Today is National Cherish An Antique Day. Typically, if you asked someone to define “antique,” they might give you an answer that resembles Merriam-Webster.
antique: adjective; an·tique (an-ˈtēk)
1: existing since or belonging to earlier times : ANCIENT; antique trade routes to India; 2a: being in the style or fashion of former times; antique manners and graces; b: made in or representative of the work of an earlier period.1
This really isn’t a good definition of an antique, though. We could sum up the dictionary definition and just say that an antique is “something old.” Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. Deirdre Mundorf, writing for home improvement guru Bob Villa’s website gives more detail.
“According to the antiques industry and common acceptance, in order for something to be classified as antique, it must be at least 100 years old. This is true for any type of item, which means even goods that are more fragile or seem to age more rapidly still must be at least 100 years old before they can be considered a real antique… Pieces that are at least 300 years of age can also be referred to as antiquities or artifacts… While goods must be at least 100 years old to be considered an antique, there is no set age for vintage wares. The meaning of the word “vintage” is simply “of age,” making it more difficult to set a specific age requirement. However, many say vintage items are at least 20 years old. So, generally speaking, something can be considered vintage if it is between 20 and 99 years old.”2 
Nobody reading these devotions are an artifact. It is unlikely that anyone is an antique, though there could be the slim possibility of a reader being 100 years old. Instead, we are mostly vintage. I like the sound of that, don’t you? Merriam-Webster attaches another word to vintage: classic.
For all the young models of humanity who might be reading this, let me share with you some Scripture that details how us vintage classics should be treated. Let’s look at these in chronological order.
Leviticus 19:32 “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”
Proverbs 16:31 “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”
Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.”
Proverbs 23:22 “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.”
1 Timothy 5:1-2 “Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; (2) The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.”
1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
Embrace your vintage classicness – or classic vintageness – today
1https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antique
2https://www.bobvila.com/articles/antique-vs-vintage/
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