Bible is our Adviser
Bible is our adviser – The scriptures are filled with guidance.
When the Bible advises one thing and senses seem to disagree, to whom will you listen? When using a GPS, you trust it will lead in the right direction. When your doctor prescribes a prescription, you listen and take his advice. When your teacher in school taught you how to solve a mathematical question, you again listen. We are good in every aspect of listening, but do we do what they taught, their advice, and guidance? Maybe not all.
Human intelligence is limited. We learned from school and learned by experience. We also learned something from people close to friends; relatives, friends of friends, and us. We acquired knowledge from the church, community, reading books, audio and video media, and word of mouth. Sometimes we pay to learn and are free from generous people, charity organizations, and government-sponsored learning schools. After all, we are enlightened that the word of God guides us to be, and that is the only way to meet Him face to face. Let us proceed with what the Bible tells us about life expectancy.
Genesis 6:1-3 (120 years) “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, (2) that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. (3) The LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
God ordained the lifespan of man (human) to be 120 years old. Some may not reach that peak, and some may have a little bonus, but it’s God’s secret why some may live over that upper limit of 120. A French woman lived 122 years and passed in 1997.
Once again! The lifespan given to Noah’s people was 120 years, and the flood took their life away. When the LORD saw the wickedness of man that every thought of their hearts was only evil, then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”—Genesis 6:3. Read the whole context in Genesis 6:1-22.
Psalm 90:10 is attributed to Moses, where human life expectancy was reduced significantly to 70 or 80 depending on health issues or conditions of the body. Many interpretations, beliefs, and some even claimed self-revelation that it was given only to Moses’ people. “The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even because of strength fourscore years… due to disobedience. The lifespan was cut short during the time of Noah and Moses. Read the context, including the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90:1-17.
There were three kinds of people during ancient Israel; the Jews, the Gentiles, and the unbelievers. Abraham was the first Jew, Noah, and his families were non-Jews (Gentiles), and both the Jews and Gentiles that did not believe or the unbelievers were the third group of people. If you believe in the story that we are descendants of one of the three sons of Noah. Then we are brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers by grace, and we should live in peace with respect for each other, which will surely please our Father in heaven.
Abraham is a descendant of Noah’s son Shem (Genesis 11:10-28). Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, with their wives, were saved from the flood, which is recorded in Genesis 9. “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” The earth was once again repopulated.
DNA testing today is far from getting closer; the sample available is 200 years only. If that satisfies your curiosity, go ahead. That is the only way you find out. To know or not to know that is the question. How important is it to you? You decide! We will never find in our lifetime who we descended from. The best advice is to refocus on getting our priorities right while enjoying our life with our loved ones and, secondly, to remain focused on the glory that awaits us are more promising. With these two focuses, we deal with our present physical happiness and, simultaneously, our joy with the spiritual, which are the things to come.