Old Age
1. THE BLESSINGS OF OLD AGE:
A. Old age has its own special beauty & glory:
Pro.16:31 – The hoary (grey) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness
Pro.20:29b – The beauty of old men is the grey head
B. God’s Word says that the elderly should be honoured & respected:
Lev.19:32 – Thou shalt rise up [in respect] before the hoary head, & honour the face of the old man
Job 32:4,6 – Elihu had waited till Job [& the others] had spoken, because they were elder than he
Pro.23:22 – Hearken unto thy father…& despise not (respect) thy mother when she is old
C. The passing of years usually brings wisdom:
Job 12:12 – With the ancient is wisdom; & in length of days understanding
Job 32:7 – Days should speak, & multitude of years…teach wisdom
1Ki.12:1-16 – [King Rehoboam's folly in not following the wise advice of the old men]
D. Long years of trusting the Lord brings assurance:
Psa.37:25 – I have been young, & now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken
E. We shouldn’t be sad about old age:
Eccl.11:10 – Remove sorrow from thy heart…for childhood & youth are vanity
2. GOD’S SPECIAL HELP IN OUR OLD AGE:
Isa.46:4 – Even to your old age I am He; & even to hoar hairs will I carry you…& will deliver you
(See also Psa.71:8,9,17,18)
3. DESIRING LONG LIFE:
A. Before the flood, men lived to very great ages:
(See Gen.5:1-32; 7:11; 9:28,29.)
B. After the flood, lifespans began to shorten:
(See Gen.11:10-32; 25:7,8,17; 35:28; 47:8,9; Deut.34:7a; Josh.24:29.)
C. Today’s average lifespan:
Psa.90:10 – The days of our years are (seventy); & if by reason of strength they be (eighty) years
D. Old age a blessing for a righteous life:
2Chr.24:15 – [Godly Jehoidah lived to 130 years of age, at a time when most men only lived to be 70]
Gen.15:15 – Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace…in good old age
Gen.25:8 – Abraham…died in a good old age…full of years
Deut.34:7 – Moses was an 120 years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated
1Chr.29:28 – He died in a good old age, full of days, riches, & honour
Job 5:26 – Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a (sheave of grain is gathered) in his season
Psa.91:14,16 – He hath set his love on Me…with long life will I satisfy him
Isa.65:22 – As the days of a tree are the days of My people, & Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands
Zech.8:3,4 – There shall yet [be] old men & old women…every man with his staff in his hand for very age
E. How to obtain the blessing of longevity:
Deut.5:33 – Walk in all the ways which the Lord…commanded you, that ye may live…prolong your days
Deut.30:20 – Love the Lord thy God…obey His voice…for He is thy life, & the length of thy days
Psa.34:12-14 – What man…desireth life, & loveth many days? Keep thy tongue from evil & guile…do good; seek peace
Pro.3:1,2 – Let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, & long life…shall they add to thee
Pro.9:10,11 – For by Me (wisdom) thy days shall be multiplied, & the years of thy life shall be increased
Pro.10:27 – The fear of the Lord prolongeth days
(See also Pro.3:13,16a; 4:7,10; 9:10,11; 1Pet.3:10,11; Exo.20:12.)
F. Praying for more time to live & serve the Lord:
2Ki.20:1-7 – [God revived ailing King Hezekiah & gave him 15 more years to live]
Psa.71:18 – Forsake me not; until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation, &…to everyone that is to come
G. Keeping up the will to live to help others:
Phi.1:23-25 – Having a desire to depart, & to be with Christ…[but] to abide in the flesh is more needful for you
H. God sometimes revealed to men their time of departing:
Psa.39:4 – Lord, make me to know…the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am
Psa.90:12 – Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom
Lk.2:26 – It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen…Christ
2Tim.4:6,7 – I am now ready…the time of my departure is at hand
2Pet.1:14 – Shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me
2Ki.2:3 – Knowest thou that the Lord will take (Elijah) away today?
I. They often gave parting instructions to their family:
Gen.49:1,33 – [Dying Jacob called his sons & gave them instructions, & when finished, "gave up the ghost"]
(See also Gen.50:22-26; 1Ki.2:1-3,10.)
J. The futility of worrying that our time has come:
Gen.27:1-4 – [Aged Isaac thought he was about to die, but lived many more years & died when 180 Gen.35:28,29]
1Sam.27:1 – [David despaired:] I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul [but lived over 40 years more]
(See also Heb.2:15)
K. Trusting God to keep you alive until His appointed time:
Job 7:1 – Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth?
