A B I B L I C A L

P E R S P E C T I V E O N

AGING

What the Bible Teaches about Growing Old and our

Responsibility Toward the Aged

F. Wayne Mac Leod

Light To My Path Book Distribution

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Special thanks to Sue St. Amour for proof reading.

CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
Preface
1 - Am I Old?
2 -Effects of Old Age on the Body
3 -The Honour Due to the Aged
4 - Responsibility Toward the Aged
5 -The Sin of Disrespect
6 -The Blessing of God on the Aged
7 - Service in Old Age
8 - The Temptations of Old Age
About The Author

PREFACE

eing old is not something any of us wants to admit to. Old age

brings a unique set of problems as we watch out bodies and minds

no longer respond in the way they once did. It is easy to feel

helpless and frustrated as we find ourselves slowing down and pulling out

of activities we once enjoyed. It is also easy for some societies to push aside

the elderly and not respect them for their many years.

What does the Bible say about aging? What are the promises of God to

those who find themselves in this phase of life? What are our God-given

responsibilities toward the aged? Does old-age mean that we are no longer

useful in society and church? What are the challenges of old age? These are

some of the questions we will touch on in this study.

This is not a self-help book nor is it psychological in nature. This is a

simple Bible study on the theme of aging. The Bible speaks openly about

this subject. It is my goal to examine its perspective on aging and the aged.

I trust that this study will be a blessing to those who are old. I trust it will

also be a challenge to them to share the wisdom of God with the younger

generation. I trust also that it will be an exhortation to the younger

generation to learn to respect and draw from the vast resource of wisdom

and experience we have in the older people around us.

We need the elderly in our churches. We need to tap into the wisdom and

experience they offer. May the Lord be pleased to use this simple reflection

on aging to bring encouragement and blessing to those in the middle of it.

May he also use it to stimulate the body of Christ to a deeper respect and

focus on the needs of the elderly in our society today.

God bless,

F. Wayne Mac Leod

1 - AM I OLD?

hat is old age? In some cultures, this is a sensitive question.

This is particularly true if the culture does not value those who

have reached this stage. Old age can be a difficult time in life.

I have spoken with many who have struggled with not being able to do

what they used to do. Accepting the changes old age brings is not easy. We

can feel unproductive and useless. We can find ourselves depending on

other people to help us accomplish the necessities of life. Having people

help us bathe and get dressed is a reminder of our weakness and frailty and

can be very humbling. Watching our bodies weaken can be discouraging.

Old age, however, is an inescapable reality for many of us. Unless the Lord

takes us in the prime of life or He returns, it will be a certainty.

I have met many who have refused to acknowledge they are old. They see it

as a sign of defeat –as if old age was an enemy. We speak about “getting

old” but find it difficult to admit we are old. We speak of old age as we

speak about a disease. The symptoms of this disease are numerous. We see

a person of advanced years who can no longer hear or see well and whose

mind is forgetful and say, “he’s old.” If we have full use of our faculties we

do not see ourselves as old. Old age, however, is not a disease. It is a

normal part of life.

We speak about “keeping young,” but this does not change the number of

years we have been on this earth. Old age is not defined by how healthy or

unhealthy we are. Deuteronomy 34:7 says this about Moses:

7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was

undimmed and his vigour unabated. (Deuteronomy 34)

To the very end of his life, Moses was full of energy. He was healthy and

full of life but according to Deuteronomy 34:7 he was “old” when he died.

While our definition of old age may differ from culture to culture, my

concern in this study is to examine what the Bible says on this important

subject.

As we look at the book of Genesis, the concept of old age is constantly

changing. Genesis 5 gives us a list of ten important men from Adam to

Noah. The average lifespan of these men was 907 years. Methuselah was

187 years old when he began his family (Genesis 5:25). He would live

another 782 years to see that family grow and have children.

Genesis 6, however, recounts the story of increasing corruption and sin on

the earth. God determined that He would cut the lifespan of humankind

from 907 years to 120:

3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man

forever, for he is flesh; his days shall be 120 years.” (Genesis

This decrease in lifespan did not happen immediately. Genesis 11 gives us a

list of 8 descendants of Noah up to the time of Abraham. What is striking

about this list is that the lifespan of these men continually decreased from

generation to generation. Shem, the son of Noah lived for 600 years

(Genesis 11:10). Terah, the father of Abraham, however, died at the age of

205 (Genesis 11:32). The average lifespan after the flood to the days of

Abraham was 394. Every son could expect to live at least 60 years less than

his father.

By the time we get to David, this lifespan had further decreased from the

120 years promised in Genesis 11 to 70 years.

The year of our life are seventy,

or even by reason of strength eighty;

yet their span is but toil and trouble;

they are soon gone, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)

The Psalmist expected to live seventy or eighty years before he died. While

some may live longer than this, this is generally the number of years we

have on this earth. From the 907 average before the flood to a mere seventy

or eighty today, the lifespan of human kind has dramatically decreased.

What was old before the flood is unheard of in our day.

In Numbers 8, when the life expectancy was about 120 years, God gave this

command to the Levites (the temple servants):

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the

Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come

to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the

age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the

service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their brothers in

the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no

service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their

duties.” (Numbers 8)

It was the command of the Lord that the Levites retire from full service at

the age of 50. This retirement did not remove them from all responsibilities

but they were no longer responsible for carrying the heavy articles of the

tabernacle as it moved from place to place in the wilderness. This hard

work was handed over to the younger people. Those over the age of 50

were then given the task of supervising their younger brothers in the work.

The Levites, above fifty years of age, might superintend and

assist their junior brethren in the ordinary offices, and give

them and the people counsel and instruction; but they were

exempted from carrying the tabernacle and from other

laborious services. (The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge,

Laridian: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, comments on Numbers 8:25)

What is important for us to see here is that the Lord God recognized that the

body of a 50-year-old was not as strong and resilient as that of a younger

body. He made provision for this and commanded that all the heavy work

be done by those who were younger. The Creator of the human body, knows

what that body can do. He is fully aware of its growing weakness. The

challenge for us, however, is to accept this reality ourselves.

In Leviticus 19:32, the Lord commanded His people to respect those who

were gray haired and old by standing up in their presence:

32 You shall stand up before the gray head and honour the face

of the old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord

(Leviticus 19)

We will examine this verse in another context later in this study. For now,

however, notice that God speaks here and commands His people to stand up

before the presence of the gray head and honour the face of the old man.

Scripture speaks directly about old age. God calls those who have reached a

certain age “gray haired and old.” To call someone old, in some cultures, is

insulting. The Scripture does not see old age in this way. God commands

the younger to stand up when an old person enters the room and to honour

those who had reached an age where their hair has turned gray.

Commenting on this passage the commentator John Gill states:

Thou shall rise up before the hoary head ... Or "before old age"

which may be discerned by the hoary or grey hairs upon the

head; that is before the grey-headed man, or an old man, and

one was reckoned so when he was of seventy years of age; for

so it is said, one of sixty years is arrived to old age, and one of

seventy to grey hairs. Fagius relates, that according to the

tradition of the Hebrews a young man was obligated to rise up

when an ancient man was at the distance of four cubits from

him, and to sit down again as soon as he had passed by him,

that it might appear it was done in honour of him. (Gill, John,

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: Laridian: Cedar

Rapids, Iowa, 2013, Comments on Leviticus 19:32)

The important Jewish work, The Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avoth),

speaking about the various stages of life says:

22. … Five years is the age for the study of Scripture. Ten, for

the study of Mishnah. Thirteen, for the obligation to observe the

mitzvot. Fifteen, for the study of Talmud. Eighteen, for

marriage. Twenty, to pursue [a livelihood]. Thirty, for strength,

Forty, for understanding. Fifty, for counsel. Sixty, for sagacity.

Seventy, for elderliness. Eighty, for power. Ninety, to stoop. A

hundred-year-old is as one who has died and passed away and

has been negated from the world. (The Ethics of the Fathers

(Pirkei Avot), Chapter 5, section 22,

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/680274/jewish/E

thics-of-the-Fathers-Pirkei-Avot.htm)

Notice that the age of 50 was the age for giving counsel. This corresponds

with the law of God requiring the Levite to retire from hard physical work

and act as a supervisor for his younger brothers. According to Jewish

tradition, the age of sixty was a time of “sagacity” or discernment. Years of

experience made these individuals keen and discerning about life in general.

By the time a person arrived at the age of seventy he or she was considered

elderly.

