THE MAN WHO LIVED THE LONGEST LIFE ON EARTH

Shepherd's Guidance 7/2020

15 April 2020

Dear Members in Christ,

The Man Who Lived The Longest Life On Earth

Genesis 5:22 - 27

Many people hope to live to a ripe old age. Longevity is a sign of physical blessings. According to a newspaper report, there is an entrepreneur who openly said that he wished to live up to one hundred years old. He lived a very disciplined life. He works hard and make time for regular physical exercise. He tries to keep fit. We wish him well. We may aspire to live a long life but the Lord is the one who determines our lifespan on earth.

There’s a man in the Bible who lived the longest on earth. He lived up to 969 years old. This is unbelievable in our age. His name means "when he dies, it shall come." What a name. I have never heard of anyone who gave a name to a child with the meaning related to death. Every time his name is being called, the thought of death and judgment comes to the mind of the hearers. Though many people didn’t like the name, the Lord blest Methuselah with such an age close to a thousand years!

The Lord gave the above-mentioned message to the people around Methuselah that when Methuselah dies, divine judgment will come. His father Enoch knew it, his son Lamech knew it, his grandson Noah knew it. Certainly Noah’s children were instructed about this and made preparations. We can see the Lord was very grieved by the great wickedness of men in Genesis chapter 6. The Lord could see their continual evil imaginations. The earth is filled with violence and God promised to send the global judgment of the flood. But the Lord is gracious, He was waiting for men and women to turn to Him in repentance and faith. He was willing to pardon their sins.

He waited for them while He asked Noah to build the ark. Noah and his godly ancestors witnessed for the Lord and His Word but the people would not believe. They hardened their hearts. Noah did warn the world in his time of the impending judgment of the global flood. That was why the Lord told him to build the ark of salvation. He preached about this for 120 years. The unbelieving world thought he was a fool. Nobody took it seriously except his own family members. When Noah turned 600 years old, Methuselah died and that was the day of global judgment of the flood. When God shut the door of the ark, only Noah and his family members were saved.

The mill of God grinds slowly but surely. The world may ridicule that God will judge the world one day. The day of divine judgment will arrive one day. All the people must prepare to meet the Lord. The Lord is righteous that He will judge the sins of man. The Lord is merciful that He wishes the sinners may repent and trust in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Turn to the Lord while there is mercy with Him. Flee from the wrath of the Lord. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The lifespan of man was reduced to around 200 years old from the average 900-years old before the flood at the time of Abraham and then reduced to less than one hundred. Psalm 90:10 says “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years…” Here we witness the effects of sin. The world is troubled by the effects of sin. May the Lord use us to witness for His gospel of salvation. Acts 17: 30-31 says: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Who knows how the Lord may use us to save some people. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

Rev. Lee Kim Shong