Principle of Casting Bread

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (NASB)

¹ Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

² Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Everyone knows you cannot literally throw bread on water or it would become so wet and soggy that such slop would not be fit to feed a duck! This scripture above which speaks of "casting bread upon the water" is actually a parable which speaks of investments. Bread is both for consumption and for resale so this speaks of seed for the sower and bread for the eater.

Isaiah 55:10 (CJB)

¹⁰ For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

Seed must be sown in order to produce bread for the eater. But if all the seed is consumed then this will result in no bread to eat for the future. This means that a portion of all income must be saved for investments otherwise a family will come to poverty and financial destitution.

The surface of the waters speaks of humanity.

Revelation 17:15 (NASB)

¹⁵ And he *said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

Large bodies of water that cover the earth represent the people and multitudes and nations of humanity whose worldwide population covers the earth.

Proverbs 31:14 (NIV)

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

The ships that pass over the surface of the waters represent business and trade and commerce and all of the human interaction that occurs in growing or manufacturing products and transporting these goods to the consumers.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NLT2)

¹ Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.

This modern scripture translation above says it more clearly and instead of speaking of casting bread on the water it refers to sending grain across the seas and in time profits will flow back to the grain merchant.

Local and Distant Markets

In order to understand local and distant trading, one must first understand the existence of local glutted markets and the dearth of products that often exists abroad. If one nation has a bumper crop of grain then the price of the grain may be low in a glutted market which has a huge amount of surplus grain. But at the same time, there may be regions abroad that may experience a drought or other natural calamity which has destroyed their grain. The price for grain in a region of dearth will be high because of the high demand. Therefore, a grain merchant can purchase grain for a low price in a glutted market and then ship that grain abroad and sell it for a high profit in a region where there is a dearth of grain.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NIV2011)

¹ Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 speaks of shipping grain or other products across the sea because the demand for it may be very high abroad when the supply is limited and the demand for it is high.

A good illustration the large price differences that often exist between local and distant markets is found in the story of William C. Foxley who became a wealthy cattleman after learning from his father how to trade in cattle in both local and distant markets. Below are some excerpts from the William Foxley story found on a forum (seen on bold print). (This link however was later taken down so only these excepts remain below).

William C. Foxley Story

"William C. Foxley was born on January 7, 1935, in South Saint Paul. His father, W. J., had already been trading horses and cattle in the midst of the Depression. One of eventually eight children that included six sisters and a brother younger by fifteen years, Bill remembers that, in spite of hard times, his father built a respectable net worth and a large reputation before moving the family to Omaha in 1937."

W.J. Foxley was able to turn a profit and had a large net worth even during the economic hard times of the U.S. depression. He managed to do this by livestock trading in both local and distant markets. W.J. Foxley had a large reputation for paying honest prices according to the value of local markets so people willingly sold to him. Having a good name was essential in having a lasting business in livestock trading.

"In the 1940's the price of cattle in one part of the country was often dramatically different from that in another. My father was in his element when his numerous, well-aimed phone calls from Omaha uncovered weather-induced cattle runs in Texas."

If there was a drought or a blizzard that threatened cattle in one region then the price to purchase cattle in these regions was low. But these same cattle could be sold for much higher prices if shipped to another region where the demand was high.

"He bought steers by the hundredweight in Amarillo and sold them by the head to Indians in South Dakota, often at a double. In the fall he would be found in Montana, buying steers driven off the range by an early storm for resale to Iowa feeders looking for a way to convert their corn crop. The vast majority of livestock were traded in stockyards in Chicago and in the larger cities on the Missouri, all important railroad terminals since the late 1800's."

Profits were made when cattle were purchased in areas where ranchers needed to get rid of the because of bad conditions and by selling these same cattle in regions where the demand was higher. Paying honest prices under bad conditions was doing sellers a favor but it was also profitable to sell these cattle in other regions where the local price remained high.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 (CJB)

¹ Send your resources out over the seas; eventually you will reap a return.

The CJB translation uses the general term "resources" because this principle can also be applied to grain or livestock or just about any type of commodity that can be traded. Sending the commodity out over the seas speaks of transporting products or goods from an area where a glutted market exists and selling them for a high price in a dearth market. Those who can do this will reap a return on investment that can make them prosper. W.J. Foxley became wealthy even during an economic depression by trading in local and distant markets even when others were languishing in poverty. This is one secret to success which is found hidden in the form of a biblical parable which literally says to cast your bread on the water. But if someone took this literally, they would scoff at the notion of gaining any sort of benefit from literally throwing loaves of bread into the water. This however is hidden biblical wisdom which speaks of trading abroad where there is a great demand for products or goods which may be selling for a low price in a glutted market.