What do we need to understand here? First, God has only given us a certain

amount of time on this earth. On an average, Psalm 90:10 tells us that we

can expect to live seventy or eighty years.

Second, God understands that in the final years of our life we will not have

the physical ability we once had. He made provision for this in His law and

expected that those who arrived at the age of fifty would begin to make the

adjustments necessary. This is how God created us. We need also to

recognize our limitations as we age.

Third, while God did not expect the Levites of 50 years and above to be as

physically strong as their younger brothers, he still had a role for them to

play. They were to supervise and share the wisdom and understanding

gained by their years.

Fourth, notice that God has no hesitation in calling people old. “Honour the

face of the old man” He told His people in Leviticus 19:32. From God’s

perspective, being old is not a shame but an honour. To fear old age or to

treat it like a disease is to dishonour the Creator.

Generally, we have a total of seventy or eighty years to live. As we reach

the age of 50 and 60 we begin to realize that we are in our final years.

While there may still be plenty more strength left, we do understand that

there is a limit to what we can achieve. Being old does not mean being

unproductive. For some, these are the most productive years of their life.

The years of experiences, have given wisdom and discernment. They have

chipped away unrealistic goals and plans and made us more focused. They

have shaped us in ways that make us more effective. Old age, is a badge of

honour not a disease. The declining body is not who we really are. It is

merely an aging shell that houses the wisdom of years.

For Consideration:

Is it possible for us to treat old age as a disease? How is it different from a

disease?

Do you fear old age? What do you fear about it?

What are the challenges of old age?

What are the benefits that come with old age? What is the connection

between old age and wisdom?

Have we been able to tap into the wisdom of old age in our churches and

society?

What did the Bible require a younger person to do in the presence of an old

man or woman? How do we show respect for the aged today?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to give you grace to accept old age.

Take a moment to pray for the aged in your community. Thank the Lord for

their role and influence.

Ask God to give your church a deeper respect and appreciation for the aged

in your midst.

Ask God to help you to understand how you can encourage and minister to

the elderly in your community.

2 -EFFECTS OF OLD AGE

ON THE BODY

he Bible does not hide the fact that old age will take its toll on the

human body. In fact, it speaks quite openly about this.

One of the first references to the effect of old age on the physical

body comes in Genesis 18. In this chapter, an angel came to visit Abraham

with a message from the Lord. He told Abraham that by the same time the

next year, Sarah, his wife, would give birth to a son (Genesis 18:10).

Genesis 18:18 makes it quite clear that Abraham and Sarah were old when

they received this message:

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The

way of woman had ceased to be with Sarah. (Genesis 18)

One of the symptoms of old age was that Sarah could no longer have

children. Notice the response of Sarah to the words of the angel:

12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out,

and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” (Genesis 18)

Sarah understood the effects of old age on her body. She saw herself as

being worn out. She could not imagine being able to conceive a child, carry

him to term and have the pleasure and strength to raise him.

Genesis 27 speaks about the effects of old age on Isaac, the son born to

Abraham and Sarah in their later years:

1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could

not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My

son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” (Genesis 27)

Genesis 27:1 tells us that when Isaac grew old, his eyesight became very

poor. His eyes are described here as dim. The Hebrew word used here for

“dim” has the meaning of becoming dull, darkened or weak. Isaac’s eyes

failed him in his old age.

What was true of Isaac was also true for many other Biblical characters. 1

Samuel 4:15 tells us about the priest Eli:

15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so

that he could not see. (1 Samuel 4:15)

Notice the connection between Eli’s old age and the fact that he could not

see. It appears that it was his age that stripped him of his sight.

Joseph’s father Israel, suffered from the same issue in his old age. When

Joseph brought his sons to his father to be blessed, Israel had to ask him

who they were (Genesis 48:8). Genesis 48:10 tells us the reason for this:

10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could

not see. (Genesis 48)

It is quite clear from this that the cause of this blindness was the age of

Israel –his eyes were “dim with age.”

King Ahijah experienced this loss of sight in his old age as well. We read in

1 Kings 14:4:

4 … Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of

his age. (1 Kings 14)

This loss of eyesight is, however, not the only effect of age on the body. In

2 Samuel 19 we read the story of how King David returned to the city of

Jerusalem after having been forced to flee because of the revolt of his son

Absalom. During this time of flight, a rich man by the name of Barzillai

provided David and his men with food and provisions:

32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He

provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for

he was a very wealthy man. (2 Samuel 19)

It is significant to note here the phrase, “Barzillai was a very aged man,

eighty years old.” Scripture viewed this man of eighty as being “very aged.”

While Barzillai was very aged, he still had a ministry to David and his men.

He supplied them with food and supplies during this difficult time in exile.

David recognized the support Barzillai had offered him and wanted to

reward him for his compassion in this time of need. He offered to have

Barzillai brought to Jerusalem where he would provide for him for the

remaining years of his life. The response of Barzillai to David is important

in the context of this study:

34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still

to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am

this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and

what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he

drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing

women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to

my lord the king? (2 Samuel 19)

Barzillai’s response helps us to see the effect of old age on his body. Old

age had stripped him of the ability to enjoy some of the basic pleasures of

life. He was not able to enjoy the taste of his food and drink. He could not

enjoy the sound of singing for his ears were failing him. Barzillai refused to

go with David to Jerusalem because he felt that in his old age he would no

longer truly enjoy the pleasures David wanted to offer him. He was content

to remain where he was – where everything was familiar and life was

simple.

In 1 Kings 1 we read about David in his old age:

1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And

although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.

2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be

sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be

in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king

may be warm.” 3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman

throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the

Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman

was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and

attended to him, but the king knew her not.

One of the effects of old age on David was that he could not keep warm.

Even when they covered him with clothes he could not be comfortable.

Notice, that the verse says, “they covered him with clothes.” It appears that

other people were dressing him in these clothes. Was he unable, at this time

to do this himself? We are not told. What is clear is that his servants were

helping him with this dressing. The only way they could keep David warm

was to find a young virgin to lay in his arms so that her body heat might

warm him. They searched throughout the kingdom of Israel for a beautiful

woman to serve the king in this way. What is important to note is that 1

Kings 1:4 tells us that though she slept in his arms, the king never had a

sexual relationship with her. In his old age, this sexual drive appears to have

been stripped from him.

Probably one of the most powerful descriptions of the effect of old age on

the body comes from the book of Ecclesiastes.

1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before

the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will

say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the

light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds

return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house

tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease

because they are few, and those who look through the windows

are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the

sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a

bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are

afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the

almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and

desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the

mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is

snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is

shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns

to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12)

Let’s take a moment to consider what the writer of this passage is saying.

The context of Ecclesiastes 12 is a challenge to the youth of the day to

remember their Creator. The writer tells these youths that there were evil

days coming. The term evil does not refer to something sinful so much as

days of difficulty and trial. He goes on to describe these evil days.

These will be days, the writer says when you will say, “I have no pleasure

in them” (verse 1). This is what Barzillai communicated to David, when he

said:

35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is

pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats

or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men

and singing women? (2 Samuel 19)

The day was coming for the youths of Solomon’s day when the pleasures of

their youth would be taken from them and they would no longer desire

them. This was also the experience of Sarah in Genesis 18:

12 “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have

pleasure?” (Genesis 18)

Beyond the loss of these pleasures in life, the writer of the Ecclesiastes goes

on to describe a day when the sun and the light of the moon and stars would

be darkened and the clouds would cover the sky (verse 2). The picture here

reminds us of the description of the eyesight of Israel in his old age. His

eyes grew dim so that the light of the sun was darkened and his eyes were

covered in clouds so that he could not see.

The writer to the Ecclesiastes continues his description of these “evil” days

in verse 3 where he tells the youth of his day that the keepers of the house

trembled, the strong would be bent, the grinders ceased because they were

few and those who looked through the windows would be dimmed. Notice

what is happening here. If this is a description of the effects of old age on

the body, we see that what used to be bold now trembles. What used to be

strong is now bent over. The teeth (the grinders) that used to grind food

have cease to work because they are few. The eyes that look out the window

are now dimmed and do not see very well.

In verse 4, the writer describes the doors on the street as being shut as the

world of the aged becomes smaller, fearful of venturing out too far. The

sound of grinding is low because of the loss of hearing. Rising early in the

morning at the sound of the birds becomes normal for sleep no longer

comes easy. The daughters of song are brought low because they are unable

to sing or because they cannot be heard.

