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Ecclesiastes 12:1 - The wise man's perspective on old age.

Happy Christmas Eve,

Well we are at end of Ecclesiastes already.  End of life issues as we call them now were just as real in Solomon's day if not more so.  In the season of hope and peace, may we all be sober-minded about the future.

Blessings,

Jeff

 The vivid portrayal of the decline of physical ability. Don't know if Solomon is speaking from personal experience or just observations of older people he knows.  He reigned 40 years but was fairly young when he came to the throne.  

Seems like his message is that long life is not necessarily a blessing.  Longevity is nice if you are healthy enough to enjoy it.  I can't help but think of "workaholics I have known"  which is a rather modern ailment.  Farmers have never really known what a 40 hour work week is.  And that is the world that Solomon lived in.  "Retiring to Florida" was just not an option.

What does Solomon's warning mean to us?  The reality of aging and death were tangible for most of human history.  We are going crazy with a virus which has spread because we are such a mobile society.  Infant and childhood mortality and death during childbirth were commonplace through most of the 1800's.  My maternal grandfather died in 1926 when he was 29 years old.  Dentistry keeps most of us from loosing our teeth.  Our bodies don't seem to wear out in the ways that Solomon describes.  At least not in ways that are seen by the public.  The ravages of Alzheimer's is usually in a memory care facility.

Jonathan's sermon on Simeon eagerly looking forward to the day when he would see the Messiah so that he could depart in peace.  A clear understanding of what was really meaningful.  Maybe Solomon is asking that question by pointing out that there are no guarantees.  Remember your Creator when you are young.  Physical vitality is a gift not to be wasted..  


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