Psalms 71:18

Psalm 71 — The believing remnant, the Israel of God, now come fully into view, exercising faith. The psalm has two main divisions (vv. 1-16 and 17-24). In both, faith rests on what God had been in the past, and makes that its confidence for the future. In the first part, deliverance for himself is the more prominent thought. The second part has mainly the glory of God in view. In verse 9 he asks God not to cast him off in old age, and not to forsake him when his strength fails. But in verse 18 he asks God not to forsake him until he has proclaimed His arm to this generation.

We hear David clearly in this psalm. We hear the Spirit of Christ too, in company with the remnant, whom David pictures so strikingly in his sorrows and repentance. David's suffering at the hands of Absalom came in his "old age," when he was "grey-headed." In the same way, the remnant's suffering will come in Israel's old age, spiritually speaking.

This is the language of Christ, but spoken as He takes up Israel's position on their behalf — that is, the position of the remnant as Israel. I suppose this is what "old age" applies to. They look for deliverance because God had always been their help. They counted that He would not reject them now, at the close of their career. He had always instructed them, and now they look to carry His knowledge to those who are to come.

This reminds them too that God has taught them from their youth — from the very time they became a nation in Egypt. The teaching was long and hard, hindered again and again by their own folly and rebellion. As they look back on their own history, they have great reason to declare God's wondrous works. Those works involved marvellous patience (v. 17). Age has now multiplied their failures, and it has multiplied God's mercies too. So can they not depend on Him never to forsake them? (v. 18). The evidence is so clear from the past that we should have no question at all about the future.

The history of this godly man has been a witness to God's "wondrous works." In his old age he still desires to be a witness to God's strength and power, to generations yet to come. In the same way, the history of Israel through long ages has been a witness to God's wondrous works of righteousness. And in the old age of the nation, it will witness to the mighty power of God in its deliverance and restoration.

Still, and because of this, the sense of feebleness and decay is with them. So they cry to God, who alone is their ability to fulfil what is in their heart. And that desire is nothing less than to be the witness of God's power to all generations to come. This they will certainly be. Sustained in perpetual strength by this same power, they will from then on be His living testimony on earth. Age and decay gone, they will remain as in resurrection strength and beauty.

Whether we look at the lack of power in the church, or of the fruit of the Spirit in its members, we are still inclined to ask: has the Spirit of the Lord fainted? Is He exhausted? Where is He? "Now when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not, until I have shown Your strength to this generation, and Your power to everyone that is to come."

You must not call yourself old as if you were tired. The Lord is never weary, yet the Ancient of Days; you have to renew your strength as an eagle to bear fruit in old age.