Generally, the New Translations make the scriptures much easier to understand. The New International Version is my favorite. But sometimes they oversimplify things to the point of losing it.
In the case of Ecc 11”1, The NIV reads Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.
The King James Bible, however, draws a much better picture. Especially when you understand what is being said.
The KJV simply says, Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Now, for the rest of the story , as Paul Harvey, and Charles Spurgeon said. The picture is painted showing the ancient Egyptians as they would cast the seed for their corn fields into the flooded areas of the Nile while the water was still high, and, after many days, weeks sometimes, the water would recede and the corn would burst forth from the fertile land that the passing flood had provided.
In other words, and in any words, we can not expect immediate rewards for what we do. We just have to wait for Gods perfect timing to return to us the result of our deeds. Now doesn’t that make a lot more sense that putting your seeds on a boat?
And serving the Lord selflessly makes more sense than anything. Once the seeds are cast, they are out of our control, and in his. What better place to put them? God is good. All the Time.
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