Fears begin to take over. Verse 5 describes the fear of heights. It also

describes “terrors along the way.” With the aging process, the weakening of

the body and the loss of mental sharpness, these fears are normal. What

used to be so easy now becomes fearful.

Notice also in verse 5 the reference to the almond tree blossoms. These

blossoms were white in colour and may refer to the whitening of the hair

with age. Verse 5 also describes a grasshopper dragging itself along. What

was so full of energy and strength now can barely drag itself from one place

to another.

Verse 6 paints a picture of a snapped silver cord, a broken golden bowl, a

pitcher shattered and a wheel broken at the well. The reference to gold and

silver refers to the value of these objects. These valuable objects, however,

now have been broken. The pitcher and the wheel were used for drawing

water out of the well. They have a very specific purpose and were very

useful for those who came to the well. That usefulness, however, is

shattered and the ability of these objects to function as they once did is no

longer.

Notice eventually what happens in verse 7. The dust returns to the earth.

These bodies were made from the dust of the earth and to the dust they will

return. The soul, however, returns to God where it will remain. This is the

great hope we have in our old age. While the body may weaken and

eventually return to the earth, the soul of those who know the Lord will

enter the presence of their Saviour and God.

The Bible makes it very clear that the body in which we dwell will age and

deteriorate with age. In a sense, it is God’s way of weaning us from this

world and the attractions of this world. It is God’s way of preparing us for

something even greater. As our body declines with age, we begin to look

forward to the day when we will enter the presence of the Lord and be freed

from this sinful earth and its limitations. The aging of the body is a sign of

better things to come for those who know the Lord.

For Consideration:

What are the effects of old age on the body?

What are the challenges for the elderly as they watch their bodies break

down emotionally and physically?

How can we prepare spiritually and emotionally for the effects of old age

on the body?

What can we do to help those whose emotional and physical strength is not

what it once was?

Is it possible to become bitter and frustrated because our bodies do not

allow us to do what we would like to do? How do we deal with this before

God?

For Prayer:

Are you suffering from the physical and emotional effects of aging? Ask

God to show you how He would have you respond to these symptoms.

Ask God to forgive you for any grumbling and complaining you may have

done because of your age. Thank the Lord that while this is often a difficult

stage of life, it is all in His purpose for us. Thank Him that He is still in

control.

Do you have relatives or friends who are suffering the effects of old age?

Ask the Lord to show you how you can be a blessing to them?

3 -THE HONOUR DUE TO

THE AGED

cripture has some important things to tell us about our

responsibility to honour the aged. In fact, those who have advanced

in years, according to Scripture, are worthy of special respect. The

Law of Moses required that people stand up in the presence of the elderly:

32 You shall stand up before the gray head and honour the face

of the old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

(Leviticus 19)

Commenting on this the commentator John Gill says:

Fagius relates, that according to the tradition of the Hebrews a

young man was obligated to rise up when an ancient man was

at the distance of four cubits from him, and to sit down again as

soon as he had passed by him, that it might appear it was done

in honour of him. (Gill, John, John Gills Exposition of the

Entire Bible: “Leviticus 19:32”, Cedar Rapids: Laridian Inc.

2013)

According to Gill, Hebrew tradition required that a young man rise to a

standing position when an older man came within 6 feet or 1.8 metres of

him and only sit down again when he passed by. This was done to show

respect for his age.

We have an example of this respect for the aged in 1 Kings 2. In this

passage, Bathsheba enters the presence of King Solomon.

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on

behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed

down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought

for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. (1 Kings 2)

Solomon is the king of Israel at this point. He occupies the highest position

in the land. People who came before him would bow in respect for him and

his position. Notice, however, what takes place when his aged mother enters

his presence. Solomon “rose to meet her”. He stood up in her presence to

honour her as an old woman and his mother. Notice also that he bowed

down to her. The king of Israel, to whom all Israel would bow, now bows

down in the presence of this aged woman to honour her. Only then did

Solomon sit back down on his throne as king. Solomon, however, refused to

let his mother continue to stand in his presence. He ordered that a seat be

brought for her. This was not normal procedure for those who came into the

presence of the king. Solomon, however, respected her age and position and

so had a chair brought for her. Notice finally, where Solomon placed that

chair. Bathsheba sat on his right. By placing her on his right side, Solomon

again was giving her a place of honour. King Solomon, demonstrates every

courtesy and respect for his aged mother.

What is true of actions, is also true for words. When Timothy was a young

pastor, the apostle Paul had these words to say to him:

1 Do not rebuke an elder man but encourage him as you would

a father (1 Timothy 5)

While Paul commissioned Timothy as a pastor and Christian leader, he

challenged him to show great respect and discipline when it came to dealing

with older men. Timothy was to be careful in how he spoke to these elders

in his congregation. He was to say nothing that would show disrespect for

them and their age.

This respect for the elderly and how we speak about them or to them is

illustrated in the book of Job. Job’s friends had gathered around him and

were discussing the reason for his pain and suffering. There was a

disagreement among them over why God had stripped Job of everything he

had. Among those present that day was a younger man by the name of Elihu

who had been listening to the words of Job’s older friends. Elihu is

somewhat frustrated when the older men were not coming up with the

answer to Job’s suffering. In Job 32:6-7 he speaks:

6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

“I am young in years,

and you are aged;

therefore I was timid and afraid

to declare my opinion to you

7 I said, ‘Let days speak,

and many years teach wisdom … (Job 32)

The words of Elihu show us how he was thinking. He recognized the age of

those who spoke to Job. He was timid and afraid to declare his opinion

before such aged and wise men. He understood that their length of days had

brought them wisdom and insight. He did not want to interrupt them

because he felt that their wisdom was vastly superior to his. While Elihu

does eventually interrupt these men and speak his mind, we see the attitude

of his heart and the desire he had to listen to the wisdom of these aged men.

He was not quick to rebuke them but gave careful thought to what he was

going to say lest he showed any disrespect.

In 1 Peter 5, the apostle commanded younger people to be subject to the

elders.

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. (1

Peter 5)

The elders spoken of here are not just those who had the position of elder in

the church but also those who were of a certain age. Peter expected that the

enthusiasm of youth would be held in subjection to the wisdom of age. This

required that the old and the young work together in harmony. Enthusiasm

without wisdom can lead to great disaster. Wisdom without the enthusiasm

and strength of youth can lead to nothing being accomplished. We need

each other if we are to advance the cause of Christ.

Paul challenged the older women to teach younger women in Titus 2:3-5

when he said:

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not

slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is

good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands

and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home,

kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of

God may not be reviled. (Titus 2)

We will examine this passage again in another context but for now what is

important for us to note is that Paul is challenging the older women to use

their years of experience as wives and mothers to encourage the younger

women. This meant that younger women needed to listen to these older

women and their advice. They were to respect the God-given role of the

older women in counsel and teaching. They were to honour these women

because of their age, wisdom and experience.

How easy it would be for these younger women to say: “Times have

changed. These old grandmothers don’t really understand what we need to

do today.” Paul reminds these young wives, however, that years of

experience cannot be tossed away in an instant. These grandmothers had

much to teach them and they would do well to listen to their advice. This

required an open mind and a willingness to listen and submit to the advice

of these old women.

While there are other passages of Scripture that speak to this matter of

honouring the aged among us, what we have examined here is sufficient for

us to understand that Scripture requires that we respect those among us who

are advanced in years. This respect comes because of their many years of

service and the wisdom that has been attained by those years.

The Scriptural passages we have examined in this chapter required that

God’s people honour the elderly among them in three ways.

First, they were to honour them by standing in their presence. They were to

pay physical respect to the elderly. This physical respect can be shown in

different ways. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Have we

become lazy and disrespectful in how we treat the elderly in our midst?

Solomon, offered his mother a chair as a sign of physical respect for her,

her age and position. Whether it is rising up in the presence of the elderly or

offering a helping hand, if we are to honour the aged, it will require a

physical effort of some kind on our part.

Second, the elderly are to be honoured by the words we speak to them or

about them. Paul told Timothy not to rebuke an old man. I have been in the

presence of people who have demeaned the elderly by their words. When

they take longer than expected to get dressed or to walk somewhere, I have

heard people speak impatient words to the elderly. When their memory

begins to fade and they repeat themselves, I have seen children become

angry with their parents. Honouring the aged requires that we watch what

we say or how we speak to them or about them.

Finally, the aged are to be honoured by the way we listen to their advice and

counsel. Paul instructed the older women to teach the younger women. Age

is a vast pool of wisdom that we need to tap into. The younger women of

Paul’s day were to spend time with the older women and listen to their

advice. The younger men were to submit themselves to the counsel of the

older men.

