Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.36 – September 1994

 

The Realities Of Life

 

Sermon: by Rev. L. Douma

Text: Psalm 71 & Ecclesiastes 12

 

Beloved Congregation,

There is the saying that says’ Youth are idealists and the elderly are realists’.  There is truth in that.  Young · people are very much idealists.  They have their life in front of them.  They have their ideals and dreams about what life should be and what it can give to them.  They have not suffered great hardships and tragedies that would knock some of these ideals out of them.

The elderly are often more realistic.  They have taken the knocks in life and felt its pain.  They have suffered their losses; said final ‘goodbyes’ to loved ones.  They can look back and remember the events of life and often see it for what it really is.

This reality comes out very strongly in the book of Ecclesiastes.  The writer of the book, we will call him the ‘ professor’, has studied life and all it has to offer.  He studied it from the perspective of assuming there is no God.  He looked at life under the sun.  He says he has tried it all; he has explored all WISDOM, tried all the PLEASURES, had all RICHES and tried all TOIL.  His conclusion is that it is all meaningless.  It is a ‘vanity of vanities’; it all adds up to a big fat zero.

It is in this sense a very negative book.  But its message has a very powerful effect.  Being stripped of all our vain ideals, we are left empty handed, wondering what life is all about.  It forces us to look up, beyond the sun, so to speak, and acknowledge that our search draws us to the answer which is GOD.  This approach comes out particularly clearly in the last chapter .  The professor challenges the Youth.  Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’

The professor knows the way of youth.  Earlier he said: ‘Be happy young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.  Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see’ (11:9).  But he had reminded them: ‘but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement.’  The professor knows that life without God is meaningless, so he wants the young to have a better life.

The trouble with young people is that they think they can do it all and know it all.  They are young and fit.  They are often happy and carefree, so they have a feeling of IMMORTALITY.  Nothing will happen to them.  They are strong.  They can handle it.  So who needs God?

We all suffer from the Adam and Eve syndrome.  We want to be our own God.  We will do our own thing.  To such youthful arrogance, the professor gives some strong advice: Acknowledge God, know Him NOW, for life cannot be lived to its fullest purpose without Him.  Everyone will find that out, says the professor.  If we are not struck down in life by sickness or accident, then we will all GROW OLD.  It happens to all of us, no matter how fit or vital we feel; no matter how many beauty treatments we use.  And then you will realise, all too painfully, that you are NOT powerful and immortal.

The professor’s description of the elderly and frail is very poetic and paints vivid pictures.  He challenges the youth to ‘remember their creator before the days of trouble come; the years of which you will say, I find no pleasure in them.’  In old age our senses no longer function as they used to, and so we lose our pleasure in the things we used to enjoy.  Our hearing goes so we cannot enjoy music or sermons we used to love.  As the writer says: ‘like when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades, when men rise up at the sound of birds but all their songs grow faint.’  We do not enjoy our food because our sense of smell and taste goes and our teeth are gone – as the professor says, ‘when the grinders cease because they are few.’  We then no longer enjoy going out because our sight is failing and our strength and footing is gone.  ‘…Those looking through the windows grow dim… the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop… when men are afraid of heights and dangers in the street…. ( and like) the grasshopper drags himself along…!’

There is then little joy in our own beauty for we are like ‘the almond tree that blossoms.’  Its flower turns white and eventually falls out.  Besides that our ‘desire is no longer stirred.’  When we are in these ‘days of trouble’, as the professor puts it, we cannot look forward to the ‘better days’.  For there will not be any.  ‘The sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain.’ In terms of health and strength things will not get better.  Time will not heal our ills; the sun will not come out from behind the clouds; it will continue to be dark.  The picture the professor paints is not to give a negative view of ageing, but to challenge the young.

He takes it a step further and challenges them again (verse 6): ‘Remember Him (your creator) before the silver chord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it.’  Life is a PRECIOUS gift.  Life is described as a ‘silver chord and golden bowl.’  It should be lived to the full in all its richness.

