by: Dr. Bruce Goddard
When I was a child, I always had a great respect for older people, even for children who were older than me. The idea of crossing an older kid was unthinkable. Ignoring an adult or leader would have been considered suicide, not literally (for no one would have hurt us), but in heart and mind; we trusted and honored leaders, especially those who were older.
As a high school student, there was no question about trusting and honoring coaches and teachers. Respect was simply a part of my upbringing. When I got saved, I realized that these principles were biblical.
Leviticus 19:32, “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”
1 Timothy 5:1,“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;”
After I trusted Christ, I sat at the feet of men and listened to the Bible being taught; I soaked up every word of it. As months passed, I realized that some of what I heard did not line up with the Bible. I was told soul winning was a gift that only a few had received, that there was nothing wrong with social drinking, and on occasion, I heard things such as, “Now what this verse means in the original is…” or “The verse would have been more properly translated as…” I was respectful but went looking for older men who stood more closely to the Scriptures. I sought out older, wiser men — it just seemed natural. Seeking the older men was a subconscious action; this action was attributed to my childhood training, and to a great deal, the Bible. I had been living in the Bible for hours daily, and of course, Scripture moves us to lean on older, more godly leadership.
Jeremiah warned about the terrible days when elders would not be honored.
Lamentations 5:12, “Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honored.”
In this same time of national shame, Isaiah wrote of youth who would not look with respect and honor toward wiser men of report.
Isaiah 3:5, “And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.”
Peter reminds us to find godly, spiritual leaders to whom we should submit.
1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder…”
One of the satanic works of every generation is the disdain of wisdom, age and elders. A spirit of independence seeps into most young people. It was called a generation gap in the 60‘s, but the young people’s actions were the byproduct of their passion for self-will, self-trust, and independence. The wisest of young people will focus on the wisdom of the past and build upon it. My younger Christian life has always been centered on men 30-40 years older than me. Now, in my late 50’s, my attention focuses primarily on men who reside in Heaven. I have good friends who are near my age. I love the men of God around the nation. But, those to whom I look for wisdom and philosophies of life are all my senior by decades.
Most of us are familiar with the story of Rehoboam, who listened to the younger men and forsook the counsel of the older men who advised his father. Needless to say, incredible ruin followed. Each generation can attest to the spiritual decline of those who “forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him…” (1 Kings 12:13).
When I see a book written in recent years that makes statements such as, “I believe in standards but…” or “I have convictions about modest apparel but…,” then I know that NEW book is of little interest to me. When young men who are 20-40 years of age gather to “share ideas,” I am just a little suspicious. At their same age, I sat in conferences listening to men in their 50’s-70’s. I did not participate but listened to those who had decades of wisdom to impart. When I pick up a new book that is filled with quotes of faithful, soul-winning, older men who reside on golden streets, I feel a little safer reading that book.
When someone mocks the song, “Give me that old-time religion,” I mark them as a companion of Rehoboam — unwise at best, but potentially a danger.
Dr. Bruce Goddard
Pastor
Faith Baptist Church
Wildomar, CA
http://thepreachersfriend.com