“Too Young To Be Old”

Monday, August 28, 2017

Is there an answer in the Bible as to WHY God made the life span of man from 900 years (before the flood) to 120 years (after the flood) and then in Ps. 90, Moses says it has dropped to 70 years?  Is there any Bible explanation for this?  I am supposed to teach Sunday school this Sunday, and I can't find a Bible answer.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Teach This Teacher

Dear Teach This Teacher,

There is no specific answer as to why God allowed the age of man to deteriorate down to seventy to eighty years (Ps 90:10) from the hundreds of years that people lived during the pre-Flood era, but many creation scientists attribute the drop to genetic degradation.  As mankind’s genetic pool has deteriorated from the perfect specimens of Adam and Eve, the length of our lives has suffered.  At least, that is one theory.

Now let’s address the ‘120 year’ reference that you made.  That reference comes from Gen. 6:3.  Gen 6:3 isn’t a statement concerning the maximum age for all people; it was the length of time God waited until flooding the earth.  Genesis 6 is the beginning of the account of Noah’s Flood.  God said that He would only put up with the wickedness of mankind for another 120 years because all their thoughts and ways were evil (Gen 6:5-7).  During that 120-year period, God tasked Noah with building an ark for the safety of his family and the collection of all the animal kinds (Gen 6:13-21).  That verse is a flood verse, not a proclamation of the age limit for humans.

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