Day 2, More Insights

Longevity; How did people live so long in the early ages of the earth? Genesis 5

When they read the early chapters of Genesis, many people question how the people in that era lived so long. Another question is, why did their lives shorten considerably after the flood? Different theories have been given regarding the answer to these questions (see AnswersinGenesis.org). Here are three that could explain how people lived so long in the early ages of the earth and why that has not continued.

A Limited Gene Pool Affected Longevity

Answers in Genesis is an organization that gives scientific answers to questions people have about creation, the worldwide flood in Noah’s day, and other questions from the book of Genesis. As you may have read, people before the flood often lived 800-900 years. These creation scientists suggest that longevity in the days from Adam to Noah could mean that the longevity gene was present before Noah. However, due to a possible limited gene pool in his descendants, that gene may not have passed on to succeeding generations. Indeed, the oldest human born after the flood was Eber, who lived 464 years (Genesis 11:16-17),After that, the longevity of all people significantly decreased. Why?

Changed Environment Affected Longevity

The earth’s pre-flood condition was not one of the polar ice caps but a worldwide garden greenhouse. This provided an abundant amount of oxygen over the entire planet. An environmental protection vapor may have shielded people from the sun’s harmful aging rays and provided natural moisture for the plants (Genesis 1:29-30; Genesis 7:11-12).

This was not present after the flood. After the great flood and its reduced oxygen, the new environment may have reduced the length of life and the size of reptiles like dinosaurs (but that is another subject).

God Reduced Longevity

Perhaps, because of our sinful nature, God does not want us to continue living long lives. We may feel grief over the loss of a good person, but we feel relief over the death of an evil person.Can you imagine what the world would be like if bad people were allowed to live not 80-90 years but 800-900 years, again? Perhaps we would have needed another flood. Moses, the probable author of Genesis (Luke 24:27) and Psalm 90 is attributed to him. Psalm 90:1-3, 10 says,

…Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men….” The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. (NIV)

The point of Moses’ Psalm is that all of us will die one day. The typical age for passing in his day was 70-80 years, as it is now. Seeing the brevity of life, Moses prayed to God, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, NIV).

It is common for young people and adults to think only about living for today’s pleasures. We waste our lives doing unimportant things. Most of us want to live for a long time. However, it is not how long we live but how we live that is important. We need to use our opportunities for the LORD while we have them and teach that to our young people. As an anonymous person once wrote, “Only One Life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

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re-edited 10-23-2020

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