Why are such long lives recorded in Genesis?

Quick answer

We aren't certain why people lived such long lives in the time of Genesis, but one possibility is divine intervention: God himself gave people extended lives to accomplish His purposes, such as populating the earth. Those longer lives give us perspective on our own life and death and God's original design for eternal life.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible does not provide a direct explanation for why people before the flood lived such long lives. Scholars have proposed many theories, ranging from physical environment to spiritual reasons. Certainly, one effect of those long lives was that people could more quickly populate the earth, as God commanded in Genesis 1:28. A lack of disease and more pristine environment before the flood could have helped extend lives.

Someone who lived for centuries could accumulate vast knowledge, helping create civilization and culture, and making advances in areas such as technology and music (Genesis 4:21-22). Between the times of Adam and Noah, it is reasonable to assume that God’s oral revelation was communicated and preserved from generation to generation until it was ultimately written down in the days of Moses. Extended lifespans helped facilitate the oral tradition. For us today, those long lives contrast with our short lives, highlighting our need to understand physical death and God's plan for eternal life through belief in the person and works of Jesus Christ.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Our shortened lifespan today is a blessing. A good man could accomplish great things in 900 years, but Genesis 6 illustrates that long life doesn't equate to a good heart. An evil man with 900 years to scheme can do an incredible amount of damage—so much so that God saw fit to destroy the entire world. As God protected fallen man from living forever in Genesis 3:22, He protected us from living long enough to sin as badly as the generations in Genesis had.

As we ponder our own life and inevitable death, we can reflect on the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90. Verse 12 asks God to teach us to number our days in order to realize the brevity of life so we may grow in wisdom. We grow in wisdom by believing the gospel of Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24;30).

UNDERSTAND

REFLECT

ENGAGE