2 Chronicles 2:8-10 (CJB)

⁸ Also send me cedar, cypress and sandalwood logs from the L’vanon; for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber in the L’vanon. I will have my servants work together with your servants

⁹ to prepare me an abundant supply of timber, for the house I am about to build must be magnificent and wonderful.

¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the timber, 100,000 bushels of cracked wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 100,000 gallons of wine, and 100,000 gallons of olive oil.”

Hiram the King of Tyre had large forests of cedar wood and Solomon, the King of Israel had large regions of grain and olive oil and wine production. Thus, Solomon traded grain and olive oil and wine in exchange for lumber. One nation had a lot of lumber and the other nation had much grain and olive oil and wine so trading between the two nations resulted in meeting the needs of both countries.

It is for this reason that engaging in distant trade is important so that goods and products and commodities can be traded abroad to obtain goods and products and commodities that are needed locally. International trade is an important part of world commerce for this reason.

Diversification of Investments

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (NASB)

¹ Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

² Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

The second part of this parable says that a portion should be divided to seven or eight because of the risk of misfortune that might occur on the earth.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (NLT2)

1 Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.

2 But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

Above is a better translation of this scripture which says that investments should be divided among a number of places because no one knows what risks might lie ahead.

If all of a man's assets are on one ship and that ship is destroyed by a storm then he will lose everything. Having assets diversified means that there is a wide range of investments within an investment portfolio. In this manner, if one or two or more investments are lost to disaster or misfortune then the investor will not be wiped out completely.

Having a ranch or farm is a good investment because it has the potential to produce grain and livestock which are always needed by humans as food. If a factory is built upon that ranch then this becomes an additional layer of financial security which is an investment which is not dependent on agricultural prices. If a man has trade skills then this is yet another backup which can help him earn a living even if other investments are down. Investing in knowledge or tools or machinery (which can produce an income) are all potential sources of income to help a man become diversified in investments. The key thing is to invest in himself so that he has the knowledge and skills needed to make a living and the tools needed to create a livelihood for himself and to invest in assets that generate wealth under all economic conditions.

Ecclesiastes 11:2 (NIV)

² Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

Having seven or eight investments speaks of having multiple sources of income with which to survive. Following the principle of investing in himself would cause a man to invest in things which he himself has some control over. Such a list of investments might include:

• Purchase of land for production of grain and livestock

• Building a factory to manufacture goods and products.

• Investment in knowledge or training to gain trade skills to produce a livelihood for himself.

• Purchase of machinery and equipment and tools to earn a living.

• Investment in service industry to earn a living by labor.

The more diverse a man's education and training and knowledge and investments are-the greater chance he has of survival. This is how a man can diversify their investments while at the same time investing in themselves. If someone invests only in existing companies (for which they have no control over) then their fate rests solely in the hands of others. If an economic collapse occurs and all of these outside companies close down then the investor will have nothing remaining for the survival and support of his family. It is therefore wisdom to invest in that which a man has control over himself so that is own labor and ingenuity and creativity can have an effect on the outcome of his own investments. If a man will invest together with others who are like-minded and industrious then they can profit much faster than if they invest only on their own as individuals. Investments should only be done with people who have a reputation of having a good character.

Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

¹ A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

The story of William C. Foxley was one of integrity and honesty and he was trusted by others just as his father also had a good name and people were willing to buy and sell from these men based on their integrity. Cattle were purchased for an honest rate in distressed areas and sold at an honest rate in areas of high demand. It is not dishonest to make a profit when buying and selling at honest regional rates.

When William C. Foxley began raising cattle after his discharge from the Marine Corp he immediately fired the ranch manager who allowed numerous calves to perish by neglect.

"Soon after his discharge in December 1960, he drove up to the ranch in South Dakota to discover fewer than 400 of the original 500 fall calves left. He fired the ranch manager, brought in a veterinarian, and personally managed the care of the remaining calves. From then until the calves were turned out in May, only one more was lost."

Over a hundred head of cattle were lost due to neglect of a passive ranch manager but after William C. Foxley took over the operation then only one calf was lost. This is a testimony to the good character and diligence and wisdom of William C. Foxley. He invested in things which he himself had control over and for which his own ingenuity and diligence and labor could make prosper. Investing in the business of others creates risk of loss if the poor management of others should run the company into the ground.

"We constructed state-of-the-art feedlots at Bellevue, Manley, Mead, and Bartlett, Nebraska, and at Ordway, Colorado, and purchased others in Texas and Washington. By 1980 Foxley & Co. was the nation's largest livestock company with 300,000 head of its cattle on feed. "

William C. Foxley used his own experience taught to him by his father and he operated with integrity and diligence and built a cattle empire that was the largest in the nation.

"Much of what he learned about business management was self-taught and acquired through hardened experience."

William C. Foxley gained much of what he learned from being self-taught and hardened by experience. This is an example of how a man can invest in himself and into his own business for which he has some control over and for which investments of his time and knowledge can produce an income for himself.

"Bill soon recognized an opportunity in Flavorland Industries, which was being driven into the ground through mismanagement. In addition to his own stock, he negotiated the purchase of an additional 15% to become the company's largest shareholder. A carefully orchestrated, leveraged buy-out made Bill Flavorland's new CEO. He now owned 85% of the Fortune 500 company at a cost less than its working capital with 100% borrowed funds. By 1976 the company's fiscal earnings were over $4 million, 76% higher than its previous record earnings in 1973."

When William C. Foxley sold his Mead NE cattle operations to Flavorland Industries he received a large amount of company shares. He realized that this company was being driven toward ruination by mismanagement so purchasing an additional 15% of the shares Bill was able to gain control as the largest shareholder. At this point Bill implemented changes in this company and turned it around so that it began to make money again. After Bill managed this company, the profits rose 76% over what they had been making under the previous poor management. This is again an example of a man following after the principle of investing in himself. If he had invested in Flavorland industries (just as they were under poor management) then the company would have gone broke and he would have lost all of his investment capital. But by gaining control over the company William C. Foxley obtained the authority needed to make the needed changes to turn the company around into a profitable enterprise again. This is an illustration that investing in companies for which a man has no control over can easily result in the loss of investment capital if that company is run into the ground by poor management. The principle to be seen here is that investments should be made into that which a man's own labor and ingenuity and creativity can bring positive change to a company and cause it to become profitable.

Proverbs 27:23 (NLT2)

²³ Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds,

The wisdom of the book of Proverbs again shines through when it reminds livestock growers to give attention to the condition of their flocks and herds. This advice has application to just about any type of business because if an investor is passive and does not pay attention, he can lose much money simply by having a poor manager let things fall into disorder.

"The fact that I have been very fortunate in a tough business was due to the times, good people, and the relatively high level of energy that I was born with. I, of course, have hit my share of potholes. The worst were due to a few bad apples and my lack of attention. "

William C. Foxley had a number of troubles during his 46-years in the cattle industry but these were generally attributed to having a few bad-apple managers and Bill admitted to his lack of attention not to see what was happening before he lost a great deal of money. A man must pay attention to the state of his flocks and the condition of his herds and know when they are not being managed properly by those he has hired. This is sound business advice and again is an illustration which applies to all forms of business. Business owners must be involved with daily operations and inspect to see that everything is run according to their standards. If a bad-apple manager is not doing his job with excellence then he must be fired before incurring greater losses to the company.

Repeatedly the life-story of William C. Foxley illustrates the need for a man to invest in himself and invest into companies which he has influence over. Investing in companies which an investor has no control over places them at the mercy of others. If an outside company is mismanaged then they will lose the money of their investors when they go broke by mismanagement.

If a group of like-minded men who are known for integrity should pool their resources together, they can create a company which is managed by their own people and thus they have some control over the outcome of that company.

Proverbs 5:20 (CJB)

²⁰ My son, why be infatuated with an unknown woman? Why embrace the body of a loose woman?

This scripture above speaks of embracing a strange woman rather than one's own wife! While this certainly applies to faithfulness in marriage, at the same time this scripture also has application to business principles. Investing in the company of others (for which a man has no control over) can be compared to embracing a strange woman.

Proverbs 26:10 (HCSB)

¹⁰ The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by is like an archer who wounds everyone.

The key principle here is to know those whom you labor among. Hiring unknown strangers to managed a business would be foolish. It is much better to work together with a group of known individuals. Investing in a company where no one is known is just as foolish because the company is only as good as the men who run it.

