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 Until his dying day, Abraham was concerned about the will of God which in his case fulfilling the word of God meant having many children therefore ensuring many descendants, and also by making sure that Isaac was the one who got the main portion of his inheritance. The first six verses told us about his decision to get married and what happened as a result. The second half of this passage, which begins at verse seven and ends in verse 11, tells us not about the death and Burial of Abraham. 

This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

(Genesis 25: 7-11)

So, he dies and leaves his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, who was probably a teenager at this point. But what’s significant about this verse is that it says that he died, full of years. Full of years is a term that means he was satisfied he had done the will of God in his life, also making sure that the will of God was going to be carried on in the next generation of his family before he died. The expression “full of years” when you see it in the Bible usually means that person had done the will of God in the years you had been given. He is then buried in the cave of Machpelah. I also think it was interesting that he gets to the end of his life and. Isaac and Ishmael bury him. So, it seems the brothers are reconciled at the funeral of their father. Abraham was concerned about the will of God right up until the end of his life, and after his life. So, if you want to know how to grow old, then be concerned about following the will of God to the very end. Let me say it very simply and very clearly, the object of the Christian life is to run the race and to the across the finish line. The Book of Hebrews tells us we are in a race, and we need to run it to the very end. Abraham is a great example of doing just that. Abraham was concerned about the will of God all of his life, and at the end of his life. During his old age, and even made provisions after his life.  The sum is simple. Abraham grew old and as he grew old, he walked in the will of God to his last breath. 

I want to conclude with a couple of thoughts.

This world can be a great thief. It robs people not only of their youth and health, but it also robs them of their peace and joy and innocence and everything else. Don’t grow up to become a grumpy old man or a miserable old woman. The whole idea is that the older you get more dignified you should become. The more sensible you should be and the more concern you should have for other people. Isn’t that what Paul said in Titus? So don’t grow old and be a grumpy old man or woman, grow old and be a godly old man or woman. Be temperate, dignified, being concerned about other people, and if you are not old yet, it is never too late to start doing what you already know you will need to do as you get older. I don’t care how old you are, you can start today. We all you need to do begin becoming a more godly person and to start doing what you already know the Bible teaches you to do, today.

Just recently in 2021 in fact in an old people home in Cincinnati, OH. An 87-year-old resident named Patti swallowed a piece of meat and was struggling to breathe. The home was in Covid lock-down and they were very short staffed however a 96-year-old man immediately sprang into action. He applied the Heimlich manoeuvre and probably saved her life. The 96-year-old man who did that was call Henry Heimlick, Doctor Henry Heimlick, the  man who invented that technique in 1974? That technique has saved 100’s of 1000’s of people over the years. By the way among the people that have been saved by that technique include Ronald Reagan, the Queen mother. In this case, the inventor himself performed it.  He was 96 years old, but did you know it was the first time he had ever done it in an emergency situation on a human being who actually needed it done. He had lectured for years. He had taught 1000’s of other people how to do it, but he had never had an opportunity to do it on a live person in distress. He said, and I quote; 

“The moment was very important to me. I knew all about the lives of my manoeuvre had saved. Over the years and I’ve demonstrated it so many times, but here for the first time was someone right next to me who was about to die. My first test subjects, by the way, were dogs. But he had had never done it on a human in the midst of asphyxiation before

So, it’s not too late to start.  It’s never too late to do what you already know how to do. It never to late to start doing what the Bible says you should do. Even if you are. 96 years old. It’s never too late to do what you know the father God wants you to do.