Leviticus 19:32; 2 Samuel 19:31–39; 1 Timothy 5:1–2

Explore the Bible
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile

Live in Respect
Leviticus 19:32; 2 Samuel 19:31–39; 1 Timothy 5:1–2
Older people, in the view of many in today’s world, are easy targets. Many people try to get money from the elderly through unethical schemes and illegitimate scams. Sometimes even family members try to take advantage of older relatives. Still others, including many Christians, ignore such activity and take no action against it. All these people need to realize they are failing to show respect to older people and thus failing to value them and their lives. Like children not yet born, some older people are among the helpless in our society, and God wants us to show we value human life by treating them with respect.

Honor the Elderly (Lev. 19:32)
This command to respect the elderly is but one of many commands found in Leviticus 19. All of the miscellaneous laws and commandments in this chapter are rooted in the command in verse 2: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” The word “holy” means separation, indicating that God is commanding the people of Israel to be different from the nations around them. The reason the Israelites are to be holy is because God Himself is holy. Those who identify with the Lord are to represent Him to the world by emulating this attribute. Every statement in the Bible about the moral nature of God carries the implied demand that the believer exhibit this same quality in daily living. It is not possible to divorce ethics and theology because human morality is justified by the nature of God.

Verse 32 makes it clear that respect for the elderly is essential for maintaining a decent society. Failure to respect and care for the aged indicates that a given culture is about to collapse (Isa. 3:5). If we are to be pleasing to the Lord, then we must honor the elderly.

Care for the Elderly (2 Sam. 19:31–36)
As King David was returning to Jerusalem from exile, he spoke with Barzillai the Gileadite. This wealthy and aged patriarch was important because he had provided critical support for David when he fled Jerusalem at the time of Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 17:27–29). The 80-year-old man had now come to welcome David back to his throne.
David was impressed with Barzillai’s generosity and his considerable efforts to witness the king’s return to power. In an attempt to repay him, David invited Barzillai to come to Jerusalem with him so that he might care for the octogenarian the rest of his life.

Barzillai was appreciative of David’s offer but found it unappealing. He was 80 years old and had nothing significant to gain by moving to Jerusalem. Due to deteriorating health, he could no longer experience the pleasures that accompanied living among the royal court. By living in Jerusalem, he would just become an added burden to the king, the royal slaves and the nation’s taxpayers. He also would be separated from the people and sights that had meant so much to him throughout his life.

Accept Decisions of the Elderly (2 Sam. 19:37–39)
Barzillai was more interested in a dignified death than a dynamic life. Instead of desiring to live next to the royal palace, he wanted to live in a rural village near the tomb of his father and mother. When Barzillai explained why he did not want to go to Jerusalem, David allowed him to return home, offering to provide for his needs there. We, too, can demonstrate respect for older people by allowing them to make appropriate decisions for themselves, by affirming those decisions and by continuing to show that we care for them.

Treat the Elderly as Family (1 Tim. 5:1–2)
Paul instructs Timothy that an older man is to be treated with respect by being appealed to as a father and an older woman as a mother. The believer should never respond with a harsh or violent rebuke. Instead the older men and women in the church should be exhorted, encouraged by one coming alongside them to help them deal with the problem at hand.

The church is a family of faith. Just as younger family members ought to honor older family members so ought younger believers honor older church members.