Bible study · Psalm 71:1-24
Psalm 71: Even when I am old
Read Psalm 71:1-24 before you meet.
In a few lines
The Hebrew word ziqnah, old age, is in the Psalms only twice, and both are here (71:9, 71:18). In 71:18 it stands beside gray-haired, the same pair God uses in "Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you" (Isaiah 46:4). And a psalm that opens "Never let me be disappointed" (71:1) ends "they are disappointed" (71:24), one Hebrew verb.
The verse to carry
“Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.”
Psalm 71:18
To talk about
1. "God, you have taught me from my youth" (71:17). What did you learn about God early in your life that you still carry, and what have you had to learn later?
2. "Don’t forsake me when my strength fails" (71:9). What do you find yourself wanting to say to God about getting older, or about your strength running out?
3. The psalmist wants to live "until I have declared your strength to the next generation" (71:18). Who told you about God, and who in a younger generation could you tell?