And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Genesis 6:3
How old do you expect to live? Life insurance experts say you will live two-thirds of the years between your current age and 85. That’s a far cry from the 120 years promised in today’s text.
Why 120? It seems that God was cutting short the very long lives of the early fathers of our race. Methuselah lived to 969, Adam not much less, and others lived many hundreds of years. But as the sinfulness of men became more and more pronounced, God placed a limit on that longevity. Young men who could look forward to centuries of life were suddenly faced with a much lower prospect. In one way, God was telling them that life here on earth is temporary, and that eternity is more important.
The 120-year limit was also a ceiling to which modern-day medical science can aspire. By helping us to live longer and better, scientists can reach out toward that mark. This verse places limits on what the experts hope to achieve, however. Their dreams of extending life well into the second century must stop at or near this wall.
But God’s primary purpose in placing a 120-year limit on life is to make us realize that His spirit will not always strive with us. Sinners need to realize that there is a physical limit to when they can respond to God’s entreaty for repentance and faith in His Son. We as believers need to realize that there is a limit to the time God can work with us to make us into the Christians we should be. There is a limit to the years we can read and study Scripture, to take part in Assembly activities, spread the Gospel, live a good testimony in the world.
We are mortal. Life is short. Live for Him! -Jim MacIntosh