10.18.23
As Old as Methuselah!
And Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Lamech. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech 782 years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were 969 years; and he died. (Genesis 5:23-25)
No doubt we have all heard someone say something like, “That building is as old as Methuselah!” We understand what is meant by such comments, as it is said that Methuselah was the oldest man to ever live. But, did he really live to be 969 years old? Did people really live that long in the early days before and after the Flood?
According to the Bible, for the next 1500 years after Adam fell, men lived such long lives that most were either contemporary with Adam, or knew someone who was. Excluding Enoch, who was taken to heaven at age 65, the ten patriarchs who preceded the Great Flood lived an average of 912 years. After the Flood, however, the Bible records a progressive decline in the lifespan of the patriarchs. While Noah lived to be 950, it had changed by the time of Abraham who lived to be ‘only’ 175.
Moses lived to be 120, but he was an exception in his day. In the only psalm attributed to him, he wrote of his contemporaries: The days of our lives are 70 years; and if by reason of strength they are 80 years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)
Today the longest anyone lives is still in the 110-120 year range; and the average lifespan is still what Moses presented, 70-80 years.
So what contributed to the long lifespans prior to the Flood, and the decline after it? Something must have changed. There were two basic changes: environmental and biological.
There was a great environmental change. The fossil record declares that most of the earth prior to the Flood was tropical. Why this was so is still debated. However, one strong suggestion is that prior to Noah’s day, before it rained for the first time, the earth was covered by a moisture canopy. This is referred to in Genesis as ‘the firmament.’ When it broke apart, thus sending torrents of rain upon the earth, it also let in more direct rays from the sun. These have proven to be both beneficial and harmful.
After the Flood, the climate became varied. The catastrophic changes to the earth and the atmosphere resulted in an ice age that covered perhaps a third of the earth, mostly in the northern hemisphere. Mankind has had to deal with fluctuating, and often harsh temperatures and climate ever since. This has greatly impacted lifespans
Then there was great change biologically. Sin brought the breakdown of the human body, and with it disease, mutations and deformities. All of these things contributed to the lessening of the length of life.
Even a lifespan of almost 1000 years is sadly far short of what God intended. The LORD created man to live forever. He warned them that if they ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would begin to die. Eve was deceived by Satan, and ate the fruit. Adam, knowing what he was doing, also ate the fruit.
It is only because God loves the world and sent His only Son to die in our place that we are able to escape eternal death and live forever. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)