“Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. . . . Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come,” Psalm 71:9, 18.
In my School Assembly studies with the girls and boys of Kilskeery Independent Christian School, I have been urging upon them the wonderful truth that in the Bible, the Lord speaks directly to young people.
Here in this Psalm 71, we can observe words that are particularly directed toward those at the other end of the age spectrum!
What a wonderful book the Bible is! Everyone who believingly reads it can clutch it to their hearts as a personal word from the Lord to them!
While the Psalmist was not one who had access to a ‘pension’ in the manner we have come to accept here in the United Kingdom, he was certainly of that age at which pensions become available to us here. I must say, however, that the Lord undoubtedly provides a ‘pension’ to those who trust Him! These words from Psalm 92 surely indicate that!
“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him,” verses 14-15.
The words of Isaiah the prophet endorse this truth. “Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you,” Isaiah 46:3-4.
To these words, I may add Paul’s thoughts. “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen,” 2 Timothy 4:18.
Here in Psalm 71, is revealed to us by divine inspiration, the very proper concerns of the aged and a proper setting forth of those concerns before the Lord in prayer.
I. SADLY, IS IT NOT AN UNCOMMON THING FOR THE AGED TO BE ‘CAST OFF’ AND ‘FORSAKEN’!
1. This is seen as a very great concern of the Psalmist. Note the double reference to this fear. “Cast me not off . . . forsake me not.”
The phrase, “Cast me not off” is a translation of a strong Hebrew word which depicts a ‘hurling out’! It is first used of Hagar abandoning her son, Ishmael, Genesis 21:15. It is also used of the treatment of Joseph at the hands of his brothers, Genesis 37:20.
The fear of the aged Psalmist was very real and acute. It is a fear very much in evidence today. I recall that many years ago, when visiting a nursing home, an old man was pointed out to me, sitting on his own in a corner and I was told that his family lived but a few miles away but no one ever visited him!
Sadly, such a situation is all too common in this heartless age where “natural affection” (2 Timothy 3:3) has almost disappeared. It is a sad fact that ‘The thought of abandoning an elderly individual without any assistance from family or caregivers is appalling to most, yet it is frequently a harsh reality.’ So states one agency involved in caring for the elderly.
It is clear that it is not a new thing, given the words of the Psalmist, though it doubtless has become much more common.
2. The Lord never abandons or casts off His people. This is asserted repeatedly for our comfort, ageing Christian. The most common of these assurances is that of Hebrews 13:5. “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
But Scripture abounds with such pledges. Here are but a few.
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee,” Deuteronomy 31:6.
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee,” Joshua 1:5.
“For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off,” Psalm 37:28.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness,” Isaiah 41:10.
Christian, remember the words of Paul: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope,” Romans 15:4.
Here is comfort far exceeding any promise of family or government agency!
3. Ageing brings failing strength. I must say I find it highly amusing to read of the potions and concoctions that are proffered to the vainly foolish to stop the advance of the signs of ageing! The old saying comes to mind: ‘Fools and their money are soon parted’! Is not this more true in the this age of self-conceit, narcissism and self-love? Such a spirit was predicted long ago, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves,” 2 Timothy 3:2.
Frightening as it is for those who have no help but their weak arm, there is no need for the child of God to fear this onset of weakness. We have God’s strength to rely on!
“And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you,” Isaiah 46:4. He Who has ‘made’ us will bear, carry and deliver us all our days! He will be there when we take those final steps down the ‘valley of the shadow of death’, Psalm 23:4, for “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever,” verse 6.
II. THE AGED CHRISTIAN HAS A SOLEMN PURPOSE TO PURSUE IN THEIR FINAL YEARS
1. The Psalmist prays for grace to show God’s “strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come”. The word “strength” is a reference to the “arm, the shoulder” of the Lord. The first reference in Scripture (I always find such most instructive) is found in Genesis 49:24, where it is a reference to Joseph. “But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)” The strength of Joseph came from the upholding hands of the Lord.
The Psalmist was not going to be an old complaining occupant of the chair in the corner but to his last breath he was going to show forth the grace of God by strongly witnessing of His mercy and love as long as he is enabled of God!
I have memories of this happening in my own home!
2. The aged Christian can be a most telling witness to the next generation. In truth, there is written in the ageing process in the lives of the elderly a declaration of the reality of gospel grace! Sadly, in the lives of some, that evidence is often hard to see!
History tells us that there have been those who in the midst of the greatest of suffering they have borne bold and true witness to the mercy of the Lord. I am thinking of those who suffered death at the hands of cruel persecutors, often in the midst of fires of martyrdom.
The following is from the account by the puritan, John Foxe (1516-1587), of the final hours of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who had drawn back in fear from confessing Christ and suffering martyrdom.
However, grace was given him to reject his ‘recantation’ and stand firm for the Saviour even though it meant a horrible death amidst cruel flames.
‘The church was crowded with persons of both persuasions, expecting to hear the justification of the late apostasy: the Catholics rejoicing, and the Protestants deeply wounded in spirit at the deceit of the human heart. Dr. Pole, in his sermon, represented Cranmer as having been guilty of the most atrocious crimes; encouraged the deluded sufferer not to fear death, not to doubt the support of God in his torments, nor that Masses would be said in all the churches of Oxford for the repose of his soul. The doctor then noticed his conversion, and which he ascribed to the evident working of Almighty power and in order that the people might be convinced of its reality, asked the prisoner to give them a sign. This Cranmer did, and begged the congregation to pray for him, for he had committed many and grievous sins; but, of all, there was one which awfully lay upon his mind, of which he would speak shortly.
