Getting Too Old
Resistance is Futile
April 15, 2025
Couldn’t sleep but a couple hours last night. I woke up around 1:30 AM, and was troubled about approaching the end of my life. I realized that spending all my time at my job and working for the Union that besides not spending enough time with my family I had lost track of all my friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. All I am left with are memories — shadows of memories, actually.
As you might imagine, I was sliding into depression… I was stuck there once and remember it as being a living hell, and was desperate not to go back there.
Fortunately, I remembered to call on God to rescue me from the edge of that precipice.
I decided to quit tossing and turning and went downstairs and made some coffee so as to pass the time while waiting for God’s answer to my desperation.
It came to mind as I remembered that Ecclessiates might have something to say that would shed some light into my approaching darkness.
It certainly did.
While reading the first six chapters I felt relief and began an eye-opening journey. which began with remembering a previous essay in which I tried to explain the first verse, “vanity of vanity, all is vanity.”
Without rereading my effort, I thought that maybe I didn’t get it quite right…
Originally, I was trying to understand the phrase in modern English by searching for the meaning in the original Greek words. Today I realized , “Whoops! I didn’t go back far enough.”
The original, original language was Hebrew. Ecclsiastes was written by King Solomon of Old Testament fame.
So, I started my research all over again and went to https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1892.htm where I discovered these ideas.
- Definition: Vanity, breath, vapor, futility, emptiness
- Meaning: emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory
- Usage: The Hebrew word “hebel” primarily conveys the idea of something transient, insubstantial, or futile. It is often used metaphorically to describe the fleeting nature of life, human endeavors, and worldly pursuits.
What made most sense to me were the ideas of life being very transient and temporary… a breath, a vapor, a mist -”the fleeting nature of life, human endeavors and worldly pursuits.”
Now , my problem was finding a comparable modern English word or phrase
My audio Bible uses the Berean Standard Bible, and it has “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
Maybe, “Here today, and gone tomorrow. Everything is temporary!” “Dust in the wind…”
What do you think? What word or phrase translation can replace the full meaning behind that one Hebrew word, “hebel”?
I’m gonna miss this world.
All the same, I found comfort in Solomon’s writing, and maybe you will, too.
Anyway, now I’m going to leave the threat of depression behind — like dust in the wind — by reading the last six chapters to get to the “conclusion of the matter.” — Ecclesiastes 12:13, BSB.
As for my almost sliding into depression, this worked:
Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. — 1 Corinthians 10:13, Good News Translation, GNT.