A man should never invest in a company for which he has no control over or into a company for which he has gained no knowledge about. If he deals with unknown business enterprises for which he has no input or control over then it is like committing adultery with a strange woman. Such a relationship will lead only to his own ruination. Being faithful to his own business is like being faithful to his own wife because this will result in bringing blessings and rewards to his own life! The same is also true of investing in an enterprise founded by people he knows to have integrity and good-character and who possess knowledge of the business which he invests in. Pooling the resources of a group of "known-people" together can allow them to create a business enterprise for which they all have an "invested-interest" in and this will result in them paying attention to the state of their flocks and herds and the well-being of their community owned enterprise.

Example of Group Self-Investment

I have a friend named Matt Ruhl whom I met while working in the oil field. Matt shared his story of how he once worked for a barge company in Seattle Washington. This company was prosperous because they were moving goods to Alaska by barge which was the lowest priced method of moving everything that is needed in Alaska. The men working at this company all made good wages and had plenty of working hours. While Matt Ruhl was working at this company, he read a few books about real estate investment then shared his plan with other employees at the barge company. So, they started a real estate club and men working at the barge company began to pool their disposable wealth into real estate investment. They were able to purchase rental houses and fix them up and rent them out. Every time their group purchased a rental house then this became a cash-cow which produced income needed to purchase more rental houses. The more rental houses that were purchased the more rental income was produced. This had a snow-ball effect and soon this group of men gained enough rental income among them that they could all afford to retire and live off of their real estate investments. But since it was working so well, they continued to work their jobs at the barge company and continued to invest in real estate and thus built up financial security for themselves and their families. Even if they became too old to work any longer, they would still be able to live off of rental income of these investments.

This real estate club is a prime example of investing in themselves because these barge company workers pooled their resources together to buy real estate. They accomplished as a group what they could never do alone as individuals. They increased in prosperity much faster than if they had each attempted to buy rental houses on their own as individuals. In fact, Matt Ruhl sold his shares in the real estate club he started in order to follow his wife to Kansas City where she got a job as a nurse in a hospital. When Matt tried to buy real estate on his own in Kansas, he was only able to get one rental house and attempted to purchase a second when the oil field crashed and he no longer had the income to invest in rental houses. He would have been much better off if he had remained at the barge company in Seattle and continued to invest in the real estate club, which he started than to sell out and move to Kansas City to try real estate investment on his own. His friends at the barge company have continued to prosper until present time and they are an illustration of how a group of people can pool resources together to prosper much faster as a group than if they tried to do the same alone as individuals. Matt Ruhl himself is an example of what happens when a man tries to invest by himself outside of a group endeavor. He was unable to get more than one rental house on his own and such rental income is not enough to support him for retirement.

There are a number of principles to be learned from this illustration. One principle is to invest in yourselves and to invest into an enterprise that a man has some control over and for which his own labor and creativity can generate wealth for himself. Another principle is pooling resources together as a group of investors greatly accelerates the generation of wealth for everyone in the group. Also investing in themselves and their own people they know is like embracing a wife who loves her husband and does him good all the days of his life.

Proverbs 31:12 (NASB)

¹² She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

Again, investing in an enterprise which a man has knowledge about and investing together with people he knows is like being married to a virtuous wife who does him good and not evil all the days of her life. An enterprise is like this which can produce a good livelihood and income for the owner all the days of his life.

But in contrast to this is investing in a business for which a man has no knowledge of and investing into people whom he does not know. If they should mismanage the company and cause it to crash, he can lose everything he invested. A business should be like a good wife which a man can trust to do him good all of the days of his life. In fact, the scriptures often contain a dual-meaning and Proverbs Chapter 31 which speaks of a virtuous wife can also be applied to a profitable business enterprise which can do a man good all of the days of his life. Embracing a strange woman can also be applied to investing in an enterprise for which the investor is a stranger to and which is run by strangers and which he has no knowledge of and no control over.

Proverbs 5:8-10 (NLT2)

⁸ Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!

⁹ If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.

¹⁰ Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

The scriptures above speak of staying away from an immoral woman because an adulterous woman or prostitute will only seek to drain a man of everything that he has. This also has direct application to business principles because embracing a stranger also can be applied to investing in a business for whom a man has no knowledge of and which is run by people he does not know.

Many investors have lost everything they had by investing in the wrong things and so their investments were lost to others. The scripture above speaks of strangers consuming your wealth and someone else enjoying the fruit of your labor. People have lost their entire life-savings by making bad investments that only served to enrich others who gained their capital or who lost it all by mismanagement.

