Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

• Genesis 6:3

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.

• Genesis 25:7-8

“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
    I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
    Where, O grave, is your destruction?

• Hosea 13:14

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

• 1 Corinthians 15:55

The New Boilerplate

My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover.  It was hidden with a box of crafting things.  On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these.  But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes.  So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while.  And it will be fun for me.  She did not attribute any of the quotes.  The first quote was from James A. Garfield, the 20^th president of the USA.  The next one was disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire.  After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.

Her quote

“Old age is the only disease you don’t look forward to being cured of.”

• Mr. Bernstein, played by Joseph Cotten, in the movie Citizen Kane

The Discussion

Until I read this quote from Citizen Kane, I did not know old age was a disease.  Then again, how many people can claim to know a quote from Citizen Kane other than “Rosebud?”

There is an old joke about how many philosophers does it take to change a lightbulb.  They have no idea.  They keep arguing about whether the lightbulb exists or not.

But I think there are more philosophers that have argued the meaning of “Rosebud” when it was right there in front of their faces.

But when God became angry enough to create a global flood, he states that the oldest that a human should live is 120 years old.  Even the meaning of this is argued.  Some think that meant it would take Noah 120 years to build the Ark and bring the animals on board.  Few are recorded to have lived longer than 120 years since the flood.  The patriarchs are the major examples: Abraham (175), Isaac (180), and Jacob (147).  Moses was already older than 120 years when he started building the Ark and God set that limit.

But I read a report several years ago where a researcher claimed that human cells do not duplicate themselves past 120 years.  Funny how a scientist says that, and then when it matches what the Bible says, you never hear from them again.

But most people in the Bible died of something other than “old age.”  Since 120 years old is a rarity these days, almost everybody dies of something other than just “old age.”

And what is wrong with death?

Those that do not know Jesus fear death.  That might say that what they fear is the unknown, but all the unknown things out there, they fear death the most.

For those who know Jesus have no reason to fear death.  As Paul states in his chapter on the resurrection from the dead, 1 Corinthians 15, he asks death where is its sting?

I heard a Billy Graham family member say that Billy Graham was uneasy about the method or process of dying, but never for a moment did he fear death.

I think we are all like that, and when you come closest to living until “old age disease” gets you, there are so many pains that you may not worry about the method or process any longer.

Those who know Jesus and are getting up there in years, are probably ready to go, but …

If they can just teach one more Sunday school class, write one more essay, or pray that one more person accepts Jesus as their Savior, they can put up with “old age disease” a little longer.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory