Proverbs 20:29 (NASBStr)
The glory of young men is their strength,
And the honor of old men is their gray hair.
Here is a great truth that gives us many lessons for our own lives. Perhaps the one that comes to mind first is that each age has its own blessing and/or advantage. The young man has the distinction of his strength and the old the experience of his age. It should be noted that the Hebrew word for "strength" in the first line is, perhaps, better rendered, skill. Young men have skills that gives them glory and a good reputation. Their vigor keeps them moving forward. Yet, when old age does catch them and the skills wane from lack of use, lack of power, or lack of will to learn new skills, the aged have an advantage of knowing the short-cuts in life and not having to run the full mile. Perhaps Solomon was thinking of his father, David, who had skills in youth and wisdom in age. It should be noted, however, that the old and the young both do miss the point of proverbs, however. Perhaps that is why Solomon gives us this truth. Both seemed to concentrated on something other than the Fear of The Lord. Note what Jeremiah tells us, well after Solomon is gone:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASBStr)
Thus says the Lord, “ Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
So, the aged might think they have accumulated wisdom simply by hanging around. The youth may think they don't need the Fear of The Lord because they have their skill-set(s). But, neither our skills or our experience can replace the need to know God and to live in Fear of Him. It might be our glory and our honor, but it can be to our detriment when we trust in these things rather than the Fear of The Lord.
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