Ep. 75 | Growing Old | Genesis

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Genesis 7:11-12. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

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Every story has a beginning. And if you don't understand the beginning, you'll likely misunderstand everything that follows. Welcome to Formed by the Word. Currently, we're going back to the very beginning as we look together at the first 11 chapters of Genesis. These chapters explain our world, our struggles, and much about ourselves. We'll see beauty and brokenness, purpose and pride, judgment and grace. We'll watch humanity fall and see that God already had a plan to restore his relationship with us. The Bible doesn't start with a problem, it starts with a perfect God, and that changes everything. So, wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, because the God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking today. So, quick question for you. If you could live to be 500 years old in perfect health, would you want to? Most of us would say yes without hesitation. Who wouldn't, right? Then I could see my grandchildren's children and their children and their children. Sounds fascinating, doesn't it? But here's something fascinating. The earliest humans did live that long, and much longer. So what happened? Why did God design us for such long lives in the beginning? And what does that reveal about his heart for humanity today? Well, by now in our study of Genesis, you've probably noted in our earlier readings that up to Genesis 6 and up to where we are now, people are living an unthinkable number of years. Well, even Noah. In fact, here's what the text says that we've been nestled in for the last few days. It says, in the 600th year of Noah's life, in the second month on the 17th day of the month, on that day, all the sources of the vast watery depths burst open. So the flood began on the 600th year, or in the 600th year of Noah's life. Wow. In Genesis 5, we've seen that Adam lived to be 930 years old. His son Seth was 912 years old when he died. Seth's son, 910 years, Methuselah, the oldest of all, 969 years, and even Noah is 950 years old when he dies. But curiously, as we move forward into Genesis, we will see that after the flood, there's a gradual shortening of the lifespan. Noah's son Shem only to be 600 years old, and then his son only 438 years old. And by the time we get to the father of Abraham, Terah only lived 148 years. Wow. We laugh when we say only 148, but we begin to notice the decline in the number of years that a man lives. After the 400-year bondage in Egypt, Moses lived to be 120 years. Joshua 110 years. But by the time we get to the period of the kings, King David died at 70, Solomon at 80, which is where things have stood, I suppose you could say, for 3,000 years, 70 or 80 years at the best. That's what the songwriters said. Well, maybe you've been thinking, so why did people live so long before the flood? Well, that is when you were taking a time out from wondering about the dinosaurs. So I decided to address this question anyway. So we'll just say the dinosaurs for another day. Many people would be quick to give an answer about the old age thing, but as far as I can see, the Bible does not state explicitly why God would ordain that early mankind would live so long. However, I think it's a good thing for us to ponder. It's a good thing for us to question, and certainly I've been questioned about it a lot, and I've wondered myself about this question. Why is it that mankind before the flood grew so old and then afterwards not? Well, when that's this very question, Pastor John Piper handled this subject very well. Let me share with you what he said. He said, We know from the story of creation in Genesis 1 through 3 and in Romans 5, 12 through 14, that death was not intended to be a part of the perfect world before sin entered the world, and with it came death. Death was threatened by God as a penalty for disobedience, Genesis 2.17. Therefore, the presence of death in the world is not a natural part of the original perfect creation, but a judicial part of the falling creation. It's a punishment. Well, other many other scholarship and particularly conservative Bible scholars and creation scientists would agree with Piper and take the ages at face value and propose several possible and very reasonable explanations. One, some say there is the literal historical explanation. Many suggest that the longer lives were due to pure genetics. For example, Adam and Eve were created perfect. Early humans had far fewer harmful mutations. Over generations, genetic mistakes began to accumulate, especially after the flood's bottleneck with only eight people surviving, leading to faster aging and shorter lives. Some argue for a better pre-flood environment. They cite a possible water vapor canopy. They get it from Genesis chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, if you want to check that out. Some believe the earth is shielded from harmful cosmic radiation and created a more stable greenhouse-like climate with less disease and stress on the body. Others point to a superior diet, less pollution, a more ideal world before the catastrophic changes of the flood. Well, these factors all may well have resulted in a slower aging process. Early humans may have had a slower biological degeneration. No doubt the flood dramatically altered the atmospheric pressure, the radiation levels and climate, accelerating aging after the flood. All of those things make sense to me. One final thought I'd mention. Some scholars and thinkers argue that long lives allowed for rapid population growth, knowledge transfer, and the spread of godliness before widespread corruption. Well, there's a lot we don't know about, and all of this is somewhat speculative, but this much we know. I'm pretty sure that at least one reason the early long lives are recorded here is to bear testimony to the fall and to the nature of the fall. Long lives highlight how good God's original creation was and how far we've fallen because of sin. They remind us that death and short life were not the original design. The Bible clearly presents these people as real people, with real, maybe extraordinary, but real lifespans in a very different world. Whether you lean literal and environmental or genetic or more symbolic, the key to the message I think remains humanity was created for life, not death. And sin brought decay and limitation, and God is sovereign over life and death. We have to remember that time is not an issue with God. The psalmist writes in Psalm 90 these words. He says, A thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it's past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood. They are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning, for all our days pass away under your wrath. That's the judicial part of death. We bring our years to an end like a sigh. Oh, what a word. Can I read that again? We bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of life are seventy, or even by reason of strength, eighty, yet their span is but toil and trouble. They are soon gone, and we fly. So why does this really matter? Again, reading Piper's thoughts, Piper suggests if we ask what the aim of this divine judgment is, the answer is at least partly to make us aware that sin is horrible, sin is a great outrage against God, and life is short, and eternity is long, and we need wisdom to know how to think and live, and with so little time on earth compared to eternity. So the psalmist praise, O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting I am. Behold, you have made my days a few hand breads, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath. Surely a man goes about as a shadow. Psalm thirty nine, verses four to six. Well, surely our life is but a vapor. Think about that today. It moves so quickly. Our message to the world should be your life is a vapor. Take hold of what lasts. Take hold of God, take hold of Christ, take hold of the gospel. One final word from Pastor Piper. He says, God's point to the world in the brevity of life is that a trumpet blast be sounded from every funeral. Millions upon millions of funerals. Let it blast. Look away. Look away from this mortal life. Look away from this fallen world of sin and corruption and futility. Look for your portion and your hope and your treasure outside this world. Look to God. Look to Christ. Look to the gospel. That's the point of mortality. Well, let me quickly sum up a couple of applications here. I think we learn from this whole idea that God designed us for life. That sin brought death and decay, not just spiritual death, it brought physical decline. And that God is in the business of restoring life. Jesus came so we could have life and have it to the full. Well, I hope this has helped today. Maybe I've answered or given more questions than answers, but ponder it. Think about it. It's important. Father, thank you that you were you created us for life, not death. Thank you for the reminder and genesis of your original good design. Lord, forgive us for the ways we've accepted small defeated living. Transfer us afresh into the vibrant life of your kingdom. Help us, Lord, to obey you fully and bring your life into the broken places around us. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.