Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
Three Score Years and Ten

Three Score Years and Ten

Last updated on: October 15, 2021 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

Three Score Years and Ten 2021-10-11T13:58:59-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10; KJV)

Today I attain my Biblical allotment of three score years and ten, that is to say, 70 years. Everything else will be extra.

Even today in the USA, for all of our advancements in medicine and in our standard of living, the life expectancy for a man is only 75, right in the middle of the Biblical range. We are told that the average lifespan in the ancient world was only in the 30’s or so, but those kinds of statistics come from factoring in the high death rate of infants, children, and young adults. But those who somehow avoided getting killed in battle or contracting a dire disease could expect to live until their seventies or eighties.

At any rate, I feel like I have accomplished something. I am embracing my status as an old person. I am certainly not going to hide my age or try to act young. I am a Bob Dylan fan, but his song Forever Young, while beautiful and with explicitly religious lyrics, has that annoying line that it repeats over and over: “May you stay/ Forever young.” Why would anyone want to stay forever young?

To be sure, old age, this final phase of life, is no picnic: “yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” It’s hard work being elderly. It’s full of sorrow. Friends and family members die one after the other, as will I. We will all soon “fly away.” I’m in good health, but I’ve started to have aches and pains that remind me that my body will gradually be shutting down. And yet, while I used to be afraid of death, I’m really not anymore.

Much of the oft-cited wisdom in old age comes from experience and perspective. We “elderlies,” as one of my grandchildren calls us, don’t have to worry about what other people think of us. We don’t need to care about being cool or popular or making a good impression or getting likes on social media. Such preoccupations are understandable in the young, but we no longer need to play the mating games, agonize about finding a job and succeeding in our careers, going through the pressures and responsibilities of child-raising, and the like. These are all important and precious in their way, but we have already gone through all of that. Now we can simply exist on our own terms. To be sure, many of us must still struggle to make ends meet, though my wife and I, having socked away retirement money throughout our working lives, are now experiencing extensive leisure for the first time. Thus, there can be a freedom that comes with old age.

A major theme in Psalm 90, which speaks of those three score years and ten, is that time passes. The years go by “like a dream”; they are swept away “as with a flood”; they are like grass that flourishes in the morning, but “fades and withers” in the evening (90:5). The LORD, though, is beyond time, and He is the one constant:

Lord, you have been our dwelling place[a]
    in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”[b]
4 For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:1-4)

Even as we go through this fast-passing life, knowing this eternal Lord can give us satisfaction, can establish what we have accomplished into the lives of our children, and make us “glad all our days”:

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:14-17)

Here is the bottom line, according to this Psalm: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (90:12).

That’s what I’m trying to do, number my days, year by year, candle by candle.

Photo from PublicDomainPictures.net, CC0 Public Domain. Actually, I wanted to use this picture, but it had copyright restrictions. Click the link and take a look, for the whole effect.

Previous Post

October 14, 2021

The Mystery of Tom Bombadil

Next Post

October 18, 2021 Elitist Education vs. Classical Christian Education

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I know wired earbuds are making a comeback (I never stopped using them as I ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"VCRs, tape decks, and cassette players are all having a revival among a segment of ..."

Tom Hering

Luther on Tools

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"I am not sure the items you mentioned, though disused, discontinued, discarded, could be considered ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who prophesied against Tyre, predicting it would become a bare rock?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Daniel Joel Ezekiel Amos

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »