Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth - Religion - Nairaland
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| Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by PastorAde: 12:43pm On Feb 25, 2010 |
[center]Remember Now Thy Creator in the Days of Thy Youth[/center] Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain. 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 shall be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 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 the desire shall fail; because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets; Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it. Vanities of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8, emphasis mine). The above passage contains the moving “Allegory of Old Age”. A poignant picture of senility (old age) that is partly metaphorical and partly literal affords a dynamic reinforcement of the Preacher’s instruction to remember the Creator in the days of youth. The opportunity of remembrance will soon be over, and what will replace it will drastically limit a man’s ability to enjoy life under the sun. In old age life takes on the characteristics of the dark, cold Palestine winter, when storm after storm hides the heavenly luminaries. Each phrase of the allegory is designed to describe the waning strength in a specific organ of the body. The keepers of the house are the hands and arms. It is their specific duty to keep and guard the house from intrusion. In old age they tremble so severely that they no longer move swiftly to the defense of the body. The strong men refer to the legs. They are thus designated because they are supported by the largest muscles of the body (see Psalm 147:10, Song of Solomon 5:15). In old age, the legs fail and the knees grow weak. The grinding women are the teeth. The mouth is the mill. It is difficult for the mill to function effectively when the teeth become few in number. In old age the teeth become few in number. They that look out the windows are without doubt the eyes whose ability to perceive lessens with the passing of the years. The doors refer to the ears. The doors that are shut represent deafness that cuts the elderly person off from the sounds of the city. The sound of the grinding of grain, which was heard daily about the Oriental home, is scarcely discernible to the old man. Rising at the sound of the bird suggests the light sleeping habits developed in old age which causes awakening to coincide with the rising of the birds. All times becomes indistinct to the aged person, due to an inability to hear that which is transpiring about him. Singing, as well as any real appreciation of music, has become a thing of the past. Increasing age also brings with it a fear of high places. There is constant fear of a fall that may result in broken bones. Even the road (sidewalks) brings terror; for there is continual danger of stumbling, and this danger is complicated by the presence of increased traffic. The almond tree blossoms are a reference to the white hairs that appears upon the head as an external sign of internal physical decay. The white signifies the time of the end. The walk of the old man is compared to that of the grasshopper. His whole body is nothing but skin and bones. His bones stick out, and his body is exhausted. He is nothing but an image of death. The older person has lost all lightness of body and mind. All desires, physical and mental, fail as life begins to ebb out like the retreating tide. The professional wailers have drawn near to the man’s home, waiting with expectation to be hired for his funeral. What the professional wailers are waiting for is described in verses 6 and 7. The beauty and fragility of the human frame are captured here. It is a masterpiece, as delicate in its construction as the greatest work of art, yet as fragile as a piece of pottery. In the end it is as useless as a broken lamp, a shattered pitcher, and a broken wheel. The silver (spinal) cord held the golden bowl or lamp: and when it snapped, the lamp fell to the ground, dissolving itself into a myriad of pieces. The burning lamp is a common symbol for life (see 1 kings 11:36, Proverb 13:9). When the wheel (heart) and the pitcher (stomach) are broken at the well, no more water can be drawn. The well with all its treasures is then beyond the reach of man. Light and water are common symbols for life. Man, with his aged and broken frame, is like the broken wheel and the shattered pottery. He looks out all that life has to offer, but he has no tools that will allow him to interact with all he sees. His body will soon dissolve into dust; and his spirit, or breath for his life, will return to God who originally gave it. (See Job 34: 14-15; Gen. 2:7). The Preacher then closes with the same admonition with which he began. Man under the sun is compelled to confess the vanity of all secular striving as he views the final destiny of the groaning human frame (Romans 8:23). The above portrait of aging is calculated to cause the young to stop and ponder the direction in which they are going. Now is the time to remember God thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Otherwise it may be too late at your old age. But where will your spirit return if you die as a sinner? There is only one door to heaven where God dwells. That door is a Person, and that Person is Jesus Christ (John 10: 7, 9). For you to see heaven or God, you must be born again by believing in your heart the Lord Jesus, and confessing Him as your Lord and Savior. When you do this, all your sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. You then become a new creature, born of God Himself. Why wait till you’re old and gray- headed when you have no more pleasure in life? The time for you to remember and return to God is now, when He may still be found. As long as you are alive, you can still find God Who gave you your breath. If you die without Him, it will be too late. Are you ready to remember God now? If yes, pray this prayer out loud – Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe you came to earth. I believe you died for me. I believe God raised you from the dead. Lord, I am a sinner. Wash me in your blood. Make me whiter than snow. I confess you now as my Savior and Lord. Amen. For counseling and further enquiries contact: Prevailing Word and Prayer Ministries Inc. P.O.Box 11875, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria. Email: josey500@ yahoo.com. Tel: 2348033155417. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 1:46pm On Feb 25, 2010 |
This picture depicts the state of those who did not remember their Creator in the time of their youths. Do you notice the young man at the top of the stairs? see him in his downward descent as he advances in age. We who still proclaim to know the Lord should take heed and serve Him while we still have strength so that what happened to the young man here does not happen to you. "He that thinketh that he standeth must take heed lest he falls."