How often have we repeated the errors of the past simply because we have

refused to listen to the people who have lived through these errors. If we are

going to show honour to the aged, we need to respect their counsel. We

need to understand that they have much wisdom and teaching to offer. Their

God-given experiences has taught them much. They have been through

what we are struggling with now and have much insight into what it takes

to come out the other side unscathed. We would do well to honour their

wisdom.

For Consideration:

Does your society show respect for the elderly? Explain.

Consider how you speak personally to the elderly people close to you? Do

your words demonstrate impatience and disrespect for their age?

Have we tapped into the wisdom of the aged among us? Has your church

benefitted from the experience and wisdom of the older members? Are we

doomed to repeat the same errors of past generations because we are not

listening to the experiences of the elderly?

Does the fact that our culture has changed mean that the wisdom of the

elderly is irrelevant today? Explain.

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to show you if there is any way that we have abandoned the

elderly among us and lack respect for them and their contribution.

Ask the Lord to show you how you can tap into the wisdom and experience

of the older people in your church.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for the years of service the elderly people

in your midst have had in your church and community. Ask God to continue

to bless them in their old age.

4 - RESPONSIBILITY

TOWARD THE AGED

n the last chapter, we saw the Biblical requirement to honour the aged.

This honouring of the elderly places us under a certain responsibility.

Scripture is clear that those who walk with the Lord must take this

responsibility seriously.

As we begin, listen to the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 71:

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

forsake me not when my strength is spent. (Psalm 71)

The prayer of the psalmist reflects a deep fear in his heart. It is the fear that

he would be forgotten and cast off in his old age. While this prayer is

directed to God, it is the fear of many who reach their final years on this

earth. In the hour of their greatest need, many of our elderly find themselves

alone and lonely. When they need support and help, there is no one to walk

with them.

While Psalm 71:9 is the prayer of an aging man, it is nonetheless a warning

to us. It is a reminder to us of the needs of the elderly in our midst and their

cry for support and encouragement. We are the hands and legs that God will

use to be the answer to the cry of the psalmist. We need to be ready and

willing for God to use us to be the answer to their prayer.

In the Old Testament book of Ruth, we have an example of a young girl

who demonstrated what it meant to care for her aging mother-in-law.

Naomi lived with her husband in the country of Moab. They had moved

there from Israel during a time of great famine in their homeland. They had

two sons. Naomi’s husband died when they were in Moab and she was left

to raise her sons by herself. Her sons grew up and married Moabite women.

Eventually, both of these sons also died and Naomi was left with only two

daughters-in-law. Unable to provide for them, she decided that her only

course of action was to return to Israel where she would live out the rest of

her days. She told her daughters-in-law to return to their families where

they would receive the support and care they needed.

One of these daughters-in-law, however, refused to leave Naomi. Ruth

chose to leave her nation and return with Naomi to Israel where she would

stay with her and care for her in her old age. Returning with Naomi to

Bethlehem, Ruth would go out into the barley fields and glean what was left

after the harvesters had finished. She would return with the barley and, in

this way, provided for her mother-in-law. Eventually, Ruth married and bore

a son to carry on the name of her husband’s family. The care of Ruth for her

mother-in-law in her old age did not go unnoticed by the inhabitants of

Bethlehem. Listen to the words of the women in the community in Ruth 4:

14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who

has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name

be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life

and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who

loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth

to him.” (Ruth 4)

The women in the community were profoundly touched by the example of

Ruth and her care for her aging mother-in-law. They spoke of her as a

daughter-in law who loved Naomi and was more to her than any son could

ever have been. Naomi was not cast off in her old age or forsaken when her

strength was failing. God gave her a daughter-in-law who cared for her and

provided for her in every way imaginable. Ruth is a wonderful example of

one who honoured her aging mother-in-law.

In Matthew 15, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for using the law to their own

benefit and abandoning their responsibility to honour their aging parents:

4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’

and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But

you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you

would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not

honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have

made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah

prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew

15)

Notice what is happening here. The Pharisee had aging parents. These

parents were dependant on him for the necessities of life. The Pharisee,

however, instead of providing for his parents, dedicates the money to God

and tells his parents that he had nothing to give them. In doing, so he

neglects his duty toward his aging parents.

What is important for us to note in this passage is the response of Jesus to

this practice. He told these Pharisees that they had made “void” the word of

God (verse 6) –in other words, they completely ignored the teaching of

Scripture and their sacred obligation toward their parents in need. He called

them hypocrites (verse 7). He reminded them of the words of Isaiah who

spoke to a people who honoured God with their lips but whose heart was

very far from God. He went as far as to say that they were teaching the

commandments of man and not the commandments of God.

This practice of devoting money to God when they had parents in need, was

not from God. God expected these religious leaders to use their resources to

care for the aged among them. The apostle James would express this

concept in these words:

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is

this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep

oneself unstained from the world. (James 1)

The faith that God requires is a practical one. It is a faith that sees the needs

around us and does what it can to minister to those needs. To give

everything to the church and ignore the needs of the elderly in your own

family is contrary to the will of God.

In 1 Timothy 5, the apostle Paul speaks to Timothy about how to care for

the widows in the church. In this chapter, he gives Timothy some important

instructions in dealing with this group of aging women in the community.

Paul begins by telling Timothy that is was the duty of every Christian

family to minister to the needs of the widows in their family:

3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has

children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness

to their own household and to make some return to their

parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. (1 Timothy 5)

Notice in verse 4 that Paul told Timothy that those households who had

widows in them were to “show godliness to their own household and make

some return to their parents”. That return was in the form of provision and

compassion in their need. To show compassion and provide for the needs of

these widows was an act of godliness that was “pleasing in the sight of

God.” It was the spiritual obligation of every Christian family to provide for

the needs of the aging widows among them. Paul would go on to tell

Timothy that those who refused to do so had denied the faith:

8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and

especially for the members of his household, he has denied the

faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5)

These are powerful words but they show us just how important this matter

is to the Lord God.

Paul would go on in 1 Timothy 5 to tell Timothy that the church also had an

obligation toward widows who were over the age of sixty.

9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of

age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a

reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has

shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared

for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. (1

Timothy 5)

It appears from 1 Timothy 5:9 that the early church had a list of widows

over sixty years of age needing support. These women were at an age where

it would not have been easy for them to provide for their own needs.

Obviously, also they were without family to care for them and so the church

took this on as a spiritual obligation. With only a certain amount of

resources available to them, the church required that these women be of

good reputation and known for their Christian life and service in the

community.

What is clear in this passage is that the church of Paul’s day had a plan in

place for the care of the aging in their body. First, they encouraged families

to care for their own. Where there were no families to care for the aging

Christian widows, the church itself would reach out to them and provide for

their needs.

What we see here in these verses is that there is a spiritual obligation placed

upon believers to care for those who are aging in their midst. The act of

caring for the aged is a godly activity that is pleasing in the sight of God. To

neglect this duty, according to Paul is to deny the faith. To deny our

responsibilities by burying ourselves in religious activities was considered

by Jesus to be hypocritical, a denial of the Word of God. The care of the

aged in our midst is an obligation placed on us by the Word of God. We

must not cast them off when they are old or forsake them when their

strength is failing.

For Consideration:

What was the fear of the Psalmist in Psalm 71:9?

How does Ruth demonstrate her care for her aging mother-in-law?

How is the care of our elderly relatives a spiritual obligation?

What did Jesus have to say to those who said that they had devoted their

time and resources to God and couldn’t care for their elderly parents and

relatives?

What plan did the early church have in place for the care of widows over 60

years of age?

What ministry does your church have for those who are elderly?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to minister to the fears of the aged among you.

Ask God to show you if there is something more He would have you to do

for aging relatives in your family. Ask Him to show you their needs.

Ask the Lord to show your church if there is a ministry it can have to the

elderly in your community.

Ask God to forgive you for times when you have not taken this

responsibility seriously.

5 -THE SIN OF

DISRESPECT

cripture is quite clear about how we are to respect and honour the

elderly in our midst. God’s people did not always follow this

teaching. There were times when they dishonoured the elderly and

took advantage of them.

In the last chapter, we examined how the Pharisees would dedicate their

money to the Lord and not use it for the care of their aging parents

(Matthew 15:4-9). Jesus told these religious leaders that by refusing to care

for their parents in the name of their religion they were making void the

Word of God. He called them hypocrites for their lack of respect to their

aging parents.

