Daily Scripture Reading Numbers 8:23 - 9:14

Harold had been counting down the days since he turned fifty-five. Every morning at the breakfast table he would tap his finger on the calendar and mutter, “Only seven more years of this nonsense.” At sixty-two, with thirty-seven years at Midland Manufacturing under his belt, Harold decided the countdown was over. He had earned it.

He walked into his boss’s office on a Tuesday afternoon, sat down without being asked, and announced, “I’m done. At the end of the month, I am retiring.”

Mr. Ellison, who had only been there six years, blinked. “Harold, we were hoping you’d stay on in a consulting role. Your knowledge of the old lines is—”

“I don’t consult,” Harold interrupted. “I retire. That’s what I worked for. That’s what I’m entitled to.”

Ellison tried once more. “The company’s in a tight spot with the new regulations. We could use your help part-time.”

Harold stood up. “Part-time is still work. I did my time. Now it’s my turn.” He drove home feeling lighter than he had in decades.

The first month of retirement felt exactly like Harold had imagined. He slept until nine. He played golf on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He bought a new recliner with cup holders and a massage function. He told anyone who would listen, “I worked hard for this. Nobody can take it from me.”

His son called that weekend. “Dad, the garage door at our place is acting up again. Can you take a look? You always fixed those things better than anyone.”

Harold sighed into the phone. “I’m retired. I don’t fix doors anymore. I paid my dues. Let someone else handle it.”

One morning in month five, his wife said, “Your old company called. They’re having trouble with the old line. They asked if you’d come in for a day or two to train the new guys.”

Harold waved his hand and replied, “They had their chance. I’m retired.”

Many people feel entitled to retire at a certain age. The eighth chapter of Numbers can conceivably be used to prove that retirement is a biblical concept because the Levites had a certain age at which they stopped serving. On the other hand, they didn’t completely stop working, so perhaps we should reexamine our idea that retirement is a right.

Num. 8:23 ¶ Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num. 8:24 “This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform their duty in the service of the tent of meeting.

Notice the number “twenty-five”. Previous chapters in Numbers explain the duties of the various families within the tribe of Levi. This verse tells us the Levites began serving in those roles when they turned twenty-five.

Num. 8:25 But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from their duty in the service and not serve anymore.

Now look at the number “fifty”. This verse tells us the Levites retired from service at the age of fifty. This probably did not apply to the priests themselves. It appears the priests, particularly the high priest, served until death (see Numbers 35:25).

The retirement age for the Levites was somewhat of a practical requirement. The duties of the Levites included setting up and tearing down the tabernacle, as well as carrying it through the wilderness. It made sense that men in their twenties, thirties, and forties would do that heavy labor.

Num. 8:26 They may, however, minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting in order to keep up their responsibility, but they themselves shall perform no service. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their responsibilities.”

Even though the Levites “retired” at the age of fifty, they didn’t necessarily stop completely. There was a provision for them to support those who were serving.

When we think about retirement in the 21st century, we need to accommodate the reality that elderly people have less strength and endurance. Thus, they need to do less labor, particularly physically demanding labor. On the other hand, elderly people have wisdom and experience which they can use to train and support those who are coming into the workforce. That resource should be used. Elderly people should be willing to be that resource.

Num. 9:1 ¶ Thus Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

Num. 9:2 “Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time.

Num. 9:3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall observe it at its appointed time; you shall observe it according to all its statutes and according to all its judgments.”

Num. 9:4 So Moses told the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover.

Num. 9:5 And they celebrated the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did.

Num. 9:6 But there were some men who were unclean because of a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; so they came near before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Num. 9:7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean because of a dead person. But why are we restrained from bringing near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?”

Num. 9:8 Moses therefore said to them, “Wait, and I will listen to what Yahweh will command concerning you.”

Num. 9:9 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num. 9:10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, celebrate the Passover to Yahweh.

Num. 9:11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Num. 9:12 They shall leave none of it until morning nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall celebrate it.

Num. 9:13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to celebrate the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not bring near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin.

Num. 9:14 If a sojourner sojourns among you and celebrates the Passover to Yahweh, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its judgment, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native of the land.’”

As people age, they lose strength and stamina. At some point, they lose the ability to perform certain tasks in the workforce. Just as the Levites retired at age fifty, so too it makes sense for people in the 21st century to retire from jobs when they can no longer physically do the job.

On the other hand, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only passage in the Bible that talks about retirement. Therefore, we should not necessarily feel we have a right to retire. Perhaps we should not think of retirement as the time when we stop working. Rather, we should think of retirement as the time when we transition to work that is appropriate for our age and ability.

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”