Pause and Consider
0836
01.12.22
Wisdom and Aging
Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when you shall say, “I have no pleasure in them;” while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain. (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 2)
We come to one of the most familiar and interesting chapters in this Book. It is a description of the aging process with the admonition to walk with God and serve Him while you have the physical strength to so do.
Solomon began with a challenge. He had tried to find fulfillment in life by his own efforts. Leaving God out of view, he had searched unsuccessfully for satisfaction down every avenue of life, but satisfaction had remained out of his reach. At last, he concluded that he had wasted many precious years in his search, so he exhorted his son to turn to God while he was still young—before the darkness of death set in. How wonderful it is to come to know and thus to love and serve the Redeemer while one is young. All of life can be dedicated to His glory.
I read a story of a lady who taught this chapter to her girl’s Sunday school class. Later in the week she sent some roses to one of her students who had yet to accept Christ as Savior. Upon opening the box the girl was puzzled to find the roses to be wilted. Next Sunday, she thanked her teacher for the roses but questioned their condition. The teacher’s reply changed the girl’s life. She explained that the student was doing the same thing to the Lord. She was planning to wait until her life was old and spent before she gave herself to Him. The girl accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and served Him faithfully.
Because young people may give little thought to the future, Solomon gave a vivid picture of aging in v. 2-5. As a person approaches death, his physical capacities and activities decrease and a sense of loneliness increases. He compares the aging process to an aging, neglected house. His purpose was not to despair of life, but to bring life into focus. In gazing at the unstoppable advance of death, he urged his readers to commit themselves to the eternal God.
The vivid imagery presents the trembling keepers of the house—the arms and legs grow weaker; the bowing strong men—the legs, shoulders and hips lose their strength; the ceasing of the grinders, and the darkening of the windows—obviously, these are the teeth and the eyes.
Rising at the voice of the bird speaks of having trouble sleeping as we age, waking early. The bringing low of the daughters of music refers to our loss of hearing. Fear of heights—as we age, we are afraid of falling and would much rather stay home. The graying of the hair is compared to the almond tree with the white blossoms. We shuffle along with less vigor and desire as would a burdened grasshopper.
Various parts of our body may wear out (6, 7): the silver cord (the spinal cord), the golden bowl (the brain), the pitcher (the heart), or the broken wheel (the circulatory system). Dust returns to dust as life comes full circle. Ultimately, there is death as we return to our Creator, to our “long home,” eternity.
In v. 8, Solomon echoed the conclusion he reached when observing life apart from God: “all is vanity.” When a person does not remember his Creator but tries, instead, to live without God, life is empty and futile. However, Solomon’s positive message is that life does not have to be meaningless. One can trust God and live to please Him.