Ripe Old Age

 All good things come to an end. The same can be said of people. Abraham is a giant character in the Bible. He is noted as a man of faith. He is a patriarch of the nation of Israel which started with a promise and a long-anticipated baby boy named Isaac. 

Abrahm lived to be 175 years old. That means that he lived another century after God called him to leave his country and sojourn as a nomad. [Gen 12:1] Abraham was not perfect. Twice he lied about Sarah being his wife identifying her as his sister when he felt threatened. He foolishly listened to Sarah and married Hagar and had a child through her instead of patiently waiting for Sarah to conceive. He was tested and obeyed God. He learned to pray fervently and effectively evidenced by God sparing his nephew Lot and family before wiping out Sodom and Gomorrah. [Genesis 18:17-33]

After 175 long years of life, several wives, multiple children, and multiple God encounters Abraham breathed his last breath. That day is coming if Jesus is delayed in His return for all of us. Each of us may face the day when we breathe our last breath. 

[Gen 25:8] describes Abraham dying at a ripe old age. That phrase is used several times in the Bible. I have never given much thought to it except that it meant growing old. I think there is more to it. When we think of fruit as being ripe, we think of it being mature and ready to be eaten. It is done and ready. In the same way, Abraham was mature and ready to go meet God. He was ripe for death and everlasting life. Are we?

I talked on the phone yesterday with a retired pastor friend of mine for over an hour. He is 78. He still has a lot of energy and still preaches every chance he gets. He told me his father lived to be 93. He also recounted the lots of death he and his wife have encountered. He lost his mother when she was only 52. Both his sisters also died at 52. Jess and Linda have suffered the heartache of losing both of their adult sons. Both died unexpectedly and tragically. This was Linda's first Mother's day without either of her children. A very sad day. They have also had to bury a grandson. Jess told me, "We have seen a lot of death. A person lives as long we have will see a lot of death." That does not mean they are sour or bitter at God. I spent the night with them a few weeks ago. I love them like my own parents. 

People can age and deal with it differently. Some become sullen and bitter in their old age. Their bodies wear out. They live with chronic pain. They may lose all the people they loved. Some live so long they outlive everyone who knew them. Some of these are not people who live to a ripe old age. They do not mature. They rot. Their faith and attitudes rot like rotten fruit on the vine. These seniors are miserable and miserable to be around. 

Contrast them to those who remain sweet in spirit, joyful in attitude, and growing in their walk with the Lord. Jess told me about a passage of scripture he read yesterday morning about David that gave him hope God was not through with him. He longs to serve some small church as pastor even at 78. He inspires me. A voracious reader. A lover of people. A bold proclaimer of truth. A tender shepherd. He has been like a father to me. I want to grow old like Jess. Ripe in old age. Not rotten in old age. 

Abraham died satisfied with life. That is a big statement. How many people can really say that. Abraham outlived Sarah. He actually remarried and had six more children with Keturah. He had Ishmael and Isaac. He became a wealthy man. I don't think wealth is the thing that fulfilled him. I think it was his relationship with God and his family that satisfied him. How many people really die satisfied with their lives. 

At this point, I don't think I could honestly say that. I still have three sons who have not been blessed with wives. People tell me all the time what a blessing grandchildren are. Brenda and I have not received that blessing. I am totally satisfied with Brenda. I love her more today than the day we married nearly 33 years ago. I want to see my sons each realize their dreams in their God ordained careers. There are still things I would like to see God do in ministry. Prayers I am still waiting to be answered. I do want to get to the point where I die satisfied with life. To breathe my last breath knowing I fulfilled the purpose God put me on the earth to accomplish. That is the mark of a life not wasted but well lived. 

None of us know how long we will live. It might be snuffed from us earlier than we anticipated. We might be blessed to live to a ripe old age. Whichever God chooses, may we live while we have the opportunity to live. To love those around us. To be as productive as we can while we can. Just maybe God will grace many of us to live to a ripe old age. I also believe the return of Jesus is imminent. The rapture would also be a glorious way to go. Any way God chooses will be alright with this scribe. Ripe old age or rapture. Both would be just fine with me.