"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase"
1 Corinthians 3:6
A Message From the Horne of Africa
Cash for Old Geezers
8/23/2009
The “Cash for Clunkers” program has been widely touted on TV. All one has to do is bring in the old “gas-guzzler” (better known as a clunker)for a $4,500 rebate towards the purchase of a brand new car with better fuel consumption. Many have jumped at that bargain.
Some anonymous e-mail writer thought he would inject some humor into the situation by applying a similar, but fictitious, program into the National Health Care Plan. Only this one would not be Cash for Clunkers, but Cash for Geezers. The phantom program is envisioned working like this: “Couples wishing to access health care funds in order to pay for the delivery of a child will be required to turn in one old person. The amount the [rebate permits] them will be fixed according to a sliding scale. Older and more prescription dependent geezers will garner the highest amounts. . . .Special "bonuses" will be paid for those submitting geezers in targeted groups, such as smokers, alcohol drinkers, persons 10 or more pounds over their government prescribed weight, and any member of the [opposition] Party, etc.”
It was all quite facetious until the final chilling paragraph: “All geezers will be rendered totally useless via toxic injection. This will insure that they are not secretly resold or their body parts harvested to keep other geezers in repair.” “Chilling” because I realize I fit all the qualifications of a geezer! Let’s hope that such a calloused program will never be implemented or even considered in these enlightened United States .
Seriously, how does the Bible view the lot of geezers? Do those of advanced years have any standing before God? Should they be relegated to the human scrap yard? On the contrary, the Bible lauds the elderly, the senior citizen, the golden oldie—the old geezer.
God’s servant, Moses, died at the age of one hundred and twenty years with undimmed eyes and abiding strength, Deuteronomy 34:7. His work was done and God took him home. His next assignment would be to appear at the transfiguration of Christ, Matthew 17:3-4. Caleb was eighty-five, still strong and vigorous, when he obtained his inheritance, Joshua 14:10-11. He was granted the “hill country” around Hebron and still had to fight to remove the inhabitants of that area. At Shiloh, God’s priest, Eli, was both blind and old—98 years old, in fact—when he completed his assignment by death, 1 Samuel 4:15. He had been appointed at the age of 58, 1 Samuel 4:18.
Paul describes himself as “the aged” (ASV) in Philemon 9. Age did not sideline him—in fact, it qualified him for greater service in the kingdom of God . He devotes much time to teaching younger folk to treat older folk—both men and women—with the respect due to their advanced age, 1 Timothy 5:1-3. The older women are to train the younger women in various skills and godly attitudes, Titus 2:3-5. The world may glorify youth and put it on a pedestal, but God never discounts the elderly. He sees their worth.
Finally, God’s appreciation of “age” is seen by whom He has appointed to be the leaders of his church—elders, not “young-ers,” see I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-12; 1 Peter 5:1-4. Peter sums it up well: “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older, ” 1 Peter 5:5. Oh, yes, clunkers may go, but old geezers are here to stay.
Isn’t it significant that God chooses to describe Himself in the book of Daniel as “the Ancient of Days,” Daniel 7:9, 13, 22. I wonder why?
Love you all,
Al—“the Horne of Africa .”