The Main Reason Why We Live Less Years

The average lifespan of the patriarchs according to the book of Genesis is 912 years. This is determined if we take into account the ages of all the patriarchs who lived in that period mentioned in Genesis Chapter 5 and Chapter 8. For example, we understand that the oldest man of that patriarchal period was Methuselah, who lived 969 years (Genesis 5 : 27), but Lamech only lived 777 years (Genesis 5:31). We do not take into account Enoch's age since he was raptured and saw no death (Genesis 5:23).

With this in mind, we wonder why man lives less today. Well, if we continue with the biblical account, men began to live less after the flood. It is interesting to see the following relationship:

From the above table we note that the main cause of man's death is sin. But, let us observe that as evil multiplies on earth, God decides to shorten man's stay on it; and with it, avoid so much evil on earth. Murders and other sins were already seen that degenerated man and made him less deserving of the blessing of living in this unique place created by God. After the flood the average life span was 317 years, if we take into account the years of life of the following men and their generations: Shem (600), Arphaxad (438), Shelah (433), Eber (464), Peleg ( 239), Reu (239), Serug (230), Nahor (148), Terah (205) and Abraham (175). All these ages we see in Genesis 11: 12-32 and 25: 7. Let us notice how the descent begins from Shem who lived 600 years to Terah who only lived 205.

It is interesting to see that death and aging, although many of us already know it, have to do with the sin factor. But, likewise, man's life depends on the purpose that God has for him, if he puts himself in his hands in obedience.

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"The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands."

Psalm 138:8

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This text lets us know that what God begins concludes, no matter how old you are or where you live or with whom you are, if you live under God's purpose, you will live long enough to see it fulfilled in your life. So he left you this truth:

"When we live under God's purpose, we will live as many years as He wants to see His purpose fulfilled in us."

This is true for a fundamental reason: When God sets out to achieve something, he does it because he wants it to. Nothing and no one will stop it. We are the ones who stop and abandon the projects. But He, He will not stop neither because of our old age, nor because of our illness, nor because of anything that we can experience in this world. Since He is the owner of life and our stay in this world is in His hands. This is how Moses, Joshua, Daniel, etc. lived and believed it.

Even though the Bible tells us that old age and death is the consequence of sin, we can see a different and comforting side to this issue. In Genesis 15:15, the Bible tells us of a purposeful promise that God gives to Abram: “As for you, you will go to your ancestors in peace; you will be buried in good old age. " I think the key phrase here is "good old age." And God fulfills this promise in Genesis 25: 8 where it says: "Then Abraham expired and died in a good old age, old and satisfied, and was gathered to his people", When it speaks of "satisfied", it also indicates "full of days" . Biblical characters, however, also like us, suffered the consequences of old age and death. Although we cannot guarantee how long we will live, what we can say is that if we live faithful to God and his purposes for our lives; then we will live better days and a full or satisfying life.

God knows how long we are going to live, He is the owner of life, He lives from eternity to eternity. And more importantly, God loves and respects aging people a lot, especially if they are faithful to Him. Naomi, now an old woman, was told: “Blessed be the Lord… who will be the restorer of your soul, and will sustain your old age; Ruth 4:15

Finally, she remembers that God never abandons his own, no matter our age, he does not forget us, he does not leave us aside, that is why our prayer must be the same as the psalmist:

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"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come."

Psalm 71:18

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Next week, I will bring another interesting subject in relation to God and His word. Until then. †