It’s right and good for grandparents to see that kind of godly grandchildren with a kind of pride. But it’s not the kind of pride that says, “Look at my accomplishment. Look what I’ve done.” It’s the kind of pride that says, “Look at God’s accomplishment! Look what God has done!”

“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged.” This is one of those proverbs I’ve been meaning to explore for a long time. But finally, over the summer, I had time and opportunity to spend a couple of weeks pondering it and trying to figure it out. And as I did so, I found a few ways to be both challenged and encouraged by it.

“The aged” obviously refers to elderly people. But because these words are found in the book of Proverbs, we know that they must refer to a certain kind of elderly people—ones who over the course of their lives have followed the way of wisdom rather than the way of folly, and who are now seeing the many benefits of living such a good life.

We need to remember that Proverbs presents a kind of idealized life based on living according to wisdom. Proverbs indicates, “If you live in this way, these are generally the results that will follow.” These results aren’t guaranteed, but are typical. According to Proverbs, and really the whole Old Testament, a wise life generally leads to children and grandchildren. (See, for example, Psalm 128 which seems to perfectly capture the great desire of every Israelite heart: “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! … Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. … May you see your children’s children!”) It’s clear that God’s blessings are upon those who live in wisdom, and his blessings generally include marriage, then children, and then grandchildren.

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