it may produce results. Workers should keep spreading the message through notices, leaflets, and tracts even when the work is costly, and through advertising, circulating tracts, and publishing leaflets even when the ground has so far seemed unfruitful, because they cannot know which efforts will bear fruit and the outcome belongs to God, who gives the increase. Sharing written materials is like sowing, for a worker may not see in this life which efforts will prosper, yet the work can help bring people to salvation.

The verse means keep working to give light to other nations and keep spending money for it without holding back for fear of loss, pursuing God's work steadily and in more than one place even when results are uncertain. Believers should risk using their means and keep working despite discouragement or lack of immediate evidence that souls have been saved, because they cannot know which efforts will prosper, and faithful workers sow patiently and trust God to bring the increase. Fear to venture and run risks, and refusal to spend unless immediate returns and saved souls can be seen, is slothful neglect and criminal unbelief, and even when spending brings no visible result and part of the means seems completely wasted, it is better to work and keep at work than to do nothing, for money selfishly retained will soon lose value and be discarded when eternal realities appear. Every person is appointed to earnest, persevering work for the salvation of souls, not only ministers and not only work in fields of corn and wheat, and must sow the seed of gospel truth everywhere beside all waters, using railroads and steamboat lines that connect with every part of the world and give access to every nation, because no one knows which effort will succeed or whether all will be alike fruitful, while planting by Paul and watering by Apollos prosper only as God gives the increase.

Teaching God's word is like sowing seed, for even when its effect on students is not immediately visible, lessons of divine truth can remain in memory and later bear fruit through the Holy Spirit, to God's glory. Every child should receive an education for the highest service, since no one can know in advance which abilities or opportunities will produce the greatest good, so effort should be given broadly and persistently rather than reserved for those who seem most promising. In San Jose this means supporting the workers and seeking souls through the planned school opening without waiting for certainty about which work will bear fruit, continuing to sow the message in every field of labor even when no one can know which effort will prosper. Medical missionary workers are likewise to share the Word with patients and keep sowing the seed of God's message in every opportunity without knowing which effort will prosper, where one worker may plant and another water while God gives the increase.

The verse means to sow in the morning and not withhold the hand in the evening by giving messages of counsel and reproof to persons of all sizes and all descriptions of character and circumstances in life, even when they seem very unworthy, very poor, of inferior intellect and untidy in habits. This holds even with little hope that warnings will work any decided change and little appreciation after more than twenty years of labor, for the worker does not know which will prosper, this or that. The duty is only to cut out the garments and hang them ready to be made when called for, for the loss is not the worker's but God's, who sees not as man sees and lays out the work He would have done. Therefore weariness and discouragement are no reason to shrink, for release has not yet come, and strength and ease come in faithful cutting.

The duty is to sow the seed faithfully without knowing which effort will prosper, keeping on sowing rather than spending strength answering every false accusation, for though the outcome is unknown the labor should continue. Those who serve God are to put full effort into the work entrusted to them and continue assigned labor without knowing which kind of labor will prosper, remaining faithful and not giving in to idleness or discouragement, because persevering in well-doing leads to a harvest of blessing. Work should be carried on persistently even when its outcome is uncertain, and a mistake made while trying to do one's best does not by itself show unfitness for the work, so those who labor faithfully, especially in difficult and neglected fields, should not be cast aside for errors that others might also make. The redeemed will see how much each person's persistent efforts contributed to the work of salvation.