To The Young And The Old Series

To the Young and the Old

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Rev. Brian Bill

November 16-17, 2024

Because growing older is difficult, many people make jokes about it. The singer Pete Seeger put it like this, “How do I know when my youth is all spent? When my get up and go has got up and went!”

People freely offer their insights about getting older.

• “It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” (Andy Rooney)

• “You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you’re down there.” (George Burns)

• “I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.” (Bob Hope)

• “At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all.” (Ann Landers)

• “Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

• “Youth is wasted on the young.” (George Bernard Shaw)

Someone else has said there are seven stages of life: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills, and wills.

An unknown author captured how quickly we move through the stages of life.

When as a child, I laughed and wept,

Time crept;

When as a youth, I dreamed and talked,

Time walked;

When I became a full-grown man,

Time ran;

When older still I daily grew,

Time flew;

Soon I shall find in traveling on,

Time gone.

This brings back memories of three rusty iron statues on display in a park in Pontiac, Illinois, where we used to live. Standing twenty-five feet tall, these figurines symbolize the changing seasons of life.

• The first statue displays youthfulness illustrated by movement and activity.

• The second one shows a man in the prime of life, portrayed with fervor and eagerness, as if he’s reaching out to grasp the moment.

• The third image shows a man hunched over with his head down and walking with a cane. At the bottom is a plaque with these words: “In old age, give good advice; then die without regret.”

As we come to the final chapter in Ecclesiastes, as an Old Testament Second Winder, Solomon gives good advice to the next generation by exhorting the young and the old to live with resolve and to die without regret. This makes me think of a line from Braveheart. William Wallace, a Scottish rebel fighting for independence from England, explained his determination like this, “Every man dies, not every man really lives.”

Here’s a summary of what Solomon is saying: Don’t waste your life trying not to die; spend your life living for the One who died for you.

1. If you’re young, remember the Lord so you’re ready to live. Solomon continues his focus on youth as we saw last weekend in the closing verses of chapter 11: Say yes to God when you are young. Chapter 11 focuses on what to avoid and chapter 12 tells us what to embrace. Let’s drill down into Ecclesiastes 12:1: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’”

In English, the word “remember” means, “to recall, to mark, to set aside.” In Hebrew, “remembering” is not just bringing something back to mind; it implies a change of behavior, so our lives line up with what we’ve been reminded of. Remembering is not a passive attitude; it’s a proactive activity which leads to action. In addition, this is in the imperative tense, meaning this is a call to obey by submitting to the sovereignty of God.

In short, to remember is “to embrace and own for ourselves.” The word “remember” is used over 200 times in the Bible. We need to remember because we tend to forget God’s faithfulness and neglect our faith. In short, we need reminders to remember because if we don’t, we’ll rebel. Ray Stedman writes, “Recall God’s presence daily; live in a relationship with Him; seek to discover the greatness and glories of God while you are still young, before it is too late.”

The word “also” can mean, “now.” Young person, it’s time to remember right now that God is “your Creator.” The use of the word “your” indicates this relationship must become personal. Can you say, “He is my Creator?” This is the first time God is referred to as “Creator” in Ecclesiastes. Because humans are image-bearers of our Creator, our purpose is to reflect, reveal, and represent Him as we see in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’”