This is not the only example of disrespect shown to the aged in the Bible.

Another shocking example comes in Genesis 27.

1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could

not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My

son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Behold, I am

old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your

weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and

hunt game for me, 4 and prepare for me delicious food, such as

I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may

bless you before I die.” (Genesis 27)

Notice here that Isaac could no longer see because of his old age (verse 1).

Notice also that he knew that the day of his death was coming (verse 2). His

desire, before he died, was to bless his eldest son Esau. He asked him to go

out and hunt some game so that they could share a meal together and he

would give him his blessing before he died.

Rebekah, his wife, was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. As a

mother, however, she loved their younger son Jacob and wanted him to

receive the blessing instead of his older brother. Hearing what her husband

had to say, she contrived a plan. She told Jacob to bring her two young

goats. She prepared these goats and giving them to her son told him to bring

them to his father, pretending to be Esau, so that he would receive the

blessing instead of his elder brother.

Jacob was quite fearful of doing this and expressed his concern to his

mother:

11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother

Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my

father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and

bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother

said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my

voice, and go, bring them to me.” (Genesis 27)

What is important to note is the cause of Jacob’s fear and hesitation. He was

afraid that his father would discover his lie and curse him instead of giving

him a blessing. His fear is about being caught and not about the disrespect

toward his father in his blindness and old age.

Encouraged by his mother in this plot, Jacob covered himself with goat

skins to give the appearance of being hairy like his brother. He followed

through on the deception by lying to his father and stealing the blessing

that, by right, should have gone to his brother. Isaac did not know what had

happened until the blessing was given and his son Esau returned home with

the game he had hunted.

In this example of Genesis 27 we have the story of a wife who willingly

deceived her husband and encouraged her son to lie and steal what

belonged to his brother. We see Jacob’s disrespect for his father Isaac. He

took advantage of his father’s blindness and inability to taste his food.

Jacob would have to live with the reality of what he had done to both his

brother and his father.

We have another case of disrespect for the elderly in 1 Kings 12. In this

passage, we read the story of King Rehoboam. Under his father, Solomon,

the people of Israel felt oppressed and burdened. When Rehoboam came to

power, the people asked him to ease the burden they had been feeling under

his father Solomon. Rehoboam, asked for time to consider their suggestion.

His first response was to go to the old men in Israel to seek their counsel.

These wise old men offered their advice:

6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had

stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying,

“How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they

said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and

serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer

them, then they will be your servants forever.” (1 Kings 12)

The advice of the old and wise men of the nation was to treat the people

with kindness and compassion. They told the king that if he did so, the

people would willingly be his servants forever.

1 Kings 12:8 tells us what the response of Rehoboam was to the counsel of

these wise old men:

8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and

took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him

and stood before him. (1 Kings 12)

Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men and chose to consult his

young friends instead. These friends advised Rehoboam to be strict and

hard on the people, putting them in their place. Rehoboam chose to follow

the advice of his friends and informed the people that life under his reign

would be even more burdensome than under his father.

The result of this declaration was that all the tribes, except for Judah,

abandoned Rehoboam. They chose their own king and set up a separate

nation to the north. The newly formed nation of Israel would wander from

the Lord and abandon His ways. In showing no respect for the wisdom of

these old men, Rehoboam divided his nation and set brother against brother

for years to come. Again, this is a decision he would have to live with for

the rest of his reign.

In Lamentations 5, the prophet Jeremiah describes the great devastation that

had come to the land because of the sins of God’s people:

11 Women are raped in Zion,

young women in the towns of Judah.

12 Princes are hung up by their hands;

no respect is shown to the elders.

13 Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,

and boys stagger under loads of wood.

14 The old men have left the city gate,

the young men their music.

15 The joy of our hearts has ceased;

our dancing has been turned to mourning. (Lamentations 5)

As Jeremiah examines the condition of the nation under the judgement of

God, he grieves over many things. Their women had been raped, their

leaders were hung, their young men were reduced to slavery, their elders

were shown no respect and the old men had left the city gate where they

would offer wise counsel to the people of the city.

What is particularly striking in this list of grievances is the inclusion of the

elders and old men. Showing no respect to the elders is in the same list as

women being raped. The disappearance of the wise counsel of the old men

is noted alongside of the reducing of Israel to slavery. For the prophet

Jeremiah, the disrespect shown to the elderly in the capture of Israel was a

horrendous sin on a par with the raping and enslaving of Israel’s young men

and women.

The prophet Isaiah speaks about the judgement of Judah and the city of

Jerusalem because of their sins in Isaiah 5. In that day, the Lord would

withdraw His blessing from them and they would be left on their own. The

result would be great devastation and confusion in the land. Isaiah describes

this devastation as follows:

1 For behold, the Lord God of hosts

is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah

support and supply,

all support of bread,

and all support of water;

2 the mighty man and the soldier,

the judge and the prophet,

the diviner and the elder,

3 the captain of fifty

and the man of rank,

the counselor and the skillful magician

and the expert in charms.

4 And I will make boys their princes,

and infants shall rule over them.

5 And the people will oppress one another,

every one his fellow

and every one his neighbor;

the youth will be insolent to the elder,

and the despised to the honorable. (Isaiah 5)

The result of God withdrawing His blessing would be devastating to the

nation. The supply of food and water would be cut off leaving the

inhabitants of Jerusalem to starve (verse 1). The military would be without

strength, leaving the people defenceless against their enemy (verse 2a). The

leadership of the nation also would be removed, leaving the people in total

confusion (verses 2-4). The result would be total lawlessness as people

oppressed each other (verse 5a). Notice also in verse 5 that the “youth will

be insolent to the elder.”

Again, it is important that we note that this reference to the disrespect to the

elderly is included in a list of terrible events that would take place in the

nation. Insolence to the aged is included with the starvation of the people of

Jerusalem and the defencelessness of the nation against her enemies. This

cannot go unnoticed. This shows us just how serious a sin this matter of

disrespect for the elderly was in the eyes of the Lord.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Do we have the same heart as

the prophets of old when it comes to the elderly in our society? Do we

understand the heart of God toward those who are in their final years? To

honour them is to honour their Creator. To dishonour them is to be guilty of

very serious sin.

For Consideration:

How does Jacob show disrespect to his father in his old age? Have you ever

taken advantage of an elderly person? Explain.

Does your society or church respect the wisdom of the elderly or are the

elderly seen as being out of touch and old fashioned? How important is it

that we not fall into the sin of Rehoboam?

Are the elderly in your church and society given the honour they deserve or

have they been forgotten? How can your church bless the elderly?

How serious is the disrespect of the elderly according to Scripture?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to help you to be a blessing to the elderly in your community?

Take a moment to consider the contribution of the elderly in your church

and society over the course of their lives. Thank the Lord for them and their

contribution.

Ask the Lord to forgive you for the times when you have become critical

and impatient with the elderly in your church, society and family. Ask God

to give you grace to be more respectful of them at this time in their lives.

6 -THE BLESSING OF GOD

ON THE AGED

n the last few chapters we have seen how Scripture reminds us of the

honour due to the aged and elderly among us. Disrespect for the

elderly is listed among the most terrible evils of any society. As we

continue to examine this important teaching, I would like to take a moment

to consider the promises of God to, and His dealings with the aged.

In the last chapter, we touched on the concern of the Psalmist in Psalm 71

when he prayed:

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age, forsake me not when

my strength is spent. (Psalm 71)

The psalmist experienced a measure of anxiety as he considered getting old.

As his body aged and his strength abated, his concern was that the Lord not

forsake him at this vulnerable time in his life. God understands these

concerns. Scripture reminds us that God will not abandon us in our old age.

In Deuteronomy 34:7 we read about Moses:

7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was

undimmed and his vigour unabated. (Deuteronomy 34)

From the age of eighty, Moses led his people through the wilderness. For

forty years, the strength of the Lord was with him, enabling him to

accomplish all that he had been called to do.

What was true for Moses was also true for Caleb. After the land of Canaan

had been conquered and portions were being allotted to the various tribes

and families, Caleb approached Joshua to speak to him about his portion.

