And the king said to Barzillai, “Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”
But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.” 2 Samuel 19
In the Godly old man Barzillai God shows us what our hearts should be like. King David has received gifts from Barzillai and David is not one to take things from others without repaying them. Barzillai has provided for David’s needs after he fled Jerusalem, David now
invites Barzillai to Jerusalem to care for his needs.
Barzillai’s response is one of humility. He immediately turns down the king’s offer with several interesting statements.
First he tells King David he is old. God has given him a full life – 80 years – and there is nothing more he needs. God has faithfully provided for him his entire life and now he has the joy of sharing it with others.
Second, he tells David what every old person comes to realize – nothing works the way it should any more. His mind doesn’t work well any more (can I discern?); nothing tastes good any more; and, he can’t hear clearly. If he goes to Jerusalem he would be a burden on the king and that is not his desire. (This is something old people fear – becoming a burden on others.)
Third, he tells David what is important to him is just to be with and help the king (“Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king”).
Fourth, he tells David his desire is to die at home and be buried close to his family. For eternity he wants his family to be together. Burial practices were of great importance in Israel. The way the dead were buried was a a sign of honor. Barzillai wanted to live out a dignified life and be buried with respect and honor. That was all the reward he desires. Finally, Barzillai turns to Chimham, perhaps his son. His life is ahead. He can enjoy and appreciate what a life with king David would mean so Barzillai looks to position him well for the future.
What can we learn? In Barzillai’s response we see how a believer
should approach the end of the time God has given them on this earth. At the end of our life we realize His great blessings on our lives and we desire to use that to support God’s work. While we see our bodies declining (falling apart in some instances) we do not want to be a burden (a load that must be borne by others). Instead we desire to finish our life with dignity and respect. Finally, while we realize we can not live the lives our children and grandchildren have in front of them we want them first to be accepted by the king and then to live their lives in service of the king. Barzillai, like the Apostle John teaches us ”I have no greater jo than that my children walk in the truth”. That is the greatest honor for an old believer.