Why did God change the lifespan of humans?
Today we pick up in Genesis 6:1
Since Adam and Eve’s fall and subsequent move outside of the Garden of Eden, the number of human beings increased greatly, as did the wickedness of the world. Around that time, God decided that He would shorten the number of days that a human could live. In verse 3, Adonai says, “My spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be 120.”
We witnessed in a previous chapter that spoke of Seth’s decendants, that many of the men, including Adam, lived to almost 1,000 years old. We find out at the end of Noah’s story, that he lived to 950. Later on in the Old Testament, we learn that Abraham lived to 175. The Word says Moses lived to 120. There were other legends in the Bible that lived past 120, but God purposefully shortened the life span from the 900s. Today it’s very rare and always celebrated to see anyone over the age of 100.
There are scholars who like to argue if humans ever actually lived as old as it shows people did in the old testament. Do your own research and see what God reveals to you.
Fun fact… In this story, not only do we learn that God changed the life-span to 120, that is also the exact number of years between the time of that decision and when the flood came. He gave Noah 120 years to build the Ark. Which meant He also gave humans during that time 120 years to turn from their wicked ways and follow Him. They had no idea there was a deadline for their time of wickedness.
Fact: There is a deadline for everyone. The time for wickedness and rebelling from God has an end-date in His master plan.
So why did God change the lifespan of humans?
God has always been interested in human beings and their well-being; He created us, He loves us. After the fall of Adam and Eve, God saw how sinful humanity had become. In Genesis 6, we see that God changes the lifespan of humans from almost a thousand years to just a couple hundred max. Could this have been done as a way to give humans a chance to repent and return to Him while they were still alive instead of living out their entire lives in sinfulness? Additionally, shorter lifespans would have helped curb population growth which could have gotten out of control if everyone lived for centuries. Whatever the reason, we see that God is merciful and loving even in His judgement. And because of His great love for us, He sent His only Son to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life with Him. (John 3:16) So no matter how long or short our lives may be, let us remember that it is all about loving Him wholeheartedly and serving Him during our time on earth. (Mark 12) Then, we get to spend eternity with our Heavenly Father.
God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth
God’s love for His people is so strong; it crushed Him to see such great wickedness. There is no where we can hide that He doesn’t see us and hear us; He knows our hearts. Despite the choice of humanity to disregard God’s ways, He promised to be steadfast and although He abhors sin and will judge it, He is merciful and full of grace for those who repent and turn from their sinful ways. It is through this grace that God continually extends His invitation for us to turn away from evil and choose righteousness instead. May all of us cling tightly to this message of love with faith in God’s promises, trust that He will lead our journeys no matter the roads we take, and seek solace in knowing that His love never fails, even when we fail Him.
The earth was filled with violence
As it is written in the scriptures, the earth was filled with violence. In these times of turmoil, it is essential to draw strength from our faith in Adonai to bring peace and joy into our lives. We must remember that this too shall pass and our God will provide us with assurance and hope. As we strive to be obedient to Him and to help cultivate peace on earth, let us lean on the power of prayer to help guide our paths. May we live our lives looking for how to follow all Adonai’s commands and walk in the way Jesus our Messiah walked spreading the Good News.
So God decided to destroy everything that He had made
God sure had a difficult decision to make but He always knows what is best . Looking back at the situation, it is easy to see how much wisdom and love God has for His Creation. Even though He chose to destroy everything in order to bring about a greater good, we can still be thankful and find solace in His love. God’s mercy endures forever and serves as a reminder of the importance of following His commands. Therefore, with faith in our hearts we can forge ahead knowing that through trials and tribulations, God will keep us safe until the day of redemption. May we always trust that when faced with difficult decisions God will lead us towards His truth if we cling to Him and follow His ways!
Noah found favor in the eyes of God because he was a righteous man
Noah was blessed for he showed an unwavering faith in God and remained righteous despite a wicked world. His goodness and trust in the Lord shone through his everyday actions as he held steadfast to the truth and followed the Father’s instructions. Though many thought his dedication foolish, Noah stuck to his values and was granted a spectacular reward for it; the favor of God. Through God’s goodwill, Noah became a great example that living in righteousness will lead us to His grace and peace.
So God spared Noah and his family from the destruction
In times of distress, it can be easy to think God has abandoned us; however, it’s important to remember that God spared Noah and his family from an immense destruction by providing them with the opportunity to construct what was known as the ark. What an amazing privilege! Not only did God choose to look after his followers in troubled times, he gave them a chance to demonstrate their trust by following his exact instructions for building the ark. So when we find ourselves struggling in life, let us keep our faith strong and rely on God’s protection and follow His instructions – just like Noah did – knowing that He will provide us a way through any storm and be with us every step of the way. He will always bless our obedience if we will stay the course with Him.
After the flood, God promised never again to destroy all life on earth
After the great flood, God made a covenant with all of us that he would never again destroy every living creature on earth. That promise was in the form of a beautiful multi-colored rainbow in the sky. This incredible promise encourages us to remember and have faith, even in the wake of natural disasters and difficult times. Scripture assures us that God holds goodness and mercy close and that His steadfast love will not be taken away from us (Lamentations 3:22), despite any hardships we may face on our earthly journey. Therefore, even if dark clouds crest the horizon, let’s remember to keep hope alive because God is always looking over us in love and protection from above.
As we can see from the story of Noah, God is creative and powerful. He saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and decided to destroy everything He had made but favored Noah because he was a righteous man. If you are feeling discouraged today, remember that God is still on His throne and He is interested in your faithfulness even when the world around you seems dark and filled with violence. Trust Him in all circumstances and turn back to Him if you have strayed away. He will forgive you if you repent and daily study His word from Genesis to Revelation and walk in His ways.
If you dig deeper into studying this passage, and do the math that many like to skip over when God talks about the day and month things happen, the numbers calculate here to Noah and his family being in the Ark for 1 year and 20 days. God loves numbers. When you start paying attention to them and studying why He’s mentioning them, He starts revealing mysteries behind the numbers. There is always meaning in the numbers and never a coincidence when you see the numbers repeated.
It’s a really fascinating study just on God’s numbers and what He is trying to show us if we will just take time to stop and listen.
As always, I recommend taking time to read this story first-hand and see what God shows you.
God bless you.