Listen to his words in Joshua 14:

9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on

which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and

your children forever, because you have wholly followed the

Lord my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive,

just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the

Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the

wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years

old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses

sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war

and for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country

of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day

how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be

that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as

the Lord said.” (Joshua 14)

Caleb understood that God had a purpose for him. He was giving him a land

as an inheritance for him and his children. That land was filled with

fortified cities and enemies who would keep it from them. Caleb

approached Joshua, as the leader of the nation to ask permission to obtain

the land the Lord God had promised him. Though Caleb was 85 years of

age, he told Joshua that he was still as strong as in the days of his youth. He

knew that he had not yet seen the fulfilment of God’s promise. There was a

land to be conquered for his family. While this may likely have been his

final great conquest, Caleb, as an old man, was going to use the strength the

Lord provided to see the fulfilment of God’s purpose for his family.

Speaking to Naomi, in the book of Ruth the women of her day said:

14 … Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without

a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He

shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old

age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you is more to you

than seven sons, has given birth to him. (Ruth 4)

In her old age, Naomi was left without a husband or sons to carry on the

name of her family. The line of her family would have died with her. God,

however, had a purpose for Naomi. He had a plan to bring the promised

Messiah through her line. When all looked very bleak and hopeless, the

Lord moved in her life in a wonderful way. He gave her a daughter-in-law

to carry on her family line. The women of Naomi’s day saw what had

happened and spoke the words quoted above. Notice particularly how they

spoke about God being a restorer of life and a nourisher of her old age

through the child that was born to her family. In her old age, God restored

her hope and gave her renewed life and courage. He did not leave her, but

reached out to her in a very special way. In those days, Naomi would hold

on her knee a child who would carry on her name and the name of her

family. When all seemed hopeless, strength and hope was renewed in her

old age.

The strength of God is available to accomplish the purpose of God. The

strength to accomplish the purpose of God is not available to youth only.

Moses, Caleb and Naomi were strengthened in their old age to accomplish

the will of God.

Not only do we see the Lord God giving strength in old age but He also

pours out His blessing on the elderly. Consider what the writer of Genesis

says about Abraham in Genesis 24:

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord

had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24)

Notice that even through Abraham was well advanced in years, the Lord

had blessed him. In his old age, he bathed in the richness of God’s blessing

on his life. He looked over his life and saw the tremendous richness of God.

As he looked around him, in his final years of life, he saw the children God

had provided according to His promise. He saw the abundance the Lord

God had given him. I am sure that his heart was overwhelmed as he

contemplated these things. He would go to his grave experiencing the

fulness of God’s blessing on his life.

In his time of trial, Job’s friends came to comfort him. While they had their

various opinions as to why Job was suffering, the words of Eliphaz are

nonetheless important for us to consider in this context:

24 You shall know that your tent is at peace,

and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.

25 You shall know also that your offspring shall be many,

and your descendants as the grass of the earth.

26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age,

like a sheaf gathered up in its season. (Job 5)

The expectation of Eliphaz was that the blessing of God would be on the

aged. He expected that the Lord God would bless the elderly who loved

Him with offspring and they would be gathered up like a sheaf in its season.

Like the grains that were harvested in the field, their lives would be a

blessing to many. They would be harvested at the time when they were ripe

with fruit. They would die knowing the rich blessing of the Lord in their

lives. While that blessing may differ from person to person, surely those

who know the Lord can lay down their lives in their old age conscious of

the fullness of God’s provision despite the obstacles that have often been

strewn on their path.

The prophet Isaiah shares a great promise of God to the aged.

3 “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb;

4 even to your old age I am he,

and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save. (Isaiah 46)

Through Isaiah the prophet, the Lord reminded His people that He was the

one who had given birth to them as a nation. He had brought them out of

the womb. He would not abandon them in their old age. He would carry

them when their hairs were grey. He who made them, would bring them to

safety. God does not just provide for those who are at the height of

productivity but also for those whose productive years have waned. His

compassion for us does not diminish when we are weakened by our age. He

who created us in our mother’s womb and delivered us safely into this

world, will carry us safely into His presence when our life on this earth has

ended.

What is important for us to see here is that God’s eye is on the aged. He

strengthens, blesses, provides for them in their final years of this life. He

carries them when they are unable to find the strength themselves. His

compassion for them does not diminish when they are frail. God watches

over those who love Him. In their final years, they will know His presence

just as they did in their younger years

By seeing how God treats the elderly, we gain a better perspective of what

He expects of us. He does not ask us to do anything that He, Himself is not

already doing.

For Consideration:

Is God’s devotion only to those who are productive? Does his love for us

diminish when we can no longer be as productive as we once were?

Old age is a time when we especially need the strength of the Lord. We

have seen in this chapter, how God strengthened Moses, Caleb and Ruth.

How has the Lord strengthened you?

What are the blessings God has given you over the course of life? Take a

moment to consider some of the richness of God’s blessings on your life.

Do you know someone whose body has been breaking down but who has

demonstrated thankfulness to God for His blessings?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord that even when we are not able to be a useful as we would

like to be, His love for us does not diminish. Thank Him that He loves us

more than all the things we do for Him.

Take a moment to pray for God to strengthen and encourage the elderly in

your church or society. Ask Him to give them strength to face the trials of

getting older. Ask Him to help them to know His presence in a special way

as their body grows weaker.

Thank the Lord for the richness of His blessings in your life. Ask the Lord

to open your eyes to the things He is doing. Ask Him to keep you from

becoming blind to these blessings amid your struggles.

7 - SERVICE IN OLD AGE

enerally speaking, the body weakens with old age. We are not

able to do the things we once did. This does not mean, however,

that the elderly are unable to serve the Lord. There are many

examples of men and women who were mightily used of God in their final

years of life.

As we consider this topic of service in old age, I would like to begin with a

passage we have already examined in another context. We read in Numbers

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the

duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their

brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall

do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning

their duties.” (Numbers 8)

In Numbers 8, we have the law of God for the Levites who had reached the

age of 50 years. The Law of God required that they withdraw from the

“duty of the service and serve no more” (verse 25). The passage goes on,

however, to say that they were to “minister to their brothers in the tent of

meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service” (verse 26). The key

to understanding this passage comes in our understanding of the word

“service”. It appears that service referred to the heavy work of transporting

the tent from place to place in the wilderness. Whenever the people moved

the tabernacle, all its heavy curtains and poles were disassembled and

carried to the next location. This was a responsibility that required strength

and hard labour. God was giving the men of fifty and above a relief from

this heavy responsibility. This was to be handled by the younger men.

While the heavy responsibility of disassembling the tabernacle, and

carrying it from place to place was taken from the Levites of fifty years and

older, they were still involved in the ministry. Numbers 8:26 tells us that

they were to minister to their brothers and keep guard at the tabernacle.

They were to oversee the work that went on in the tabernacle. Though not

as physically demanding, this was a position of even greater responsibility

for these older men.

We read of Sarah and Abraham who bore a son in their old age. Abraham

was 100 years old and his wife was 90 years of age when she gave birth to

their son Isaac (see Genesis 17:17). God gave them strength in their old age

to bear a child and to raise him to carry on their name.

In the last chapter, we spoke of Caleb, who, at the age of 85, was

empowered by the Spirit of God to wage war against his enemies and

conquer a territory that he would pass on to his descendants (see Joshua

14:10-12). In a similar way, Moses (age 80) and his brother (age 83) were

chosen and empowered by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery and into

a land of their own (see Exodus 7:7).

While the above examples required the strength of the Lord in aging bodies,

there are also other ways the Lord uses us in our later years. Listen to what

2 Samuel 19 tells us about Barzillai the Gileadite:

32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had

provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for

he was a very wealthy man. (2 Samuel 19)

As a “very aged man” of eighty years, Barzillai provided food for king

David when he was in flight from his son Absalom. When he returned to

Jerusalem, David wanted to reward Barzillai for his generosity (2 Samuel

19:33-40). Obviously, this act of compassion ministered very powerfully to

the king in these days of exile and flight.

A similar event took place in Judges 19. Here we have the story of a Levite

who was on his way to Bethlehem with his concubine. Unwilling to stop in

the land of foreigners, he pressed hard to get to Gibeah where he expected

to be offered hospitality from his own people. Arriving in the city, he

waited in the town square searching for someone to give him a place to stay.

14 So they passed on and went their way. And the sun went

down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, 15 and

they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah.

And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for

no one took them into his house to spend the night.

16 And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the

field at evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim,

and he was sojourning in Gibeah. The men of the place were

Benjaminites. 17 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveller

in the open square of the city. And the old man said, “Where

are you going? And where do you come from?” 18 And he said

to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote

parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from which I come. I went

to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of the Lord,

but no one has taken me into his house. 19 We have straw and

feed for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your

female servant and the young man with your servants. There is

no lack of anything.” 20 And the old man said, “Peace be to

you; I will care for all your wants. Only, do not spend the night

in the square.” 21 So he brought him into his house and gave

the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and

drank. (Judges 19)

In his time of need, this Levite found the support of an old man. This old

man took them in and cared for them. He fed their donkey, gave them food

to eat and washed their feet. This old man alone was God instrument of

compassion to strangers in his town.

