It says God shortened our life to 120 years, but then a few chapters later it talks about Jacob living to be like 180 years old or something... wtf?
2007-12-23 17:11:26 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Where in the bible? He never said he shortened our life to 120 years.
2007-12-23 17:43:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
You cannot take such numbers in a literalistic sense. 120 represents the "average" lifespan of a human being. We have to be given the "average" before we can appreciate how much longer than the average 180 is.
The point is the Bible, often in the OT, demonstrates someone having been touched by God and given some sort of Authority over others with illustrations that often include an unnaturally long life-span.
2007-12-26 15:11:57 · answer #2 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Genesis 6:3
Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
This refers to how long God would contend with man. 120 years later, the first rain drops fell and the flood began. Noah's, Grandfather, Methuselah, lived right up until the flood. His Hebrew name has a very interesting meaning- When he dies, it will be sent.
Methuselah signifies, he dies, or there is a dart, or, a sending forth, namely, of the deluge, which came the very year that Methuselah died. If indeed his name was so intended and so explained, it was fair warning to a careless world, a long time before the judgment came.
2007-12-24 02:03:44 · answer #3 · answered by Theophilus 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I totally agree with wristshot: DON'T make accusations against the bible saying there's contradictions when you can't even post the book, chapter and verse you're talking about. You have to read MORE than just one verse to get the whole picture! I also am tired of people saying the bible has many contradictions without even posting the verse they're talking about. You simply don't understand the verse in full context! Read the WHOLE thing - not just one verse!
2007-12-24 01:50:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
The life span of the ten generations from Adam to Noah averaged more than 850 years each. But after Noah, man’s life span dropped off sharply. Abraham, for example, lived only 175 years.Today, much as it was in the time of Moses, people living under favorable conditions may reach 70 or 80 years of age. Moses wrote: “In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; and if because of special mightiness they are eighty years, yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things; for it must quickly pass by, and away we fly.” (Ps 90:10) Some few may live longer, but Moses stated the general rule. Moses himself, who lived 120 years, was an exception, as were his brother Aaron (123 years), Joshua (110 years), and some others whose strength and vitality were unusual.
2007-12-24 02:08:24 · answer #5 · answered by conundrum 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
YES THE BIBLE IS FULL OF CONTRADICTIONS!!!!!!!!
And I'm not even going to give an example of this, try Richard Dawkin's "God Delusion" there's a chapter that gives examples of contradictions among the Gospels. Also try to do a net search and find a good site on this.
As for the question.
Why should god dictate how long a human lives? When science achieve greater and greater discoveries and successes, human will live way beyond 180 years.
2007-12-24 02:04:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
First off... God said "yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." It was then 120 years before the flood came.
The other thing, yes most Bible scholars think this had dual meaning, both about how long till the flood, and about lifespans, but God didn't say WHEN He would start enacting that limit. Noah was already well past that age, if God had enacted it right away who would have built the ark. God's timing is not rushed like ours. He promised the savior in the Garden of Eden and then waited 4000 or more years?
He promised the second coming and said it was soon, it has been 2000 years.
All in His timing.
2007-12-24 01:19:12 · answer #7 · answered by Thrice Blessed 6 · 6⤊ 4⤋
A lot of confused and angry people on this forum! Not sure why people refuse to believe why God cannot exist. Seems to me for the small amount one has to give up in life and what is promised to those who DO believe, it's too simple to believe. The thing you all have to take into consideration is , "What if it is YOU that is wrong and God DOES exist? What if you lost all that time simply trying to enjoy a life that you "sucked" at and all you had to do is trust in a God who as and added gift, give you eternal life with HIM in a place of bliss and pleasure, but you refused because of your stubborness? The way I figure it, I have lost nothing at the time of death if YOU are right, but only made a constant effort to do right , love all mankind and worship a supernatural being who chose to give us "Free Will," and not reveal himself. Makes you wonder who the "real dummies" are? I've not seen much intellect in "rationalizing" facts that are only created by simple man to begin with!
Blessings
2007-12-24 01:54:25 · answer #8 · answered by mecajunboy 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
He talked about man's life. And the life is even shorter now.
Read the History of the Old Testament and you will get the real answer.
Was Jacob really included in the 120 years or was he older at the time?
If you can't answer this question, why speak in ignorance.
2007-12-24 01:17:11 · answer #9 · answered by customizedsongwriter Mike McCracken 5 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Didn't happen all at once, even now some may live longer and some may not live that long. But if you take an average I think you will find people on the average don't live past 120 years.
2007-12-24 01:16:44 · answer #10 · answered by saintrose 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