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Old Age

1. The blessings of old age:

A. Old age has its own special beauty and 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 and respected:

Lev.19:32 - Thou shalt rise up [in respect] before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man
Job 32:4,6 - Elihu had waited till Job [and the others] had spoken, because they were elder than he
Pro.23:22 - Hearken unto thy father...and 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; and in length of days understanding
Job 32:7 - Days should speak, and 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, and 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 and youth are vanity

2. God's special help in our old age:

Isa.46:4 - Even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you...and 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); and 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, and 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, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands
Zech.8:3,4 - There shall yet [be] old men and 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, and the length of thy days
Psa.34:12-14 - What man...desireth life, and loveth many days? Keep thy tongue from evil and guile...do good; seek peace
Pro.3:1,2 - Let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and long life...shall they add to thee
Pro.9:10,11 - For by Me (wisdom) thy days shall be multiplied, and 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 and serve the Lord:

2Ki.20:1-7 - [God revived ailing King Hezekiah and gave him 15 more years to live]
Psa.71:18 - Forsake me not; until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation, and...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, and 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 and gave them instructions, and 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 and 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) and flourishing

B. Material ministering and 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; and...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 and grey-headed, prayed and 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 and prayers night and 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 and grandchildren)

G. God can use those who think they are too old:

Gen.18:10-14; 21:1,2 - [Sarah, at 90, laughs and 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 and 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 [and establish you in the truth]

J. Steadfastly enduring adversity in old age:

Phlm.9,10 - Paul the aged, and 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 and 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 and determination give strength and 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...and 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 and 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: and 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 and in grandchildren:

Pro.17:6 - Children's children are the crown of old men; and 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)

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Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family International

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James Arendt
James Arendt

My name is James Arendt. I was raised in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, served in the USAF from 1970 to 1974, and became a full-time missionary for Christ living 40 years in Japan, 3.5 years in Russia, and a few months in other countries such as Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China where I also served the King of Kings, Jesus, as an Ambassador for His Kingdom. My full bio.

On September 24, 2023, I had an accident and broke the bone of the tip of my left elbow. A boy ran in front of my motorbike less than 2 meters from me as I was leaving home. I stopped suddenly and my front tire slid on the sandy concrete road which caused me to fall. I did not hit the boy. On October 18th I had surgery done on my elbow. The doctor put in titanium rods to hold my bones together. The entire procedure including an entire week in the hospital was roughly $4000 USD. This was done in the Philippines where my wife and I have been living since June this year.


X-rays of bone before and after surgery that inserted titanium rods to reinforce my broken bone.

Before and after one week in the hospital.

Undergoing therapy to bend my arm again.
I'm now undergoing therapy to be able to bend my arm again.

It would be a super blessing to us if any of the visitors of this website can help us cover this expense!

You don't need a PayPay account to send me a donation! Just click on the donate button and you will see an option to send through your debit or credit card.


Or if you have a PayPal account, just log into it and send to my PayPal ID:
james.arendt@jamesjpn.net

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