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This phrase “cast thy bread upon the waters” may have meant several things to the immediate recipients including engaging in maritime trade, multiple business investments, or being a generous giver.
Solomon also mentions some practical realities or principles; a full cloud will produce rain, a tree abide where it falls, farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant, hence never harvest
Solomon identifies mysteries; realities that are beyond man’s effort, but may complement man’s effort to yield a result
A quest to understand God’s part of some realities may be unnecessary, like the path of the wind, the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, and so on; God always works out his part
Now, with the understanding of principles and mysteries, man should diligently sow his seed, and invest in more than one business because disaster may fall on one and the other serves as a backup.
The second lesson is a parable about the kingdom of heaven likened to a man who sowed good seed on his field, but while everyone was sleeping his enemy sowed weeds among the wheat.
Upon discovery, the farmer forbids his servant to pull out the weed from the wheat because they might uproot it; instead, the wheat and weed should grow together until the harvest.
In Jesus’ interpretation, the Farmer is Jesus, the field is the world, the good seed are the people of the kingdom, the weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The master is confident that the kingdom's people will thrive until the appointed time when God will pull out the weeds; everything that causes sin and all who do evil.