But it will come to an end.  And then we will face God.  That will occur to all of us, whether we believe in God or not.  We will ALL be judged.  How will we come through that judgement?  That depends on whether we have acknowledged God in our lives.  That is why the professor sends out this challenge.

Everything is meaningless.  All is lost, when we do not know God.  Even our youth and vigour and dreams amount to nothing without God.  But if we do know Him, then it is a very different story.  That is the ringing joy that sounds forth from Psalm 71.

The contrast between Psalm 71 and Ecclesiastes 12 is striking.  But their intentions are both the same, namely, to point us to God.  And especially to point us to the joy and reassurance we have in knowing God, through Jesus Christ.

We see that Psalm 71 was written by an old person who was full of joy and optimism.  It is not just an idealistic fantasy, for it has the realism of the elderly.  Yet through it shines the joy of one who lives life WITH God.

The writer has his problems.  He has his enemies and accusers who wait to kill him.  If the author is David, it would refer to Absolom chasing him in his old age.  It is not easy for the writer to cope with this, particularly not when he is so old.  ‘Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone’ (vs.9).  But despite his difficulties, he knows he can turn to God in prayer and rely on Him ‘…rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.  Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress’ (vs.2-3).

This is not just ‘pie in the sky’ hopefulness.  This is his life experience.  As this old man looks back over his life, he sees that God has always been there to help.  ‘…you have been my hope, O sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.  From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.  I will ever praise you…!’  Yes, as he looks back, he sees again what it was that gave him joy in life.  It was his relationship with God.  For him it was a way of life from the beginning.  He knew the value of the professor’s admonition to know your creator in the days of your youth.

For now ‘in the day of trouble’ with the ‘clouds continually returning’ there was yet a light shining in his life.  It may be that his enemies will ‘seize him…and kill him (10-11) or he may die of old age.  Yet he can say ‘but as for me, I will ALWAYS have hope.  I will praise you more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.  Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again, from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up..!’ (vss.14,15,20).  Here is an old man, who has reached the end of life, yet he is full of hope.  He looks to the future with great anticipation.  There is no ‘meaninglessness’ here.

How all this is possible is not said directly in the Psalm.  It is merely hinted at.  The Psalm is made up of quotes from other Psalms, particularly Psalms 22 and 35.  Psalm 22 we know as the Psalm which speaks prophetically of the suffering of Christ.

In the person of Jesus Christ, our Creator has come amongst us.  He is God incarnate.  He took on our human nature and condition.  He lived life in its reality.  More so than any other, for He took upon Himself the ‘curse of sin’ which has brought us all our pain and suffering.  And on the cross He paid its price, suffering death and hell itself.  Yet He overcame both.  Christ has risen from the dead.  He has defeated the FINAL ENEMY, so that we may have hope for the future, even when we stare death in the face.

The old man of Psalm 71 did not know all this in his time.  He even acknowledges: ‘my mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation… though I know not its measure..!’  But he knew enough to know that in God he had hope and life.  It was very real to him.

That too, is one of the realities of old age.  Those who have known God from their youth and know His lifelong care, see the hope we have in Christ in a very real way.  They cherish their relationship with God.  While the young have little time for God and His worship, the elderly and frail are often longing to see God, face to face.  Not in a morbid sense, but in HOPE and JOY.  They long for the fullness of this reality.

To see the reality of God and His love so clearly, is a gift to elderly Christians.  And like the psalmist they want the young to hear the message so that they too will know God.  As the psalmist says, ‘Since my youth, O God you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvellous deeds.  Even when I am old and grey do not forsake me, O God till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come’.

We see that both the psalmist and the professor have the same desire.  They want us to know our Creator and His marvellous acts of GRACE in Christ.

Do we KNOW God?  Have we experienced His grace?  Have you, young people?  Older people?  While we have life, while we have our mind and senses to hear and receive the word, may we receive God and His grace.  For it will give your life meaning and joy.

AMEN