Why were our lifespans reduced?

Mastermind · Post by **Mastermind** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 5:06 pm

I read most of Genesis, did I miss the reason why?

Prodigal Son · Post by **Prodigal Son** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 5:09 pm

i think we started falling further and further from perfection.

JBirdAngel · Post by **JBirdAngel** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 5:54 pm

I think i agree with colors, also that was the explinataion i found in a children's book at the hospital. But as sin corrupts us and affects us more and more our lives get shorter. Adam and Eve and those others probably also didnt get sick as much, if at all, as the things that make us sick probably were not as prevelant, and also being closer to the original creation and perfect human body they probably were not really susceptable to diseases.

Also note how birthdefects and such arent really in the beginning, as we fall i believe our genetics fails as well, that is why i suffer from migraines, others have mental illnesses and so on, our bodies are not waht they once were, and not what they will be when Jesus returns. Just as the world is falling more apart as well the atmosphere is degrading and other things, that is largely do to human action, but still is a result of sin, plus i imagine there are more earthquakes and such now then there was.

Deborah · Post by **Deborah** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:07 pm

to give us less time to mess up I suspect

Kurieuo · Post by **Kurieuo** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:13 pm

The context within Genesis 6:3, where the lifespan is reduced to 120 years, is associated with the evil that existed at Noah's time. Therefore there is the implication that the longer mankind lives, that such facilitates evil lasting longer, and great evil happening I suppose under tyrants and whatnot.

There is also a page on the long life spans at http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/longlife.html, which you might be interested in if you haven't already read it.

Kurieuo.

Mastermind · Post by **Mastermind** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:14 pm

when you edit, there's a checkbox that allows you to delete your post. Is there any reason given in the Bible, or are you guys just speculating?

JBirdAngel · Post by **JBirdAngel** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:29 pm

why did you list the point about editing?

Also some people think that the 120 years was God limiting all mens life time, some people believe that refers to 120 years before teh flood, some people think it means 120 years left in Adams life or something like that, the 120 years doesnt for certain refer to the life of people, and certainly cant as there have been people in recent years who have lived over 120 years.

I do not know if the Bible actually gives a reason, I believe at some point when talking about the horrors at the end of the world that Jesus says that the days will be shortened.. i wonder if this could mean shorter lifespans?

Mastermind · Post by **Mastermind** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:35 pm

Deb asked about deleting a post.

Thanks K, I'll look that over in a second.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:13 pm

you can see after the flood the people's lifespan exponentially decrease, it goes 400, 200, then around 100.

It seems the simple explanation for it is probably the most likely one. The longer you live, the more sin you commit.

Mastermind · Post by **Mastermind** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:16 pm

I was under the impression that the quanitity of sins doesn't have much effect on our eternal life...

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:35 pm

well people were rejecting God by rejecting their conscience and we are told of the rampant sin which would indicate this.

I mean why would God ultimately give us less time to mend our ways?

I assume probably because we can't, so better to end our ways sooner. Its just something God planned as far as i'm concerned and the rampant sin at the time was his way of implimenting a change he had in his mind all a long. The change has allowed us to be closer to him has it not? I mean living 900 years would probably mean you are likely to forget about God or feel he isn't necessary because death would have been a concept so far away.

Mastermind · Post by **Mastermind** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:40 pm

Death seems a pretty far away concept to me as is though. Maybe God did it to put another obstacle in our path that we need to overcome.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:43 pm

yep its probably part of it...

You do agree it was for our benefit right?

Mastermind · Post by **Mastermind** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:58 pm

I assume everything God does is for our benefit. I cannot say I know what exactly that benefit may be though.

JBirdAngel · Post by **JBirdAngel** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:58 pm

just thought id comment, i understand what your saying, but i dont really agree, God does time and time again in the Bible give people more time to repent and such, in both the OT and the NT, I think that shorter lives has more to do with the affect of sin on everything, i dont think there were as many health problems in the past, like in the days before the fload and after i doubt there was aids and cancer and birth deformities and such, all these things that are alot more common place today were probably so rare that they were unheard of, if they existed at all, sin is perpetual, it keeps growing, as you can see it started off with one sin and now everything is sin, its kind of like lieing, if you lie once it often times spreads to having to lie several times. I think that sin causes death, or that to be away from God causes death, and sin causes us to be away from God, God is life, to be completley away from Him is to be dead. So i dont know, but also shorter lifes may be to help prepare for what is now and ahead, the end times are or are going to be really hard, even if this isnt the end times some people know just how hard this life is, we all do, some unfortunatly more than others, i really dont think i can last to being 70 years old let alone more, i couldnt imagine having to live for 900 years, i couldndt handle it...