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| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nobody: 3:15pm On Feb 25, 2010 |
'the dog that will get lost will never listen to the whistle of the Hunter' Noah did warned but wasnt listened to. OP im sorry but i doubt if they will hear |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 11:37am On Mar 05, 2010 |
Heed the Master's whistle. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nimshi: 2:08am On Mar 06, 2010 |
OLAADEGBU: This is a thorough misconception. The depiction bears little resemblance to reality. The question you ought to have asked is why you - like everyone else - were born an atheist. Perhaps then you may begin to see more clearly. . |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by tpiah: 2:28am On Mar 06, 2010 |
^^ nobody is born an atheist. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nimshi: 2:45am On Mar 06, 2010 |
tpiah: Quite the contrary. Everyone is born without belief in a god or gods. Religion is learned. Sounds tough, but you were born an atheist. And your children - if you do choose to have some - will be born atheists. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by tpiah: 2:47am On Mar 06, 2010 |
^^ atheism is a conscious decision to reject any notion of God. babies do not have that ability since they dont engage in abstract reasoning. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nimshi: 4:24am On Mar 06, 2010 |
tpiah: Wrong. Atheism is a state of non-belief in a god or gods. Theism is belief in a god, gods, God, or Gods. It's then elementary to figure which state the baby is born in. . |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by tpiah: 4:26am On Mar 06, 2010 |
babies do not "believe" or "disbelieve" anything. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by jagunlabi(m): 8:00am On Mar 06, 2010 |
OLAADEGBU:Say that to dogs and not to sentient beings like humans. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by jagunlabi(m): 8:00am On Mar 06, 2010 |
tpiah:Correct.Babies arrive into this world as open, empty books, and anything anyone writes on them they think and accept as their identities and destiny. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by jagunlabi(m): 8:08am On Mar 06, 2010 |
OLAADEGBU:Lol!You and this ya fallacious graphic.The caption in that graphic says, "The Descent of the modernists".So the preaching here is for mankind should "ascend" back to the dark era of the christian dogma dominated middle ages or the stone age,right? |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nimshi: 10:39am On Mar 06, 2010 |
tpiah: You're getting closer to the truth. This state of absence of belief is what atheism is. The be atheist is to be in that state. That's why children are born atheists. It's an elementary fact. . |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 2:18pm On Mar 06, 2010 |
jagunlabi: Aja to ba ma a sonu ko ni gbo fere ode. Ko ba a ka ba? |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 2:45pm On Mar 06, 2010 |
Nimshi: I do not have memories of what I believed as a baby but I do have an account of what John the baptist felt when Mary who was pregnant with Jesus came visiting. John leaped when he heard the greeting of Mary and Elizabeth, Mary's cousin was filled with the Holy Spirit (See Luke 1:39-44). Do you remember what you did or did not believe when you were a baby? Let us know how you realised that you were an atheist at birth since you guys don't even believe that babies in the womb have life. Even animals have spiritual instincts as they can sense when there is going to be a flood, like the Tsunami disaster, and began to migrate to the hills for safety. A scheduled battle does not claim the life of a (wise) cripple.  |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by tpiah: 4:15pm On Mar 06, 2010 |
Nimshi: atheism is a conscious decision to reject any notion of God. Babies do not make conscious decisions, like I pointed out before. Their brains arent developed to that extent. a newborn baby doesnt know its parents either- does that make it parentless. It doesnt know it has a body- does that mean it does not have one. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 5:42pm On Mar 06, 2010 |
The Son of God became the Son of man so as to make man become the son of God.
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| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nimshi: 8:27pm On Mar 07, 2010 |
tpiah: No, that is anti-theism. Atheism is much more passive than that. Babies do not make conscious decisions, like I pointed out before. Their brains arent developed to that extent. This means they're irreligious and without any beliefs. They're atheistic with respect to god, gods, God or Gods. a newborn baby doesnt know its parents either- does that make it parentless. It doesnt know it has a body- does that mean it does not have one. It doesn't have any beliefs. That makes the baby atheistic. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by Nimshi: 8:28pm On Mar 07, 2010 |
OLAADEGBU: Sorry, but these ramblings are irrelevant to the current discussion. . |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 9:39pm On Mar 07, 2010 |
In The Days Of Thy Youth "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Here is the wisest counsel a young person can receive. Though it was first written many years ago, it is more relevant than ever today when young people are being bombarded daily with the propaganda and practices of evolutionary humanism. They urgently need to realize that despite these pressures, they are not products of chance, with pleasure their only aim in life. They are special creations of God, with a high and holy purpose destined for them by their Creator. If they will only recognize this fact, acknowledging God, in Christ, as Creator and Saviour while they are young, trusting and obeying His word as they mature, they can anticipate a life of fulfillment. "I have been young, and now am old" David said, "yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psalm 37:25). If they refuse their Creator in the days of their youth, however, then it will become increasingly difficult to remember their Creator as the years go by. Few are converted in later life. They can only anticipate the bitterness and regrets of old age and death, as described so vividly in the verses following our text. Under the figure of a decaying house symbolizing their aging bodies, the forlorn picture is drawn of fading eyesight, trembling hands, buckling knees, sleepless nights, easy irritability, increasing senility, and other aspects of approaching death—all with no pleasure in them, because they long ago had forgotten their Creator. Remember now thy Creator, young man, young woman! Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). Therefore, "let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (I Timothy 4:12). HMM |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by OLAADEGBU(m): 12:25am On Mar 09, 2010 |
He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day. -- John Bunyan. |
| Re: Remember Now Thy Creator In The Days Of Thy Youth by tpia1: 6:13pm On Nov 08, 2012 |
interesting topic. |
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