The experience and wisdom that comes with old age is also a very

important tool in the hands of the Lord. In Job 12:12 we read:

12 Wisdom is with the aged,

and understanding in length of days (Job 12)

We have seen how failure to recognize this wisdom caused the nations of

Israel and Judah to separate under the reign of Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

Had Rehoboam listened to the wisdom of his father’s old advisers, things

may have turned out very differently for him. Listening to the foolish

counsel of his young friends, however, was devastating for the king and his

nation. There is a vast resource of wisdom and experience in the elderly

among us. We would do well to tap into this resource.

The psalmist understood something of the significance of the wisdom and

experience that comes with age when he wrote:

18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake

me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your

power to those to come. (Psalm 71)

Notice the prayer of the psalmist. He wanted to have the ability in his old

age to proclaim God’s mighty power to the next generation. After years of

walking with his God, the psalmist wanted the next generation to

understand the power and wonders he had seen. He sensed that it was his

obligation to share his experiences with the next generation so that they too

would walk with God and come to know Him and His wonderful deeds.

Who can share the wonders of God like those who have experienced Him

over years of trials and blessing? The psalmist pleaded with God for grace

to proclaim the greatness of his God to the next generation. Surely, this is a

tremendous obligation and ministry for us in our final years of life. God

calls us to proclaim His worth to those who will follow behind us.

In the gospel of Luke, we read about the prophetess Anna.

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel,

of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived

with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not

depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer

night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to

give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting

for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2)

Consider the wonderful ministry of Anna. She was a widow of 84 years of

age. She spent her final days in the temple worshiping and praying night

and day. From Luke 2:38 we see that she also spoke of the Lord to all who

were waiting for the Messiah to come. She spent her last years in full-time

prayer, worship and sharing the hope of the Messiah to come.

As we age and retire from our occupations, the temptation is to sit back and

“enjoy life.” There is certainly a place for this but we see in the aging

psalmist and in Anna, individuals who felt a call to prayer, worship and

declaring the goodness of the Lord in their final years.

Giving instructions to Timothy about widows, the apostle Paul said this:

9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of

age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a

reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has

shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared

for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11

But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions

draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so

incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. (1

Timothy 5)

In this passage, Paul tells Timothy to enrol women of sixty years and older

in the register of the church to receive support. These women were to have

certain qualifications before being enrolled. Paul lists the qualifications for

these widows in verses 9-10. The reason it was important that these enrolled

widows had these qualifications was because they were being supported by

the church and expected to serve as ministers of the church. They were

given responsibilities of caring for the afflicted, ministering to the saints

and expected to be involved in “every good work” (verse 10). The reason

the younger women were not to be enrolled was because they were still able

to be married and have a family. The temptation for them was to abandon

their ministry at the church in favour of being married and having a family.

Paul wanted to spare them of this temptation.

What is important for us to see here is that the widows of 60 years and older

were enrolled as servants of the church and received support from the

church for their ministry. These widows were busy in Christian duty and

were likely a very important part of the work of the early church.

Let me conclude this chapter with the words of the psalmist in Psalm 92:

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

15 to declare that the Lord is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm

92)

Notice that the psalmist tells us that the righteous will “still bear fruit in old

age” and they will “declare that the Lord is upright.” It is true that our

ministry may change in old age but by the grace of God we can still bear

fruit and declare His goodness. The challenge of these verses is for us to

realize that we do not ever really retire from serving the Lord. We have,

even in our old age, an obligation and privilege to serve Him.

For Consideration:

What role were the Levites to play after the age of fifty?

Take a moment to consider the role of the elderly in your church and

society? What responsibilities have they taken on.

In this chapter, we have examined a number of elderly people. Make a list

of the various ministries they had in their old age.

The psalmist wanted to proclaim the might and power of God to the next

generation. How has God revealed this might and power in your life? Have

you been able to encourage the next generation with the truth of this power

of God?

For Prayer:

Thank the Lord for the wisdom that comes with a long life. Ask Him to

give you the opportunity to share that experience and wisdom with those

who follow you.

Ask the Lord for the ability to share His power and blessing with the next

generation. Thank Him that you have the ability to impact this next

generation.

Do you wonder what God has for you to do? Ask God to open your mind to

see the opportunities He places before you.

Take a moment to pray that your life would declare the goodness, grace and

power of God to the next generation.

8 - THE TEMPTATIONS OF

OLD AGE

n this final chapter, I would like to consider a series of verses in

Scripture that address the temptations of old age. What these verses

show us is that we cannot ever let down our guard. The battle for

righteousness will continue until we are in the presence of the Lord.

As we begin, I would like to consider two aging mothers of the Old

Testament. We have already examined them in other chapters in a different

context so I will not go into detail about them here.

MISUSE OF AUTHORITY AND POSITION

The first mother I want to look at is Rebekah. In his old age, Isaac, her

husband was blind. It was his desire to bless his eldest son Esau. Rebekah,

however, loved her younger son Jacob more than Esau and wanted him to

be blessed in the place of his brother. In Genesis 27, we read how she came

up with a plan to deceive her husband. She told her son Jacob to disguise

himself as his brother and receive the blessing. When Jacob questioned this

for fear of being discovered, Rebekah answered:

13 … “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice…

(Genesis 27)

Using her influence as an aging mother, she demanded that her son listen to

her and obey what she had told him to do.

We have a similar incident in the life of Bathsheba, the wife of David. As

David approached the time of his death, a young woman by the name of

Abishag was added to his harem to minister to his needs. During this time,

David’s son Adonijah, realizing that his father was close to the time of his

death, decided to declare himself king. When David found out about this, he

declared Solomon to be the rightful heir to the throne.

When David died, Adonijah approached Bathsheba with a request. He

wanted her to go to her son Solomon and ask that he give him Abishag, as

his wife. While this may seem to be an innocent request, there was

something very deceitful behind the plan. Commenting on this the NIV

Bible Study notes say:

Possession of the royal harem was widely regarded as

signifying the right to succession to the throne. Although

Abishag was a virgin, she would be regarded by the people as

belonging to David’s harem; so marriage to Abishag would

greatly strengthen Adonijah’s claim to the throne. (NIV Bible

Study: Laridian: Cedar Rapids, “Comments on 1 Kings 2:22)

Adonijah wanted to use the influence of Bathsheba to convince Solomon to

give him Abishag. In doing so he is communicating that he was the rightful

heir to the throne and not Solomon. Bathsheba willingly goes to Solomon

with this request.

What we need to understand here is that with great authority comes great

responsibility. These two aging women used their position for evil. God

requires respect for the aged in our midst. That respect, however, cannot be

taken for granted. As we age, we must continue to surrender our desires and

ambitions to the Lord. We must seek His purpose and will even when that it

not what we want.

LACK OF FAITH IN WHAT GOD CAN DO

Another temptation of the aged is that of having a lack of faith in what God

can still do. Consider the sin of Sarah in Genesis 18:12. When she heard the

announcement that she was going to have a child in her old age she laughed

and said:

12 … “After I am worn out, and my Lord is old, shall I have

this pleasure?” (Genesis 18)

Sarah saw herself as a worn out old woman. She could not imagine that the

Lord would still have a purpose for her. At her age, she felt that God had

done all He could do with her. She could not believe that God would give

her a child and strengthen her to raise that child in her nineties.

How easy it is, as our bodies and mental sharpness decline, to feel like

Sarah. We fail to dream of what God can still do through us. Our prayers,

are like those of Moses in Exodus 4:13 when he said: “Oh my Lord, please

send someone else.” We feel worn out and cannot imagine having the

energy or drive to embark on any more spiritual adventures. We content

ourselves with where we are and our prayers are more for God to use other

people. Our faith will just not permit us to believe that God can still use us.

This lack of faith, can cause us to sit back rather than stepping out into the

purpose of God.

