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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
“So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.” (Genesis 9.29).
There are ten generations from Adam to Noah. The vast majority of these ten generations are documented in Genesis 5 and conclude with the death of Noah as noted in today's focus text. Between Genesis 5 and the death of Noah in Genesis 9, the story of the flood is chronicled. In the ten generations that are mentioned in these passages, the phrase “and he died” is repeated again and again. In fact, “and he died” appears nine time in Genesis 5 and Genesis 9.29.
If you are reading closely, you noticed that there are ten generations, but the phrase “and he died” appears but nine times. A natural question is this: What about the tenth person mentioned in the genealogies, the one about whom it is not stated “...and he died”? We will briefly address this exception and then move on to today's major theme. Methuselah, the oldest man in biblical history, lived 969 years “...and he died.” (Genesis 5.27). Enoch was Methuselah's father but Methuselah died before Enoch died. But, how could it be that Methuselah was the oldest man yet he died before his father? The answer is simply this: Enoch did not die! He is the one out of ten exception in the generations from Adam to Noah. Regarding Enoch, “...he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5.24). The Hebrews writer comments on this matter, saying, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him.'” (Hebrews 11.5).
Now, back to the fact that noteworthy characters like Adam and Noah died. They all lived to a ripe old age and then died. Herein is the great leveler of all mankind. Someone has spoofed that there are two things that are inevitable, namely death and taxes! In reality, one can escape taxes by hook and by crook, but he cannot escape death. Neither power, nor riches, nor sheer luck can deliver a man from this fate. It is an appointment that all will keep. In fact, the Hebrews writer uses death as the absolute appointment which we all will keep (see Hebrews 9.27). After that, he says, comes the judgment!
Death was the consequence of Adam's sin. We as descendents of Adam are all subject to this consequence. It is here that one must distinguish between suffering the consequences of another's sin and bearing the guilt of another's sin. We are not guilty of Adam's sin, but we suffer the consequences. This common fate which awaits all men is a fate that cannot be escaped in this world, but it can be escaped in the world to come. The death of which we have spoken thus far has been physical death. There is a death that is far more hurtful that physical death; that death is spiritual death. It is eternal separation from God and all that is good. Jesus came to ransom our souls from that second death. His mission was to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19.10). The salvation which He came to give was not salvation from physical death; it was salvation from spiritual death. He accomplished this mission by His own death. In that He died, He died for all (see 2 Corinthians 5.14-15).
In all the annals of history, it cannot be said that anyone found a way of escape. Searches for the fountain of youth proved fruitless. More modern searches for medical or dietary aids to stave off the effects of aging can be helpful in prolonging life, but not indefinitely. The best that science can do is postpone the inevitable! Such is not the case with Jesus Christ. His mortal death made our spiritual lives possible. In obedience to the gospel through biblical baptism, we can bury the old man and allow the new man to arise and walk in newness of life (see Romans 6.1-4). Concerning this new man, it need never be said, “And he died!” The old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.”
Questions:
1. Who was the oldest man? Who died first, the oldest man or his father? Who was his father?
2. What efforts has man made to escape the reality of death? Which of these has been successful to eliminate death from our futures?
3. How did Jesus deliver us from death? Is that deliverance conditional or unconditional on our part?
4. According to Romans 6, where or in what act, does man arise to walk in newness of life?
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