OLD AGE
1. The blessings of old age:
A. Old age has its own special beauty & glory:
Proverbs 16:31 The hoary (grey) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness
Proverbs 20:29b The beauty of old men is the grey head
B. God’s Word says that the elderly should be honoured & respected:
Leviticus 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
Proverbs 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
1 Kings 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:
Psalms 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:
Ecclesiastes 11:10 Remove sorrow from thy heart…for childhood & youth are vanity
2. God’s special help in our old age:
Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age I am He; & even to hoar hairs will I carry you…& will deliver you
(See also Psalms 71:8,9,17,18)
3. Desiring long life:
A. Before the flood, men lived to very great ages:
(See Genesis 5:1-32; 7:11; 9:28,29)
B. After the flood, lifespans began to shorten:
(See Genesis 11:10-32; 25:7,8,17; 35:28; 47:8,9; Deuteronomy 34:7a; Proverbs 24:29)
C. Today’s average lifespan:
Psalms 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:
2 Chronicles 24:15 [Godly Jehoidah lived to 130 years of age, at a time when most men only lived to be 70]
Genesis 15:15 Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace…in good old age
Genesis 25:8 Abraham…died in a good old age…full of years
Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was an 120 years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated
1 Chronicles 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
Psalms 91:14,16 He hath set his love on Me…with long life will I satisfy him
Isaiah 65:22 As the days of a tree are the days of My people, & Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands
Zechariah 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:
Deuteronomy 5:33 Walk in all the ways which the Lord…commanded you, that ye may live…prolong your days
Deuteronomy 30:20 Love the Lord thy God…obey His voice…for He is thy life, & the length of thy days
Psalms 34:12-14 What man…desireth life, & loveth many days? Keep thy tongue from evil & guile…do good; seek peace
Proverbs 3:1,2 Let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, & long life…shall they add to thee
Proverbs 9:10,11 For by Me (wisdom) thy days shall be multiplied, & the years of thy life shall be increased
Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days
(See also Proverbs 3:13,16a; 4:7,10; 9:10,11; 1 Peter 3:10,11; Exodus 20:12)
F. Praying for more time to live & serve the Lord:
2Kings 20:1-7 [God revived ailing King Hezekiah & gave him 15 more years to live]
Psalms 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:
Philippians 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:
Psalms 39:4 Lord, make me to know…the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am
Psalms 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom
Luke 2:26 It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen…Christ
2 Timothy 4:6,7 I am now ready…the time of my departure is at hand
2 Peter 1:14 Shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me
2Kings 2:3 Knowest thou that the Lord will take (Elijah) away today?
I. They often gave parting instructions to their family:
Genesis 49:1,33 [Dying Jacob called his sons & gave them instructions, & when finished, “gave up the ghost”]
(See also Genesis 50:22-26; 1 Kings 2:1-3,10)
J. The futility of worrying that our time has come:
Genesis 27:1-4 [Aged Isaac thought he was about to die, but lived many more years & died when 180–Genesis 35:28,29 ]
1 Samuel 27:1 [David despaired:] I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul [but lived over 40 years more]
(See also Hebrews 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?
Psalms 31:15a My times are in Thy hand
Psalms 48:14 God…is our guide even unto death
L. Sometimes not living to old age is a greater blessing:
Genesis 5:23,24 [Enoch lived only 1/3rd the lifespan of his day; God took him because he pleased Him–See also Hebrews 11:5 ]
Isaiah 57:1 Merciful men are taken away…the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (See also 1 Kings 14:12,13)
4. God can mightily use aged believers:
A. Promises of fruitfulness:
Psalms 92:13,14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be (fresh) & flourishing
B. Material ministering & good deeds:
2 Samuel 19:32-35 [Barzillai, 80 years old, helped support King David in his time of great need–See also 2 Samuel 17:27-29 ]
C. Spiritual ministries:
Exodus 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)
Daniel 9:1; 10:1 [Daniel received two of his greatest revelations between the ages of 85 and 90]
Revelation 1:1,9 [The apostleJohn received the Book ofRevelation in exile on Patmos, in his 80’s or 90’s]
D. Some conditions to being used of God:
Titus 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:
1 Samuel 12:1,2,16,19 [Samuel, aged & grey-headed, prayed & the Lord performed a miracle to punish the errant Israelites]
Luke 2:36,37 Anna, a prophetess…of about (84 years old), served God with fastings & prayers night & day
1 Timothy 5:5,9 [Prayer, a special ministry for women over 60]
F. Witnessing:
Luke 2:36-38 [Anna, 84 years old, witnessed to others about Jesus]
Philemon 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 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15 –Witnessing to our children & grandchildren)
G. God can use those who think they are too old:
Genesis 18:10-14; 21:1,2 [Sarah, at 90, laughs & doubts she can have a child] (See also Genesis 17:15-17; Luke 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:
2 Peter 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:
Philemon 9,10 Paul the aged, & now also a prisoner…in bonds
Revelation 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:
Deuteronomy 33:25 As thy days, so shall thy strength be
Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses an 120 years old…his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated
Isaiah 40:29 To them that have no might He increaseth strength
Psalms 103:5 [He] satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s
Proverbs 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:
Proverbs 14:10-14 [Caleb, 85 years old, declared:] Give me this mountain [inhabited bygiants 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:
Proverbs 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 Psalms 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:
Ecclesiastes 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:
1 Kings 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:
Ecclesiastes 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:
Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; & the glory of children are their fathers
Genesis 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 Luke 1:5-7,13,18-20)
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