Do you remember the story of Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Jesus at night? When the religious leader asked Jesus how it was possible to be born again, I wondered, “How in the world could Nicodemus be so dull?” As I’ve gotten older and less arrogant, I find that I identify more and more with Nicodemus. The ways of God are indeed mysterious to our limited human minds.

In Ecclesiastes 11, the Teacher continues his series of proverbs. Their literal meaning is fairly easy to understand. For example, in verses 1–2 we are encouraged to invest widely. In verses 4 and 6 we are urged to take action. But in verse 5, the Teacher points out what Nicodemus so clearly demonstrated: We mortals don’t understand the ways of God.

Jesus seemed to allude to Ecclesiastes 11:5 in His conversation with Nicodemus recorded in John 3. When Nicodemus didn’t understand about being born again, Jesus responded: “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (vv. 7–8). Jesus then transitioned to foreshadow His own death and presented the gospel, encapsulated in the famous John 3:16.

In Ecclesiastes, the Teacher also pondered the mystery of God’s ways using the same language. We don’t know the path of the wind. And we don’t know how children are formed in the womb. To sum up, we “cannot understand the work of God” (v. 5). God’s ways are mysterious and seemingly impenetrable, but the Son of God descended to earth to make a way for us to be “born of the Spirit” and live in relationship with our glorious Creator.

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