Middle age

The period between youth and old age. Middle age is marked by physical strength and experience and should bring maturity and stability. Many of God's servants began ministry in middle age, often after having been prepared in their youth. Middle age may also bring complacency and the temptation to leave the devotion and commitments of youth.

Middle age defined

Adulthood reckoned from age 20

Numbers 1:2–3 See also Exodus 30:14, Exodus 38:26; Numbers 26:2–41 Chronicles 23:24 See also 2 Chronicles 31:17; Ezra 3:8

“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions— everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.

These were the descendants of Levi by their families— the heads of families, registered individually by name— those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD.

Full maturity reckoned from age 30

Luke 3:23 See also Numbers 4:30, Numbers 4:43

Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Characteristics of middle age

Physical strength

Leviticus 27:3–7 Strength is greatest between 20 and 60. See also Numbers 1:45 Men served in the army from age 20; Joshua 14:10 Caleb, in his prime at 40, is still strong at 85.

if the valuation concerns a male from twenty to sixty years of age, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. And if the person is from five to twenty years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. Now if the person is from one month to five years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be five shekels of silver, and for the female three shekels of silver. And if the person is sixty years of age or older, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels for the male and ten shekels for the female.

Growth in wisdom and experience

Ecclesiastes 1:16 See also 1 Samuel 17:33; 2 Samuel 17:8; 2 Chronicles 17:131 Chronicles 22:5 See also 1 Chronicles 29:1; Proverbs 7:7

I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent — famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for it.” So David made lavish preparations before his death.

Maturity and stability

Ephesians 4:13–14 See also 1 Corinthians 2:6; Hebrews 5:11–14; James 1:4

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

The responsibilities of middle age

The need to be prepared for these responsibilities

Proverbs 22:6 See also Proverbs 4:1–4 Solomon passes on wisdom learned from his father.Luke 1:801 Samuel 2:26; Luke 2:40

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.

The need to train for service

Numbers 8:24 The period from 25 to 30 (see Numbers 4:3) may have been a period of apprenticeship. See also 1 Chronicles 23:27 In later years the apprenticeship may have started at 20; Numbers 11:28

“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

The start of service in middle age

Numbers 4:3 See also Acts 7:23 Moses showed concern for his fellow Israelites at age 40; Joshua 14:7 Caleb was 40 when he explored Canaan; 1 Samuel 7:3–4 Samuel became judge over Israel in his thirties; Luke 3:3 John the Baptist began his public ministry at about 30; John 8:57 Jesus Christ had not achieved the status of wisdom and authority associated with old age in Israel; 1 Timothy 3:1–13 The mention of families in the instructions to elders and deacons suggests that these leaders were of middle age.

men from thirty to fifty years old— everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

Rulers coming to office in middle age

Genesis 41:46 Joseph; 1 Samuel 13:1 Saul; 2 Samuel 5:4 David; 2 Samuel 2:10 Ish-Bosheth; 2 Chronicles 12:13 parallel 1 Kings 14:21 Rehoboam; 2 Chronicles 20:31 Jehoshaphat

Temptations of middle age

Complacency

2 Samuel 11:1; Isaiah 32:9–11; Amos 6:1

Worldly distractions

2 Samuel 11:4; 1 Kings 11:3–4; Ecclesiastes 2:1–8; Luke 12:18–19

Turning from the commitment of youth

Proverbs 2:16–17; Malachi 2:14