"ripe old age"

The expression "ripe old age" comes straight from the Bible.  I spotted it this morning in Genesis 25:8 "Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people".  It struck me as curious that an old man would be considered ripe.  You would think that a young man, in the midst of vitality and health, with years of time left to accomplish and achieve would be ripe like fruit.  An old man seems more like fruit that has past it's useful time.  But then I remembered that the Bible often has a different take on tehings.  The word 'ripe' comes from an old European root that is similar to the word "reap".  A ripe fruit is one that is ready to be plucked and eaten.  It struck me that Abraham was ripe for the Lord's picking to continue his existence in Heaven.  All the seasons and years of our lives are useful, but we can be encouraged that we are only ripe when the Lord decides He is ready to pull us from the tree and take us to Heaven.   blessings, Rob Smith http://2daysthought.blogspot.com/