Eld Ko Swee Chay

Introduction

In Ecclesiastes 12:1-2, Solomon earnestly and affectionately exhorted young people to remember the Creator, before “the evil days” come and physical strength and mental capacity decline, and it is too late. This highlights the importance of seeking God and establishing a close relationship with Him early in life during times of vitality rather than postponing spiritual matters until later in life when one may face difficulties that come with old age. This means keeping our Creator and our God in mind and thinking carefully and reverentially about Him: who He is, what He has done for us, and being mindful of our duty to and relationship with Him.

In Ecclesiastes 12:3-5, Solomon went on to elegantly describe the bodily decays and infirmities associated with old age and the inevitability of eventual death through metaphorical language and imagery. These serve as sobering reminders of life’s transience, and the importance of remembering God and living a life pleasing and acceptable to Him.

The picturesque description of aging (Eccl 12:3-5b)

Solomon gave a picturesque description of old age. He used imagery to depict various aspects of aging. Various interpretations are proposed for these imageries, some are more literal, and some are more challenging. Listed below are common interpretations.

Deterioration of physical strength:

• “the keepers of the house shall tremble” – “the house” is the aging physical body, “the keepers of the house” are the arms and hands. The arms and hands grow feeble and tremble. The body no longer has the strength to do all the things it used to do.
• “the strong men shall bow themselves” – “the strong men” symbolises the body’s foundational strength, referring to the legs and thighs. These are the strongest muscle groups in the body which are used to support the body and bear its weight. They become flaccid in old age, leading to bowed knees or bent posture. Walking up and down the stairs makes the knees hurt, even normal walking or standing up is a struggle.

Loss of teeth, eyesight, appetite, sleep, and hearing:

• “the grinders cease because they are few” – “the grinders” are the teeth, because they grind food. As people age, the teeth may decay and drop off; the few that remain are incapable of properly chewing the food, making eating a chore and not an enjoyment anymore.
• “those that look out of the windows be darkened” – “the windows” are the eyes. This refers to failing eyesight and experiencing clouded or blurred vision. Losing vision is scary, for we rely on vision every day. The common causes of vision loss are age-related cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma (several eye diseases).
• “the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low” – “the doors” represents the lips or ears, “the streets” represents the public life or the world outside. “the doors shall be shut in the streets” suggests a decrease in communication or hearing as one grows older. There are two possible interpretations. Firstly, old people with bodily weaknesses and immobility prefer to stay indoors, and care not for going out for leisure and interacting with people. The second interpretation is related to the bodily house metaphor: the lips, the doors of the mouth, are shut to eating because the teeth are few or gone and it is difficult to chew food (the sound of the grinding with them is low). Therefore, eating and possibly speaking are impaired.
• “he shall rise up at the voice of the bird” – This refers to light sleep. The elderly are easily awakened. Ageing has a significant impact on sleep patterns and quality. Many older adults do not sleep well. Falling asleep at night takes longer and they wake up more during the night. They cannot sleep as soundly as they used to; a faint noise can awaken them.
• “all the daughters of musick shall be brought low” – “daughters of music” can refer to songs, musical compositions, or the performers of these. ”shall be brought low” may refer to impaired hearing or not being able to hear and enjoy music very well. Some think it means the elderly cannot sing anymore.

Increased fear and anxiety:

• “they shall be afraid of that which is high” – This refers to the fear of heights, or the fear of falling, due to the weakness of legs and stamina. People often get more nervous about heights as they get older, since diminished strength and balance means a greater chance of falling.
• “fears shall be in the ways” – This implies feeling frail and weak, increasing fear and anxiety about just getting around, leading to being shut in at home.

Changed appearance and desire:

• “the almond tree shall flourish” – Almond trees blossom with snow-white flowers. This phrase represents hair turning white. The hair of elderly people turns white, so that the head looks like an almond tree in bloom.
• “the grasshopper shall be a burden” – “the grasshopper” represents frailty and the burdens of old age. The grasshopper dragging itself along is a metaphor for the difficulty of movement and the weight of life’s challenges in old age. This symbolises the body of elderly people being humped or having a hunchback, and moving around is a burden.
• “desire shall fail” – This refers to diminished fleshly desires and appetites. The craving for the pleasures of the world is no longer there. Even the appetite for the most delicate, which were formerly craved, fails. The teeth are no longer able to chew the food or have all dropped out; the stomach is no longer able to digest the food as before.

Although some of the specific images are not easy to interpret, the overall meaning is clear – the aging process involves a deterioration of bodily functions, faculties, strength, and senses. Solomon described the diminishing functions and capacities of the body that accompany aging such as deteriorating physical strength, failing eyesight, loss of hearing, teeth, desires and appetite, not sleeping well and increasing fear and anxiety. This vivid imagery serves to highlight the inevitable decay of the human body and the fleeting nature of life. This depiction serves as a sobering reminder of the transient nature of our physical existence and the importance of focusing on spiritual matters that have eternal significance rather than temporal.

As Christians, how should we respond to aging? Graciously accept the aging process as a reality of life and use it as an opportunity to trust and lean on God. Truly recognise the brevity of life and strive to live a purposeful life, focusing on what really counts for eternity. Consciously prepare for eternity by living each day with the awareness that our choices and actions have eternal consequences and strive to align our life with God’s Word and will.

The end of aging (Eccl 12:5c)

Following the period of physical and mental decline, life at last comes to its inevitable end: “because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.” The reference here is to death. All these infirmities and decays of age described above are harbingers of eventual inescapable death. The phrase “long house” refers to “eternal home” or “house of eternity”. It is not a reference to heaven, but to the grave. “The mourners going about the streets” is a reference to funeral customs and possessions.

Death is an unavoidable reality that comes to everyone, regardless of their status in life or their accomplishments. This powerful reminder from Solomon urges us to reflect on our mortality and consider the ultimate meaning and purpose of our lives in the light of our impending death. Death is the result of sin. Death is final and permanent. Death is the last enemy. Death has no respect of persons. Death cuts off all communication and connection with the world. All of us must think of our own death; and find the answer and solution to our mortality in Christ Jesus, so that our names are written in the book of life. 

Conclusion

Ecclesiastes 12:3-5 poetically describes the inevitability of aging, decline of physical strength and functions, and the certainty of mortality. This serves as a sobering but powerful reminder of the transience and finality of life. This should encourage us to be sure of our salvation, to embrace the aging process as a reality of life, to recognise the brevity of life, to prepare for eternity, to make the best use of our time, to live a purposeful life focusing on things of eternal values. We must bear in mind that living a life without God and Christ is futile and feckless. May the Lord help us by His grace and mercies. AMEN.