Psa.31:15a – My times are in Thy hand
Psa.48:14 – God…is our guide even unto death
L. Sometimes not living to old age is a greater blessing:
Gen.5:23,24 – [Enoch lived only 1/3rd the lifespan of his day; God took him because he pleased Him See also Heb.11:5]
Isa.57:1 – Merciful men are taken away…the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (See also 1Ki.14:12,13)
4. GOD CAN MIGHTILY USE AGED BELIEVERS:
A. Promises of fruitfulness:
Psa.92:13,14 – They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be (fresh) & flourishing
B. Material ministering & good deeds:
2Sam.19:32-35 – [Barzillai, 80 years old, helped support King David in his time of great need See also 2Sam.17:27-29]
C. Spiritual ministries:
Exo.7:7 – [Moses was 80 years old when he led the Exodus]
Joel 2:28 – I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; &…your old men shall dream dreams (See also Acts 2:16,17)
Dan.9:1; 10:1 – [Daniel received two of his greatest revelations between the ages of 85 and 90]
Rev.1:1,9 – [The apostle John received the Book of Revelation in exile on Patmos, in his 80's or 90's]
D. Some conditions to being used of God:
Tit.2:2,3 – Aged men be sober, (reverent), temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience [that they may teach]
E. The ministry of prayer:
1Sam.12:1,2,16,19 – [Samuel, aged & grey-headed, prayed & the Lord performed a miracle to punish the errant Israelites]
Lk.2:36,37 – Anna, a prophetess…of about (84 years old), served God with fastings & prayers night & day
1Tim.5:5,9 – [Prayer, a special ministry for women over 60]
F. Witnessing:
Lk.2:36-38 – [Anna, 84 years old, witnessed to others about Jesus]
Phlm.9-11,16 – Paul the aged [led Onesimus to receive Jesus]
Acts 28:30,31 – [Paul witnessed to all those who came to visit him]
(See also 2Tim.1:5; 3:15 – Witnessing to our children & grandchildren)
G. God can use those who think they are too old:
Gen.18:10-14; 21:1,2 – [Sarah, at 90, laughs & doubts she can have a child] (See also Gen.17:15-17; Lk.1:36.)
H. God sometimes doesn’t really use us until we’re older & wiser:
Acts 7:23-34 – [Moses tried to start his life's work at 40, but was not really ready for it until he was 80]
I. Keep faithfully serving Jesus till our parting day:
2Pet.1:12-15 – I think it meet, as long as I am in this (body), to stir you up [& establish you in the truth]
J. Steadfastly enduring adversity in old age:
Phlm.9,10 – Paul the aged, & now also a prisoner…in bonds
Rev.1:9 – [John, in his 80's or 90's, exiled to the isle of Patmos]
5. STRENGTH IN OLD AGE:
A. God can give us strength & health:
Deut.33:25 – As thy days, so shall thy strength be
Deut.34:7 – Moses an 120 years old…his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated
Isa.40:29 – To them that have no might He increaseth strength
Psa.103:5 – [He] satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s
Josh.14:7,10,11 – I (Caleb) am this day (85) years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was [when I was 40]
B. Courage & determination give strength & victory in old age:
Josh.14:10-14 – [Caleb, 85 years old, declared:] Give me this mountain [inhabited by giants in strongly-fortified cities] The Lord will be with me…I shall drive them out
C. Giving God the credit for keeping us during a difficult life:
Josh.14:10 – Behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, these (45) years… in the wilderness…& I am this day (85) years old
6. CAUTIONS REGARDING OLD AGE:
A. We must not assume that age alone always makes us wiser:
Job 32:9 – Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged [always] understand judgment
(See also Psa.119:100)
B. Without God, the wisdom of the aged comes to nought:
Job 12:13,20 – With Him (God) is wisdom…He…taketh away the understanding of the aged
C. Caution against becoming too set in our ways:
Eccl.4:13 – Better is a…wise child than an old & foolish king, who will no more be admonished
D. Caution against losing conviction in old age:
1Ki.11:4 – When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods: & his heart was not perfect with God
E. Unwisely comparing former glories to the present:
Eccl.7:10 – Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? Thou dost not enquire wisely
Ezra 3:11,12 – [People rejoiced to see the new temple, but the old men, remembering old temple, wept] (See also Hag.2:3)
7. JOY IN CHILDREN & IN GRANDCHILDREN:
Pro.17:6 – Children’s children are the crown of old men; & the glory of children are their fathers
Gen.37:3 – Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age
Ruth 4:13-16 – [Naomi's grandchild] a nourisher of thine old age
(See also Lk.1:5-7,13,18-20)
38. Old Age, Copyright © 1998-2012, The Family International