Home missions: Casting our bread upon the waters
Spriensma expounds Ecclesiastes 11:1 as a command to cast spiritual seed through various callings—especially missions, but also Christian education, pastoral ministry, and personal witness. The article emphasizes that gospel work requires patience and faith, using the agricultural metaphor of sowing to encourage believers to faithfully discharge their duty to share God's Word despite uncertain and often delayed results.
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days" (Eccl. 11:1). A figure is used in this text, the figure of a farmer scattering seed upon the receding flood waters. The seed floats on the waters and slowly sinks into the muddy soil left behind. The seed is apparently lost! But not so, for our text promises that you shall find it after many days. This figure of sowing seed is used often in the Bible for the spiritual sowing of the seed of the gospel. The soil is the...
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