Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 47

Highlight Verses:

““How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him. Jacob replied, “I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭47‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I found this whole interaction interesting.

Jacob obviously must have looked very old because – you guessed it – he was.

I got the impression that both Pharaoh and Jacob held each other in high regard.

This shouldn’t be surprising.

What jumped out at me is that Pharaoh’s respect for Jacob was likely highly enhanced by Jacob’s age.

More and more as I grow older, I can attest to that effect. The grayer my hair, the more deference most people show me.

Twelve years ago, when the clerk at Golden Corral asked if I qualified for the senior discount, I didn’t much appreciate it.

Now, less than a decade from retirement, I’ll accept that discount, and the respect – often with the simple gesture of me pointing to my gray head and uttering two simple words, “four teenagers.”

I look at today’s verse and am reminded that those older than me have more experience, more wisdom, and likely more knowledge than I.

I can respect that.

Have you stopped to think about the experience, wisdom, and knowledge of those who have been on this earth longer than you?
If you have been around long enough to show the signs of aging like me, have you experienced the increase in respect from others? Got any stories to relate about it?