How Old is Old?

O. T. #470  "How Old is Old?"
March 2, 2015
Joshua 13-Part 1
 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years: and the LORD ssaid unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.   Joshua 13:1

LET IT GLOW

How old is old?
It's one thing to have a birthday and realize you are getting on up in years, but to have the Lord say you are old and stricken in years... Oh my. No getting around it for him then; poor old Joshua. Maybe it doesn't bother the men folk like it does us ladies. Actually, 60, 70, 80, even 90 do not seem that old any more. Now when I was a kid, that was another thing. My parents were 32 when I was born, so they always seemed old to me. Not any more. It all depends on your perspective, right? Which side of the fence you are on?

Thou art old and stricken in years...
Webster's Dictionary says the word stricken means afflicted or overwhelmed by or as if by disease, misfortune, or sorrow; made incapable or unfit.

By this time he (Joshua) was about 95, in comparison to Caleb's 85 years (14:10). In 23:1, he was 110 and near death (24:29). (MacArthur)

I like the way Falwell put it: Joshua was now of advanced age, and he had brought Israel well along the road to the blessing promised to them by Jacob (Gen. 49) and by Moses (Deut. 33).

Since those in the Old Testament times lived longer than our times, a person 95 probably was not having one foot in the grave.

Isn't age a state of the mind, anyway? Some may consider 60 old and stricken in years, but I don't. (Of course, since that is my age, it may have something to do with it.)
Is there a time when we retire or quit from serving the Lord? No, not that I can find.

Any thoughts on the subject?

LET IT GROW

Although Israel had conquered land east of the Jordan River and given it to the 2 1/2 tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, they were not finished yet. Thirty-five cities had been possessed by Israel in seven years, but they had not completed the task of conquering the whole Promised Land. There was still more of the Canaanite and Philistine land to take over.

The New International Version puts it this way: There are still very large areas of land to be taken over, while the King James Version says, There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

The Christian church has been around many a year, however, there is still much spiritual land to be possessed for our Lord Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel and bring the lost to salvation in Him.

What are our unconquered lands? They may be ethical issues, personal problems, sins in our life to overcome, underdeveloped talents, unused gifts, lack of prayer and Biblical reading.
What territory has God given us to conquer? Perhaps they are overseas, in our neighborhood, or in our family. We must be busy fulfilling the mission God has assigned us. Then we will be ready to inherit out Promised Land in heaven.

Paul challenges us in 1 Corinthians 15:34a, Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God.

Just as Joshua and the Israelites had more land to be taken over, we have more people to bring to Jesus before the trumpet sounds.
Are we telling others about the one True Living God, our God?


LET IT GO

Keep serving Jesus, no matter what age I am.

Share the things Jesus has done for me during my years.

Tell the Good News of Jesus.

Pray for others to come to know His as their Savior.