Making good investments is like marrying a faithful wife who will do a man good all of the days of his life and not treat him as a wayward woman who has no other purpose but to drain her victims of their wealth.

Also, when a man works to support his wife and family then his labor goes to benefit those whom he loves. In like manner, if a man invests in a group of people that he knows then the benefit will go to his own group of people rather than being dispersed abroad to strangers.

Again, the analogy of a wife compared to a prostitute can be seen here. A wife is someone worthy of receiving benefit of a man’s labor because she loves him and does him good. But a prostitute has no love for anyone but only uses men to fleece them of their money. Investing in people of your own group (whom you know and trust) is like marrying a faithful wife. A business enterprise among your own group can benefit everyone and bring prosperity to those you know rather than to strangers who are no different than a prostitute who is a stranger and parasite and has no care for anyone but herself.

Business Principles Found in Proverbs 31

The scriptures often have a dual-meaning and this can be seen in Proverbs chapter 31 which can be equally applied to both marriage and business. These scriptures can be applied to a virtuous woman who does her husband good all of her life and they can also be applied to a business which can provide a lifelong income for its owners. Below are some "dual-meaning" business principles seen in Proverbs chapter 31.

Proverbs 31:10-12 (NLT2)

¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.

¹² She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

A business is more valuable than rubies because precious stones have only "stagnant" wealth and do not produce anything like a business can do. A man can trust in a business to do him good all of his life just like a virtuous woman who loves him. A business can do him good and not harm all the days of his life just as many businessmen have made a life-long income from the same business. A business is like a virtuous woman in this sense because such an enterprise will do a man good for his entire lifetime.

Proverbs 31:13-14 (NLT2)

¹³ She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.

¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.

Spinning wool and flax speaks of taking raw materials and creating useful products that can be sold for profit. A merchant ship bringing food from afar speaks of dealing in business with local and distant markets which results in an honest business profit.

Proverbs 31:16-18 (NLT2)

¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.

¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.

Buying a field and with her earnings and planting a vineyard speaks of using income generated from one enterprise to fund another startup enterprise. For example, a man can save wages earned in a service industry and then use that money to buy equipment or machinery needed to start a new enterprise. Thus, the earnings of one enterprise can fund a new enterprise just like the earnings from one field can fund the purchase of another vineyard. In this manner, a man can increase from level to level with "ever-increasing" prosperity with every enterprise they start and then gain more funds to invest in additional enterprises.

Being energetic and strong and a hard worker are all attributes that a man needs for starting and running a profitable business enterprise. Making sure the dealings are profitable speaks of a man being attentive to his business or to his flocks and herds so that he experiences no losses by neglect or passivity. The lamp burning late into the night speaks of diligence and not being lazy or slothful so that a business will prosper.

Proverbs 31:23 (NLT2)

²³ Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.

This scripture speaking of her husband being known in the city gates as a man of renown is what typically occurs when a man becomes successful at business. The best-selling books are often those which are biographies of successful men because everyone wants to learn from these men and discover their key to success. A man who is successful will have many people seeking his counsel and leaders will consort to him for wisdom. In this analogy of the wife as a business, it is the successful business which speaks for itself and causes the man to become famous and sought-after because everyone wants to know his secret to success.

Proverbs 31:25 (NLT2)

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

The woman being clothed with strength and dignity and laughing without fear of the future speaks of an established and successful business which provides financial security for a family for a lifetime!

Proverbs 31:26 (NLT2)

²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.

A business will speak for itself because no one can argue with success and a successful business will provide wisdom and instructions for others to learn how to prosper themselves.

Proverbs 31:27 (NLT2)

²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

This speaks of business management and watching everything so that nothing suffers by neglect or laziness or passivity just as a man who keeps diligent watch over the state of his herds and flocks.

Proverbs 31:31 (NLT2)

³¹ Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

This scripture speaks of "Rewarding her for all she has done!" and this refers to investing in a business. The rewards given “to” a business speaks of business investment to buy new machinery or equipment or livestock or materials needed for business expansion and to continue that business into the future. The success of that business will bring praise and admiration from everyone who sees the prosperity it brings to the owners.

So, the word of God often has dual-meaning and scriptures that apply to a virtuous woman can also be equally applied to a business which also does a man good all of the days of his life. The Proverbs 31 woman therefore also speaks of business principles which causes a business to prosper. That prosperous business will do a man good all of the days of his life and causes him to prosper for his lifetime with financial security.