Older Than Methuselah

Today's 5/27 verse is Gen 5:27, "So Methuselah lived 969 years, and he died."  (Amplified Bible)

I love verses like this.  Normally, you wouldn't see this quoted or discussed very often.  That's why it's fun for me to share my Facebook Page, "A Verse Each Day", with you.  It gives me an excuse to bring out obscure verses in the bible and comment on them.  I really get excited when such a verse has coinciding numbers with the date.  Today is one of those days.  Genesis Chapter Five is about the history of the descendants of Adam.  I think Methuselah gets the AARP prize for endurance.  Thus comes the term, "older than Methuselah". 

This part of the bible in so intriguing to me.  I love both the New and Old Testament, but some of the information in the Old Testament just fascinates me; like the verse above.  How many people do you know that even live to be in their 100's, much less way up into their 900's?  That really blows my mind!  I'm starting to feel creaky and cranky at the youthful age of 50...if I multiply my age by almost 20, I'd be Methuselah's age.  I guess it's pretty obvious that we're just not as resilient in our generation as Methuselah was in his.

I was really curious about this monumental difference in life spans a few years ago.  I searched the bible for any information as to why Methuselah lived to be almost 1000 years old.  What I found surprised me, to say the least.  In the sixth chapter of Genesis, it appears that God had gotten a little exasperated at the antics of people and, in verse 3, He declared, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh.  In the future, they will live no more than 120 years."  It goes on to talk about the wickedness of people breaking God's heart and making Him sorry He ever created them.  It makes me want to say to the spoilers, "Thanks a lot for cutting life short for the rest of us.  What were you thinking?!" 

It also gets me to thinking about how twisted and evil today's world has become.  It sort of makes me pause, and wonder how long God is going to put up with us.  I know I won't live to be older than Methuselah here on earth.  I'll be grateful for each day the good Lord does allow me to live.  But the birthdays I really look forward to celebrating are on a celestial realm.  In heaven, we will all celebrate birthdays for eternity.  Maybe then, we can finally say, "We're older than Methuselah." 

I'm looking forward to those senior years in my eternal home.  Can you picture it now?  A thousand years into eternity, and we'll be doing a holy zumba around the throne of the King.  Now, that's what I'm talkin' about!  Let the good times roll.