Skip to main content

Ecclesiastes 12:1 - The wise man's perspective on old age. Day 115

Originally from 12/24/20 

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..  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2 Chronicles 33:7-9 Thoughts on Davidic covenant - Day 362

Good morning faithful readers, The finish line is in sight!!!  One of the themes of scripture is that God is a covenant keeping God.  There are many between God and man. Adam, Noah, David are examples.  Covenants are more than promises.  They are made between a superior and inferior with conditions for each side and blessing and penalties based on keeping the conditions.  These are covenants of works which fallen man was unable to keep.  Thanks be to God that the Father made a covenant of grace with Christ, the second Adam, which he fully kept. Blessings, Jeff The promise in v8 was made to David when he had planned to build the temple and God promised to build him a house forever. (2 Sam 7:10).  Seems like there are only two possibilities about Manasseh's disobedience.  Either he knew of this covenant that God had made with his 13th great grandfather and chose to disregard it, or he didn't know of it and was unaware of the penalty.  Let's con...
Post a Comment
Read more

2 Chronicles 30:16-20 Hearts set to seek the Lord - Day 359

Good morning fellow members of the household of God, After writing the devotional, I am thinking about the Passover as a household event.  In ancient Israel, the physical household of man was covered by the blood of the lamb.  Now, it is the spiritual household of God that is covered by the blood of the Lamb. Blessings, Jeff The account of the greatest celebration of Passover since time of Solomon (v 26).   Observations: One of the things that made this one great is participation of some of the tribes from the northern kingdom.  Israel was a united kingdom and Solomon and now toward the end of the northern kingdom, there is at least a semblance of being united. God allows some exemptions: Who offers the sacrifice:  The original Passover was a family by family sacrifice of a lamb.  However in  Deuteronomy 16:5-6 this changed to a centralized location once they entered the promised land.  (You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2 Chronicles 35:23-26 Lament for the last good king - Day 364

Good morning fellow exiles and pilgrims, One more day of devotions.  We are indeed exiles and pilgrims in this world as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  The 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks can serve as a reminder that this world is not our home. Blessings, Jeff The lamentations for Josiah written by Jeremiah.  However, the book of Lamentations does not include any reference to Josiah as they are focused on the fall of Jerusalem.  While these lost lamentations were "made the rule" there are only 4 more kings and none of them were good like Josiah and none died in Jerusalem.  The phrase "to this day" generally refers to the time of the author (post exile).  Taken together, it may be that these laments were for the last good king and during the exile the people were longing for the next good king. Zerubbabel in a way was the next good king as temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt. But Jesus truly was the next king and He...
Post a Comment
Read more