Ecclesiastes 12:2 – While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.

 

Thought:  The wise Solomon has encouraged his young readers to remember God in their youth.  The reason is because youth quickly fades.  Age takes its toll on one’s body.  In this verse, he begins to talk about the deterioration of the body by using nature as a description thereof.  The sun, light, moon, and stars represent the eyes.  In time, eyesight begins to diminish.  Too, there are more difficult days than easy ones.  The rain departs and the clouds soon gather again.  Yes, life is harder as we age.

 

I Samuel 4:15

 

Commentary: 

 

A.     Solomon has admonished young people to begin to serve God in their youth.  One of the reasons to do so is because it is much more difficult to serve God when one gets old.

 

B.      Solomon now begins to describe what happens as one begins to age.

1.  In old age, the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars begin to darken.

a.  These four luminaries represent the eyes of man that need the light to see.

b.  In time, the eyes are not able to see as clearly.

     1)  They lose their strength.

     2)  They develop cataracts.

     3)  They develop glaucoma.

2.  The clouds return after the rain.

a.  Normally after a rain, the sunshine appears again.

b.  In old age, the sunshine often fails to return. 

                       1)  An older individual goes through a difficult time.

                       2)  Once he has finished with that difficulty, he finds that another difficulty appears: 

                            blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems, the kidneys, the liver, breathing

                            difficulties, the eyes, hearing, nerves, digestive issues, cancer, and dementia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 12:3 – In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened.

 

Thought:  Again, Solomon uses very descriptive terms to illustrate the struggles that come with old age.  The keepers of the house are the hands.  They are the part of the body that makes certain everything is straight and proper.  In old age, these begin to tremble.  The legs are the strong men.  They begin to bow.  The grinders are the teeth.  They decay and must be pulled.  In time, they become fewer and fewer.  Those that look out of the window are the eyes.  They grow dark.  Old age involves deterioration and decay.  It involves growing weak and feeble.  Youth need to take note!

 

Zechariah 8:4

 

Commentary:

 

A.     Solomon uses very descriptive terms to illustrate the struggles that come with old age.

 

B.      He describes four elements of the body in this verse.

1.       The keeper of the house.

a.  These are the hands. 

                        1)  They organize.

                        2)  They keep things picked up.

                        3)  They do much of the work in the house.

b.  Solomon says that in old age, they tremble.

                        1)   These tremors can interfere with daily activities such as brushing, eating, changing

                              clothes, or holding things.

                        2)  There are many causes of tremors from stress to Parkinsons to B12 deficiency to

                              medications.

2.       The strong men shall bow themselves.

a.  The strong men are the legs.

      1)  They are the largest muscles of the body.

       2)  They hold up the weight of the individual.

       3)  They enable one to be mobile and active.

b.  In old age, they bow.  Their strength departs from them.

3.       The grinders

a.  The grinders are the teeth.

b.  Solomon tells us that they cease because they are few.

     1)  Cavities

     2)  They crack and break.

4.       Those that look out the window.

a.  These are the eyes

b.  Solomon tell us that they darken.

                        1)  They get weak.

                        2)  They develop glaucoma.

                        3)  They are covered with cataracts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 12:4 – And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall arise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low.

 

Thought:  The description of old age continues in this verse.  The “doors” are the lips of the mouth.  They must be shut when the elderly eats his food.  Those who are older no longer have control of their mouth when they eat as they did when they were young.  The sound of grinding is low because they have fewer teeth in old age.  They do not sleep well into the morning.  The crowing of the rooster easily arouses them.  The “daughters of musick” are brought low can mean that their hearing is impaired or that there is less joy and jubilation for life in those later years.

 

II Samuel 19:35

 

Commentary:

 

A.     We have four descriptions of things that can happen to one in old age.

 

B.      And the doors shall be shut in the streets.

1.       The “doors” are the lips of the mouth.

2.       One of the functions that is more difficult to control involves both speaking and eating.

3.       Spitting and slobbering are more common.

4.       Too, their lips can hide teeth that are no longer appealing from the view of others.

 

C.     When the sound of grinding is low.

1.       Grinding happens when one chews his food.

2.       As the teeth are fewer and fewer the sound of grinding is lower.

3.       Remember, in Solomon’s day, they did not have sophisticated dental practices like we do today.

 

D.     He shall arise up at the voice of the bird.

1.       The bird is the crowing rooster.

2.       He is not able to sleep like he used to.

3.       There are some elderly individuals who will rise at 4:00 a.m. in the morning.

4.       Many older individuals are up before 6:00 a.m.

 

E.      And all the daughters of musick shall be brought low.

1.       Music has been something special and enjoyable in all societies.

2.       As one ages, however, the ears are not able to hear those who are performing as well.

3.       Some older individuals will cry out:  “Sing louder,” or, “Turn it up.”

4.       We are fortunate that we have hearing devices today that assist individuals with their hearing that were unknown back them.

 

F.      Example:  Barzillai (2 Sam. 19:33-35)

 

And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.  And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?  I am this day fourscore years old:  and can I discern between good and evil?  can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink?  can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women?  wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 12:5- Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail:  because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

 

Thought:  With old age come more fears.  Fear of heights and the fear of things that threaten from the outside are very real.  Gray hair, represented by the flourishing of the almond tree, is very common.  The smallest of things, like a grasshopper, become a burden.  Desire shall fail.  Desires in all areas of life diminish.  Eventually the elderly die and go to their “long home,” the home beyond the skies.  When they do, the mourners can be heard throughout the streets.

 

Genesis 50:3-10

 

Commentary:

 

A.     Solomon continues to describe the elderly.

 

B.      They have more fears:

1.       Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high.

a.  Heights do not terrify those who are young:  trees, buildings, roofs, stairs, etc.

b.  The elderly are fearful of these things as they get older.

2.       And fears shall be in the way.

a.  The elderly become more aware of the evil things that can be found “in the way.”

b.  Some of the things could be real:  thieves and robbers.  Others can be perceived dangers: 

     potholes, dogs, children in the streets.

 

C.     And the almond tree shall flourish.

1.       This involves the presence of gray hair.

2.       Clarke:  “The almond tree, having white flowers, is a fit emblem of a hoary head; or as Hasselquist says, who observed the tree in full flower in Judea, “like an old man with his white locks” (e-sword).

 

 

D.     And the grasshopper shall be a burden.

1.       The grasshopper is very small and usually does not present a problem to man.

2.       In old age, the small things that used to never be a problem become a difficulty.

a.  Cooking a meal

b.  Dusting a room

c.  Getting up and getting ready in the morning

d.  Going to the store

e.  Going to a movie or out to eat

 

E.      Desire shall fail

1.       Desire can be simply defined as “want to.”

2.       There is less “want to” as one ages.

a.  Less want to when it comes to travel

b.  Less want to when it comes to cooking for family

c.  Less want to when it comes to parties

 

F.      Because men goeth to his long home

1.       It takes the entirety of one’s life, but he finally reaches his ultimate dwelling place.

2.       Eventually man dies and goes to “the land beyond the skies.”

 

G.     And mourners go about the streets

1.       When individuals leave this earth, there are some who will miss them dearly.

2.       The usual reaction is that of sorrow and grief.

3.       Sometimes individuals carry this grief with them for a time during their daily lives.