About That Good-For-Nothing Father of Ours

So Methuselah’s life lasted 969 years; then he died. – Gen 5:27. (HCSB-r)

The Bible says we should “honour the face of the old man” and warns against people who are “not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (Lev 19:32; 2Pe 2:10); yet we tend to throw those directives away when it comes to the Oldest Man ever – a man who also turns out to be our common father!

The age of Methuselah has been the object of much derision, specifically with respect to the issue of Legacy. How many times have you heard some preacher or motivational speaker rant, “Look at Methuselah, he lived for 969 years, and what has he to show for it? Nothing!” And from there they would go on to lambaste him in the hope of inspiring young people to desire to not just live long, but leave long lines in the sands of time.

I’ve always had an issue with this perennial attack on Methuselah. He seems to have committed a crime for living longer than everyone else. For starters, As a Patriarch, he’s a key link in the chain that brought not just us, but Christ as well; and that’s enough to earn him some sort of deference.

Also, the attack on him is based on a warped definition of “Success” or “achievement”. He may not have 5,000 souls for Christ, or raised the dead, or built the Stonehenge (as far as we know J), but a look at the decadent and corrupt giant-infested world that he lived in shows he deserves a nod for holding up. His dad was Enoch and his grandson was Noah; this line of persons kept themselves while all around them went to the dogs.

And lastly, when you come to think of it, who says Methuselah never left a legacy? If he didn’t, we wouldn’t be talking about him today, would we? Methuselah was a STAYER; even in the days when people lived for centuries, he outlived them all! That means even by their incredible standards, Methuselah was still OLD.

His modern-day detractors would say that his entire 969 years was summed up in just 4 verses of scripture (as though their own super-rich, impactful life has gotten them even a verse); but those 4 verses speak volumes. They tell of living godly in a universally ungodly world, of being a dependable link in fulfilling God’s agenda on Earth, and of being a super-achiever even in a family line of super-achievers. These are vital things we should ponder upon.

SELAH! (methuSELAH?)

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN