Aging in the Bible: Moses — The Old Man Who Was Not Finished
Scripture: Exodus 7:7; Deuteronomy 31–34; Psalm 90
Moses was 120 years old when he died.
That is a remarkable age by any measure. But what makes the story of Moses especially interesting is not simply how long he lived. It is what he accomplished during those years, what he endured, and how he faced the final chapter of his life.
Moses was not a young man when God called him.
He was already eighty years old when he stood before Pharaoh and delivered God's command:
"Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go." (Exodus 5:1)
Think about that for a moment.
At an age when many people have long since retired, Moses was beginning the greatest undertaking of his life.
The First Forty Years, and the Next Forty
Moses' life can be divided into three periods of forty years.
His first forty years were spent in Egypt. He was raised in Pharaoh's household, educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, and given the privileges of a prince.
But Moses' attempt to defend one of his Hebrew countrymen ended in murder. When Pharaoh learned what had happened, Moses fled for his life.
His next forty years were spent in Midian, far from the palaces of Egypt. He married Zipporah, raised a family, and worked as a shepherd.
It must have seemed that his great opportunity had passed.
Then came the burning bush.
God spoke to Moses from the midst of the fire:
"Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:10)
Moses was eighty years old.
He protested.
He questioned his ability.
He reminded God that he was slow of speech and slow of tongue.
But God did not ask Moses to rely upon his own strength.
"And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." (Exodus 4:11–12)
That was the answer.
The important thing was not what Moses could do by himself.
It was what God could accomplish through him.
Forty Years in the Wilderness
The years that followed were extraordinary.
Moses confronted Pharaoh, witnessed the ten plagues, led Israel through the Red Sea, received the Law on Mount Sinai, and guided a rebellious nation through forty years in the wilderness.
He was a leader, a lawgiver, a mediator, and a man who repeatedly interceded for his people.
There were times when the burden seemed almost unbearable.
When Israel rebelled, Moses pleaded with God for mercy.
When the people complained, he carried their grievances.
When they turned to the golden calf, Moses stood between the people and judgment.
He was not a perfect man. Scripture records his failures as well as his triumphs.
At Meribah, when God commanded him to speak to the rock, Moses struck it instead.
His disobedience brought a painful consequence: he would not lead Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land.
Even after a lifetime of service, Moses would have to leave the completion of his great undertaking to someone else.
That brings us to the final years of his life.
The Old Man Who Knew His Time Was Near
Deuteronomy 31 opens with Moses speaking to the children of Israel.
He tells them:
"I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan." (Deuteronomy 31:2)
Moses knew that his leadership was coming to an end.
He would not cross the Jordan.
He would not lead the conquest.
He would not see the people settle into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But listen to what he tells the people:
"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)
Moses was preparing his people for life without him.
Then he called Joshua before all Israel and gave him a personal charge:
"Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
"And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:7–8)
There is something deeply moving about this scene.
Moses was not going to finish the work himself. He knew that. Yet he was not preoccupied with what he would lose.
He was concerned with the future of God's people.
He was passing the responsibility to another generation.
And he was reminding them that their future did not depend upon Moses.
It depended upon God.
A Song for the Generations
Before Moses' departure, God instructed him to teach Israel a song.
It was to be remembered by the people and passed from generation to generation. It reminded them of God's faithfulness, their own tendency to forget Him, and the consequences of disobedience.
Moses also pronounced a blessing upon the tribes of Israel.
His final words were not about his accomplishments. They were about the God who had carried Israel through the wilderness.
Listen to this beautiful declaration from Deuteronomy 33:
"There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:26–27)
Those are wonderful words for anyone approaching the later years of life.
The arms that had carried Israel were still underneath them.
And they are still underneath us.
The View from Mount Nebo
Then came the final journey.
God instructed Moses to climb Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, overlooking the land of Canaan.
There, the Lord showed him the land that had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Moses could see it.
But he would not enter it.
The Bible records God's words:
"This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither." (Deuteronomy 34:4)
Moses had brought the people to the threshold of their inheritance. Another man would lead them across.
Then we come to one of the most extraordinary descriptions of old age in Scripture:
"And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." (Deuteronomy 34:7)
What a remarkable statement!
His eyesight had not failed. His strength had not diminished. Yet his earthly work was finished.
The man who had spoken with Pharaoh, received the Law, and led a nation through the wilderness was about to enter eternity.
And Scripture gives us one more remarkable detail:
"And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face." (Deuteronomy 34:10)
What an epitaph!
Not the prince of Egypt. Not the great lawgiver. Not even the leader who brought Israel out of bondage.
The man whom the Lord knew face to face.
What Moses Teaches Us About Growing Old
There are several lessons here for those of us who have reached the later years of life.
First, it is never too late for God to give us meaningful work.
Moses' greatest assignment began when he was eighty.
We should not assume that our usefulness to God has ended simply because we have reached a certain age.
Second, we must learn to let the next generation take its place.
Moses could not lead Israel forever. He had to prepare Joshua and trust God to carry the work forward.
That is not failure. It is part of God's design.
Third, we must learn that the work belongs to God, not to us.
Moses did not enter the Promised Land. Yet the promises of God were fulfilled. The story continued without him.
And finally, our greatest treasure is not the strength of our bodies or the length of our years. It is our relationship with the eternal God.
Moses lived 120 years.
He had seen the glory of Egypt, the hardship of Midian, the wonders of the Exodus, and the long journey through the wilderness.
He had also experienced disappointment, personal failure, and the sorrow of knowing that he would not complete the journey with his people.
But he knew the Lord.
That is what matters.
As we grow older, we may find that our responsibilities change.
We may have to surrender some things we once did easily.
We may watch others take up the work we once performed.
But we need not surrender our faith, our prayers, our gratitude, or our confidence in God's promises.
Moses could not cross the Jordan, but he knew who was going with Israel.
And that was enough.
The God of Moses is still our God.
The years may pass. Our strength may change. The work may pass into other hands. But the eternal God remains our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
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Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain
What have I to dread, what have I to fear?
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain
Elisha A. Hoffman, , 1887
There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth
upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on
the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and
underneath are the everlasting arms: Deut 33:26-27
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