Who is an Adult?

In our society, America has deemed all those 18 years and older as legal adults. I’m not sure of the history on how we decided on this age as adulthood, but perhaps because it is around the time that our children are finished with high school? No matter the history, I’ve always thought that young men and women mature so much from 18 to their early 20’s. As I read through the Old Testament recently, I noticed something very interesting about who the Lord mentioned as adults.

Every time the Lord spoke of who was responsible to do certain things, He would say that the adults were responsible. I found it so fascinating who He described as adults! Here are some examples:

Exodus 30:14

(in telling who needs to give the sacred offerings) - All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the Lord.

Numbers 1:2-3

(in telling Moses who to register for the military) - From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops

Numbers 32:11

(in relaying how the accountable adults would not get to see the promised land) - Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly.

Exodus 38:26

(in describing who paid the required temple tax) - This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census. (The tax is one beka, which is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel.) The tax was collected from 603,550 men who had reached their twentieth birthday.

I do not have a grand hope of changing anyone’s mind in our culture about what age should be considered adult. However, I did find this fascinating since these decrees were set forth by the Lord and each time He wanted to reiterate who was a responsible adult He mentions twenty years and older. It changed the way I think of adulthood and helps me not feel like I have to see things a certain way just because my culture does. I laugh because now when something is said about 18 years old being an adult, my kids will say, “Except the Bible says that 20 years old is an adult”. :-)

Father God, thank You for the fun, interesting things we find in Your Word. I love finding out cool things that confirm something I have noticed before in life. Thank You for Your direction on how I should approach age with my children.

#adult