STEPPING BACK –NOT TAKING A STAND

In 1 Samuel 3:13 we read these words of God about Eli the priest:

13 And I declared to him that I am about to punish his house

forever, for the iniquity he knew, because his sons were

blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. (1 Samuel 3)

Eli was an old man and his sons were priests. His sons, however, were

disregarding the law of God and engaged in immoral practices. Eli knew

what was happening but did nothing to stop his sons from practicing such

evil. These sons were grown up and able to make their own decisions. Eli

was old and for some reason chose to leave his sons alone. Maybe he was

not ready to face the conflict that confronting them would bring. We are not

sure why Eli, in his old age, did not intervene but his actions are not

uncommon.

It is easy for us to say nothing, especially as we age. We don’t feel like we

have the right to speak out about the situations we find around us. We feel

out of touch with the newer generation and don’t feel that they would want

our advice or intrusion into their affairs. We feel like we lived in another

time and another kind of world. We hesitate to criticize or challenge the

upcoming generation. God expected Eli to speak out and do something

about the evil his sons were practising. He expected that he use his years of

experience and wisdom to challenge the next generation and remind them

of their obligations. Eli’s sin was the sin of not taking a stand –he did

nothing while the name of God was being blasphemed.

DISCONTENTMENT

The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes tell us:

3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so

that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied

with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a

stillborn child is better off than he. (Ecclesiastes 6)

Notice what the writer says here. He describes a man who has had many

children (a sign of the Lord’s blessing). This man lives many years to an old

age but his soul is not satisfied with the good things God has given. It

would be better that this man was not born says Ecclesiastes 6:3. To live

many years without being satisfied in the blessings of the Lord is a tragedy.

As we age and things begin to become more difficult, it is easy to forget the

blessings of the years. How easy it is to focus on the hardships and not the

goodness of God. When our children have moved away and are now

occupied with their own families and our partner has died leaving us alone,

how easy it is to dwell on our misery. When our body simply will not do

what we want it to do and we are dependent on others to help, we often fail

to remember the many years of blessing and the faithfulness of our God.

What a tragedy it is to end a life richly blessed by God with a bitter spirit

because our later years are difficult.

The challenge for us in our final years is to remember our Creator and the

richness of His blessings in this life and in the life to come. Even in our old

age, we have much for which we need to be thankful. We have seen the

hand of God in our lives. We have experienced His faithfulness. As we

prepare to meet Him face to face, let us do so with a heart full of gratitude.

Let us resist the bitterness and discontent that tempts us when our strength

fails.

THE OLD WAYS

Ezra 3 speaks of a time when the temple of God was being rebuilt after the

nation of Israel returned from exile. These were incredible days for the

people. God was restoring His blessings. Many of those present had never

worshipped at a temple. They had spent all their lives in exile. As the

temple foundations were being laid there was a mixture of feelings in the

crowd that gathered to witness this historic moment. Listen to how Ezra

describes this moment:

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of

the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with

trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to

praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of

Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving

thanks to the Lord,

“For he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”

And all the people shouted with a great shout when they

praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the

Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and

heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house,

wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this

house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that

the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout

from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted

with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3)

When the foundations were laid, there was a great shout of praise to the

Lord. Among those present, however, were old men who had seen the

former temple. The response of these men was quite different: they “wept

with a loud voice”. Why would these men weep? Some may see here tears

of joy but Haggai seems to shed a different light on this. Writing to the

people about this new temple he says:

3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former

glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your

eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be

strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong,

all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am

with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the

covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My

Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord

of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the

heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will

shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come

in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of

hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the

former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give

peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’” (Haggai 2)

The prophet Haggai speaks to those who had seen the former temple of

Solomon with all its silver and gold (verse 3, 8). Those old enough to see

the glorious temple of Solomon saw this temple as being inferior to what

they had in the past—it was as nothing in their eyes (verse 3). Haggai,

however, reminds these old men that the Lord would descend on this temple

in power and glory. He did not need the silver and gold that was in

Solomon’s temple—all this belonged to Him anyway (verse 8). God

promised that although this temple looked like nothing in their eyes, the

glory of this temple would be “greater than the former” (verse 9).

Notice what is happening here. The older generation was not happy with the

changes that they saw in the temple. They looked back to former times

when things were different. They remembered the gold and silver that lined

the walls of Solomon’s temple and when they saw what was available to

them now, it just wasn’t the same. They wept thinking about how things

were in the past. God reminded them that He was still working in the lives

of His people. The people of this next generation would worship in a very

different temple but His glory would fill it just as He had in the past.

It is not easy to adjust to change at any age. In this case, however, we see

the struggle of the older men to adjust to worshipping in a building that

seemed inferior to what they had in the past. In our day, we have seen

tremendous changes. The upcoming generation responds to a different kind

of music. They are not as content to maintain traditions. In an age of

technology, many of them bring their cell phones to church instead of a

Bible because their Bible is an electronic Bible. Sometimes these changes

can be overwhelming for those who have grown up in another tradition.

God, however, is still at work. He is building His kingdom. Haggai

challenged the old men of his day to realise that although what they saw

before them was very different from what they had experienced, God was

still advancing His kingdom and would reveal His glory in a wonderful

way.

PERSEVERANCE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

In Titus 2 the apostle Paul has some things to say to Titus about the elderly

in his church:

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled,

sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women

likewise are to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers or

slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so

train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to

be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive

to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

(Titus 2)

Paul speaks to Titus about older men and older women in these verses. He

challenges the men to be steadfast in faith and love and to be dignified and

self-controlled in their thoughts and actions. He challenges the older women

to be respectful in their behaviour and not become guilty of slander or of

drinking too much wine. Instead they were to encourage the younger

women by their example and teaching.

In the town where I live, I sometimes go into a coffee shop. These coffee

shops are often filled with older men and women. While this is a great

opportunity to be with friends, sometimes they become places of gossip and

slander and jokes that were better left unspoken. Old age is not a time to let

our guard down. The apostle Paul reminds the old men and women of his

day to persevere in the spiritual battle that rages before them. The shield of

righteousness must be carried with us to our dying day. The enemy will

continually seek out our weakness. As we age, we can be sure that he will

do his best to distract us and take us down the wrong path. We will wage

this war of righteousness until our last breath.

The wisdom and experience of age places us under a greater obligation to

God. The increasing weakness of our bodies and minds will require even

more faith in what God can do through us. We will be tempted to stand back

and let the younger generation do things or we will struggle with

discouragement as we watch everything we knew change before our eyes

Old age brings new temptations and struggles. This means that we will have

to dig deeper into God’s Word. It means we will have to rely more fully on

our Creator. Old age ought to draw us even closer to God. It ought to make

us more dependent on Him. It is the final stage of our Christian life before

entering the presence of the Lord. What a shame it would be, after living a

victorious life, we would fall short so near the finishing line.

For Consideration:

How did Rebekah misuse her authority and lead her son into error? What

kind of example did she give to him?

How did Sarah show a lack of faith in what God could do for her in her old

age? Do you still see the unlimited power of God available to you?

What role does the older generation have in correcting and challenging the

newer generation? What is the difference between challenging the next

generation to righteousness and godliness and wanting things to be the

same.

How easy is it to become discontent when life in general becomes more

difficult? Are you able to see the Lord in your struggles?

What are the challenges of old age? How should these challenges drive us

more and more to the Lord?

For Prayer:

Ask the Lord to help you to be a good and godly example to the next

generation.

Ask God to give you a faith that will not let go, even when your body and

mind are not as strong as they used to be. Thank the Lord that while we

may not have the strength we once had, His strength is unlimited.

Ask God to help you to see the richness of His blessings even when things

don’t seem to be going as well for you.

What are your temptations as your body ages? Take a moment to ask that

the Lord give you grace to accept what is happening and the ability to

commit these things to Him with joy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Light To My Path Book Distribution

Light To My Path Book Distribution (LTMP) is a

book writing and distribution ministry reaching

out to needy Christian workers in Asia, Latin

America, and Africa. Many Christian workers in

developing countries do not have the resources

necessary to obtain Bible training or purchase

Bible study materials for their ministries and

personal encouragement.

F. Wayne Mac Leod is a member of Action

International Ministries and has been writing

these books with a goal to distribute them freely or at cost price to needy

pastors and Christian workers around the world. These books are being

used in preaching, teaching, evangelism and encouragement of local

believers in over sixty countries. Books have now been translated into a

number of languages. The goal is to make them available to as many

believers as possible.

The ministry of LTMP is a faith based ministry and we trust the Lord for

the resources necessary to distribute the books for the encouragement and

strengthening of believers around the world. Would you pray that the Lord

would open doors for the translation and further distribution of these books?

For more information about Light To My Path Book Distribution visit our

website at www.lighttomypath.ca