During the sermon Cranmer wept bitter tears: lifting up his hands and eyes to heaven, and letting them fall, as if unworthy to live: his grief now found vent in words: before his confession he fell upon his knees, and, in the following words unveiled the deep contrition and agitation which harrowed up his soul.
“O Father of heaven! O Son of God, Redeemer of the world! O Holy Ghost, three persons all one God! have mercy on me, most wretched caitiff and miserable sinner. I have offended both against heaven and earth, more than my tongue can express. Whither then may I go, or whither may I flee? To heaven I may be ashamed to lift up mine eyes and in earth I find no place of refuge or succour. To Thee, therefore, O Lord, do I run; to Thee do I humble myself, saying, O Lord, my God, my sins be great, but yet have mercy upon me for Thy great mercy. The great mystery that God became man, was not wrought for little or few offences. Thou didst not give Thy Son, O Heavenly Father, unto death for small sins only, but for all the greatest sins of the world, so that the sinner return to Thee with his whole heart, as I do at present. Wherefore, have mercy on me, O God, whose property is always to have mercy, have mercy upon me, O Lord, for Thy great mercy. I crave nothing for my own merits, but for Thy name’s sake, that it may be hallowed thereby, and for Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ’s sake. And now therefore, O Father of Heaven, hallowed be Thy name,” etc.
Then rising, he said he was desirous before his death to give them some pious exhortations by which God might be glorified and themselves edified. He then descanted upon the danger of a love for the world, the duty of obedience to their majesties, of love to one another and the necessity of the rich administering to the wants of the poor. He quoted the three verses of the fifth chapter of James, and then proceeded, “Let them that be rich ponder well these three sentences: for if they ever had occasion to show their charity, they have it now at this present, the poor people being so many, and victual so dear.
“And now forasmuch as I am come to the last end of my life, whereupon hangeth all my life past, and all my life to come, either to live with my master Christ for ever in joy, or else to be in pain for ever with the wicked in hell, and I see before mine eyes presently, either heaven ready to receive me, or else hell ready to swallow me up; I shall therefore declare unto you my very faith how I believe, without any colour of dissimulation: for now is no time to dissemble, whatsoever I have said or written in times past.
“First, I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, etc. And I believe every article of the Catholic faith, every word and sentence taught by our Saviour Jesus Christ, His apostles and prophets, in the New and Old Testament.
“And now I come to the great thing which so much troubleth my conscience, more than any thing that ever I did or said in my whole life, and that is the setting abroad of a writing contrary to the truth, which now here I renounce and refuse, as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart, and written for fear of death, and to save my life, if it might be; and that is, all such bills or papers which I have written or signed with my hand since my degradation, wherein I have written many things untrue. And forasmuch as my hand hath offended, writing contrary to my heart, therefore my hand shall first be punished; for when I come to the fire it shall first be burned.
“And as for the pope, I refuse him as Christ’s enemy, and Antichrist, with all his false doctrine.”
Upon the conclusion of this unexpected declaration, amazement and indignation were conspicuous in every part of the church. The Catholics were completely foiled, their object being frustrated, Cranmer, like Samson, having completed a greater ruin upon his enemies in the hour of death, than he did in his life.
Cranmer would have proceeded in the exposure of the popish doctrines, but the murmurs of the idolaters drowned his voice, and the preacher gave an order to “lead the heretic away!” The savage command was directly obeyed, and the lamb about to suffer was torn from his stand to the place of slaughter, insulted all the way by the revilings and taunts of the pestilent monks and friars.
With thoughts intent upon a far higher object than the empty threats of man, he reached the spot dyed with the blood of Ridley and Latimer. There he knelt for a short time in earnest devotion, and then arose, that he might undress and prepare for the fire. Two friars who had been parties in prevailing upon him to abjure, now endeavoured to draw him off again from the truth, but he was steadfast and immovable in what he had just professed, and publicly taught. A chain was provided to bind him to the stake, and after it had tightly encircled him, fire was put to the fuel, and the flames began soon to ascend.
Then were the glorious sentiments of the martyr made manifest; then it was, that stretching out his right hand, he held it unshrinkingly in the fire until it was burnt to a cinder, even before his body was injured, frequently exclaiming, “This unworthy right hand.”
His body did abide the burning with such steadfastness that he seemed to have no more than the stake to which he was bound; his eyes were lifted up to heaven, and he repeated “this unworthy right hand,” as long as his voice would suffer him; and using often the words of Stephen, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” in the greatness of the flame, he gave up the ghost.’
As we approach the end of this age and with it, the last three and half years of ‘the great tribulation’, who knows what Christians will have to face? BUT this we do know — the Lord will give grace and enablement to honour Him amidst the troubles that may befall His people.
3. As we have been in our youth, so we may continue in our old age. Note what the Psalmist says in verse 17. “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.” Now, in the next verse, he prays that such a witnessing may continue in his old age. “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”
Aged Christian, let this be what your family, your progeny, witness as they observe your life moving toward its glorious finality. It is the best, the greatest legacy that you can leave them.
A holy beginning, a holy continuance and a holy ending — let that be the totality of our history seen and known of all! The believer is likened unto the moon. “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” Song of Solomon 6:10.
The moon is a permanent ‘reflector’ of the glory of the sun in the midst earth’s night.
In essence, that is what the Psalmist is asking to be, even in his old age.
So let it be with us also.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
23rd September 2024